1983 Aria Pro II PE-R100

I purchased this 1983 Aria Pro II PE-R100 on March 24, 2010, after stumbling across it by chance while browsing Rakuten Marketplace.

It was listed by a well-known music store for a little over ¥80,000, tax included. At the time, I wasn’t particularly interested in Aria guitars, but on impulse I decided to buy it—and I’m glad I did.

It had been nearly thirty years since I last held a PE-R model, having tried one long ago at Shinseido in Utsunomiya. I had completely forgotten what it felt like in my hands, but the moment I picked this one up again, I was reminded of how slim and comfortable the body felt.

One thing that has always puzzled me is why such a high-grade instrument was finished in a solid color. The craftsmen must have known that this would hide the beauty of the wood grain and perhaps even dampen the natural resonance of the wood. Could this decision have come from some misguided directive from management?

Played acoustically, the guitar feels tight and focused, just as you’d expect from its three-layer construction of maple–mahogany–maple. The finish likely contributes to that tone as well. Plugged into an amp, it delivers a clear, articulate sound, though some players might wish for a bit more depth in the low end.

The neck profile is standard and comfortable, allowing easy access to the higher frets. In recent years, prices for these models have risen sharply, and it’s become increasingly difficult to find one. I can’t take the blame for that, though—perhaps it’s due to Masaharu Fukuyama, who once mentioned on the radio that he bought this exact model at age 16 with money from his dishwashing job.