NGD: a little bit of 1980s nostalgia!

Philly_Q

No, it's not a superstrat!  

It's something I've always remembered, and sort of wanted, since I first started buying Guitar Player magazine in late 1981.

It's an Aria Cardinal Series CS-400, made at the Matsumoko factory in 1982, as played by Danny Johnson of Derringer and the Rod Stewart Band (and, later, Alcatrazz)!

It's not an expensive guitar but it's nicely made - three piece maple neck (slim but not too skinny), rosewood board, four piece ash body and weird in-house hardware like everyone used in those pre-standardised days.  The colour's the one I always wanted - Mahogany Sunburst - and it's in remarkably good condition, just a few minor dings.  I suspect the pickups are non-original, I'm pretty sure they should have polepieces like a DiMarzio Super Distortion, but I'm not really bothered about that.

So there we go.  Now I just need a Washburn Falcon, Ibanez AR-300 and Yamaha SG2000 from the same period....

stonevibe

I had a Washburn Falcon. Hated it with a passion.

ICBM

That's very cool. I know someone who is a big Danny Johnson fan who has the red one.

I've always liked Matsumoku Arias, ever since my first electric guitar was one.

The pickups in that one might be original, I don't think they used the DiMarzio copies in everything - the height screw heads look correct, and if they'd been replaced with any normal aftermarket pickups they would probably have American screws as they're a different thread. If you don't want to take them out, what does the wiring in the control cavity look like?

grungebob

I've had a 79 falcon, sustained like no other guitar i've ever played, however that was because it had its own gravity, the thing weighed well over 11lbs.

stonevibe

grungebob said:

I've had a 79 falcon, sustained like no other guitar i've ever played, however that was because it had its own gravity, the thing weighed well over 11lbs.

Oh yes.

blueskunk

I like that

Phil_aka_Pip

Aria Pro-II instruments weren't bad at all.

I knew someone who had a Washburn Falcon and played it through a JCM800 combo. I liked his sound.

Bucket

Philly_Q said:

Now I just need a Washburn Falcon, Ibanez AR-300 and Yamaha SG2000 from the same period....

And a Westone Thunder III.

http://manningsmusicals.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/picture-0055.jpg

Nice score though!

FelineGuitars

Wow - oneof the first guitars that I was saving for that were secondhand in local shops was an Aria Cardinal Series (ended up with a Westone Thunder 1)

richardhomer

I remember that ad! There are lots of interesting Japanese guitars from around then.

That's a really nice looking guitar.

blueskunk

Did they have the volute neck jobby?

WezV

I had one of the cheaper basses - turned up looking like this

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/aria-1.jpg

but paint stripper got most of that off without damaging the original paint underneath

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/ap21.jpg

its the same model used by kim deal on early pixies stuff

Philly_Q

Thanks for the comments gents.

@FelineGuitars  I thought you might like it!  

@Bucket  It's a thought, but I never really wanted a Westone - they came along a year or two later if I remember right, and by then I wasn't feeling the need to buy every guitar I saw in Guitar Player (or buy albums by everyone they interviewed, which I did for a while!)

Good points those who commented on the Washburn Falcon, I know they're super-heavyweights which I why I'll probably never actually buy one.  Same goes for the Ibanez and Yamaha.  This Aria, happily, is less than 7.5lbs.

@ICBM  I don't feel up to taking the strings off yet, but I had a look in the control cavity - the pickup cables have brown insulation and seem to contain red, white and green wires plus a shield.  The red wires go to the coil split switch.  No idea if those are typical Aria pickup specs.  I've found a picture of some Protomatic-V pickups with screws and slugs, so maybe they are original after all  (it says they have ceramic magnets and DC resistance 11.8).

I've plugged it in to the POD - everything's in working order and it sounds pretty good.  Good sustain, nice fat tone, not a huge difference in sound between neck and bridge pickups.  The phase switch is fun.  Some time I'll take a look at the pickups to see if there are any identifying marks on the baseplates.

Philly_Q

@blueskunk  No volute, but it's a three-piece construction like a Hamer (or a Feline!), so I expect it's pretty sturdy.

@WezV  I remember when you fixed up that bass!  Did you keep it?

WezV

Philly_Q said:

@blueskunk  No volute, but it's a three-piece construction like a Hamer (or a Feline!), so I expect it's pretty sturdy.

@WezV  I remember when you fixed up that bass!  Did you keep it?

nah, i sold it and didn't get much for it at all - which is fine, i didn't pay much for it, but somebody got a good deal.  It didn't help that someone else listed one at the same time but used my pictures.   oddly, when i challenged him on it, his was actually in much better condition and deserved a better price

Philly_Q

I'm getting a bit of GAS for one of those CS basses now.  I see they had a medium scale: "Favourable total length fits for beginners or ladies"  

FelineGuitars

Philly -speaking of guitars of that era, did you ever see a copy of the Hamer book called The Ulitmate?

Brilliant book - well worth it!

I got it for Xmas and can't put it down

impmann

Wonderful. Hugely underrated guitars from an underrated period.

As an aside I'm wrestling with myself at the moment - I've been offered an original USA Hamer Chapparal (Gibson scale length) for £250... REALLY high quality guitar for stupid cheap money.

FelineGuitars

Wow - the chapperall is awesome

Kahler or Floyd?

impmann

Original Floyd.

Philly_Q

FelineGuitars said:

Philly -speaking of guitars of that era, did you ever see a copy of the Hamer book called The Ulitmate?

Brilliant book - well worth it!

I got it for Xmas and can't put it down

I'd forgotten about it until you mentioned it!  I must see if I can find a copy.

Boomerang inlays on that Chapparal?