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Aria 12-String

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(@spammyg)
Active Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 11
Topic starter  

Does anyone have any info or know where i can get any info on an Aria SW15C-T 12-string acoustic.
Its pretty old, my Dad's in fact, and was made in Japan which is a good thing and it sounds nice even with the old strings that are on it. I've had a look at their website but on the list of models it says that some may be left out and this one is. Just wanna know what sorta quality it is. Thinkin about claming it from my Dad considering he doesnt really play anymore.
I've had GAS for a 12 string for a while and now i might get one for the price of a set of stings! Bargain. Pics sooner or later

Cole Clark FL1-AC

J & D Luthier JD-880


   
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(@davidhodge)
Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 4472
 

If you're able to play it and it sounds good and you can inspect it for wear and tear, cracks and whatnot, and if it feels good to your hands, what other "quality" are you trying to check out?

Play it and enjoy it. That's where the quality is. You can always get another one one day in the future if you decide you don't like it (or it doesn't like you) for some reason. Or you can use this one to figure out what you want in your "dream" twelve string guitar.

And thank your dad! :wink:

Peace


   
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(@spammyg)
Active Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 11
Topic starter  

dhodge: i'm mainly interested in finding out what its made from etc. i dont care how much its worth. i guess that was my fauly for giving that impression in the way i worded my first post. and dont worry, i'll be thanking him.
here's some pics with the old strings. i'll get some new ones.



Cole Clark FL1-AC

J & D Luthier JD-880


   
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(@davidhodge)
Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 4472
 

No fault. Just when people start talking about guitars that way I always wonder what they're looking for. I'm just being old! :wink:

From what I remember about old Aria guitars, they were usually spruce tops sometimes laminate and sometimes solid. You want to look at the edge of the soundhole and see if you can see woodgrain along the rim of the soundhole itself. That will tell you whether or not it's a solid top.

Because of the compensated saddle, I'd guess that it's not that old of a guitar (meaning within the last twenty-five years or so) because Aria and other lower end acoustic companies have only been doing that sort of thing since the late eighties.

I'll see what info I can dig up from the luthiers and techs I know.

Peace


   
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(@spammyg)
Active Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 11
Topic starter  

thanks that'd be great. i prefer the oldschool way. my old acoustic was a monterey not a great brand by any stretch of the imagination but it was nice and it was mine since new. if i could have afforded to i would have kept it but i needed the money to get my Cole Clark. i was genuinely sad to see it go but i sold it privately to an old family friend who i knew would take good care of it so i'm glad that they can get some joy out of it like i did coz if i had kept it i wouldnt have played it much coz of my new one. (longest sentence ever) :D
i suspected it was a laminate top just from the feel and look of it as well as the thinness and lack of wood grain at the soundhole. doesnt matter to me, still sounds nice
have now ordered some new stings for it and when i told my dad he was chuffed which was nice to see. i doubt it has had new stings put on it for at least 10 years lol.

Cole Clark FL1-AC

J & D Luthier JD-880


   
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