Aria Pro II Secrets Solved

🔺 Chronology of headstock phrase changes on the left, and copy of the original Trademark Application for the Aria name, on the right, with translation [77]. On the bottom, Matsumoku factory footer from catalogs and advertising, with translation showing the source of the abbreviated address text of ’4-11 N.M.’. Note the numbers are reversed between the official address and the headstock text.

🔺 Examples of the single line headstock text with the Trademark Registration number. See the unique alternate version on Tri Sound models in pic further below.

🔺 Trademark Registration record under the number 555719, including matching date and original application number back to 1959, and showing ‘Aria Musical Instruments’ as the holder until 1990. Note the reference to Tatsuno and Nagoya  – see the discussion on the Matsumoku Myths page regarding these facilities [77].

Rev Sound Changes - 1979

Rev Sound (or RS) through body single coil models introduced in 1979 underwent changes in design and serial number format that have led to some confusion. The major mystery point is that Japanese catalogs from 1981 to 1983, and some English advertising in 1981, only show 6 inline headstocks, but 6 inline headstocks don’t actually seem to exist for this period (except for a singular custom model – see pic below). Serial number format change at the end of 1979 also resulted in one issue of dating conflict, based on 109xxx numbers. On either side of the known format change at the end of 1979, 109xxx could be 10th month 1979 (MMYxxx) or 1981 9th month (YMMxxx). A mini inventory of headstock examples and serial number chronology has been used to clear up the confusion. Based on the chronology, the 3 + 3 design was in production as of Oct. 1980, with presumed retail by the end of 1980, and certainly for 1981.  

🔺 Rev Sound single coil model headstock analysis showing advancing serial number dates, the format crossover change in serials, the design change in tuner type, and the subsequent design change from 6 inline to 3 +3 (plus another tuner change).

Tri Sound to Thor Sound - 1980

Tri Sound models introduced in 1979 changed later to be called Thor Sound. It’s not clear what the reason was for the change. In an interview with Yuzura Tanaka  (Aria executive, through and after the Matsumoku era) there are hints that ‘Tri’ didn’t adequately reflect the large number of tonal options, so perhaps 'Thor' was a better reflection of a bigger and more impressive range, but Mr. Tanaka is literally quoted as saying “I don’t know” regarding the change [7]. There is also some discussion in the interview about achieving uniform headstock recognition, in the manner of Gibson and Fender having immediately recognizable designs. The 3 + 3 headstock design for Thor Sounds was essentially the same as several other models, over the span of a few years, so the uniform design idea does play out to some degree (note, see the discussion/list of models with R related headstock design, below, which further corroborates this concept). This leaves us with the basic minor mystery of when exactly did the name change occur from Tri to Thor, even if we don’t’ know why exactly it changed. A review of headstock examples and serial number chronology has been used to clear this up.

🔺 The 6 inline name change from Tri Sound to Thor Sound has been determined accurately to Feb. 1980, based on month to month serial numbers, Jan. 1980 (001xxx YMMxxx format) followed by Feb. 1980 (002xxx). Note the concurrent change in the headstock text, from “Original Custom Body by Matsumoku Ind. Ltd. P. NO. 555719” to “Original Custom Body Pat. No. 555719”.

The change date from 6 inline to 3 + 3 headstocks has not been determined exactly but is in the range of Sept. 1979 to April 1980 based on initial cursory review of serial numbers (so this preceded both the RS and PE-R time points for the same change, noted on this page). This changeover range is early with respect to literature not showing 3 + 3 until 1981. Some 3 + 3 were therefore assumed to be sold in 1980.

There is one minor exception to this discussion in the form of a third headstock. The so-called Transition design headstock of symmetrical curved sides and shallow curved V top edge appeared in 1979 literature [35]. Three TS models (600/500/400) are shown, but generally few examples seem to exist. Production volume is assumed to have been low and for a short period only, relative to the more common headstock designs. 

PE-R Designation - 1981

In 1981 catalogs, new design PE-R60 and PE-R80 models were introduced. Instant mystery. PE models to this point didn’t have letters in the model number, so what did the R mean? Toshio Toshi Owa (Matsumoku Head of Design in 1983, R&D Section Manager in 1986/87) has said in an interview that it didn’t really mean anything [10]. In the same interview, and in a separate interview with Yuzura Tanaka  (Aria executive, through and after the Matsumoku era) and Kiichi Furata (Aria employee as of 1986) [7], all noted that the original Supermatic bridge design for PEs was changed for the R models to the Super Tunable (SPT) with Quick Hook (QH) tailpiece (which first appeared in 1979 on other models). Controls were also changed to Les Paul style and coil splitting was added. The interviews imply that these design changes needed a new designation. To that end, the most likely reason for the revised model number was specific to the headstock. Headstock shape on PEs (and FS & SH) from respective launch dates starting in 1977, all had straight sided edge 3 + 3 design. The 1981 catalog, and advertisements, showed a “New Headpiece” with a new cursive script R shaped bump added to the lower ends of each headstock edge in the 60 and 80 PEs [37, 43]. The 6 inline headstocks on 1979 RS models already had a single bump on the lower end of the top edge, so this may have been the inspiration to adding it to other models. In the noted interview with Yuzura Tanaka, the double edge R shape is strongly implied to have been the main reason for the new R in the PE-R60 and PE-R80 model numbers for 1981 [7]. As a footnote, for whatever reason the R was subsequently dropped in 1982 for the PE-R60 which then became the PE-60, but it was kept for the 80 and new higher spec PE model names.

🔺 1981 catalog excerpts and close-up example of the R shape bump.

The R shape was also used on the new headstock versions, i.e. 3 + 3 instead of 6 inline, of RS and TS models in ‘81, and was also used on original ST, CS, CSB, SB, TSB, TA, YS, and U models, and newer PE models. As noted above regarding TS model changes, multiple models were given a standardized headstock design, seemingly as an attempt to create a form of brand recognition. High model number PEs (800/1000/1500) and FS and SH retained the original straight edge design in 1981, possibly as a way to separate some high range 6 string model recognition from mid range.

Digging deeper and trying to identify the exact change date has been done by reviewing serial numbers. As noted, the models were introduced in the 1981 catalog but the earliest serial number found specifically for a PE-R60 is July 1980. By comparison to the RS discussion further above, the 3 + 3 RS headstock was introduced as of October 1980, so the PE-R versions preceded these by a couple months.

🔺 Serials numbers for July 1980 (007xxx YMMxxx format) showing earliest production of PE-R plus numbers for Sept., Nov., and Dec. 1980, showing ongoing production prior to official launch in 1981.

TA Titanic to Titan - 1981

TA thinline semi-hollow models were introduced in 1981 with the TA-100 high spec version and TA-70 and 60 as lower spec. The TA-100 is commonly seen with ‘Titan Artist’ on the headstock but a few rare examples are seen with ‘Titanic Artist’. The rare and obscurely documented TA-80 has also turned up with a variation of ‘Titanic Artist’ that includes the “Original Custom Body…” line, instead of “Specially Designed & Approved By Aria…” full text, which would be the subsequent replacement and which is also standard on the TA-70 and 60. The design on the 100 is an inlay while on the 80 is a decal. The use of ‘Titanic’ was at first assumed to be a simple design mistake when seen on the 100. When it then also turned up on a TA-80, it seemed that it might in fact be an intended model name.

A foldout poster made for the 25th Anniversary of Arai Trading, dated 1981, has been found online that shows both the 100 and 80, but resolution quality is very low. It does appear that each are labelled NEW and each headstock does appear to have large letter text. This suggests that ‘Titanic Artist’ was indeed the intended original name for each. Why then was the name changed on the 100 and dropped from the 80? In an interview with Toshio Toshi Owa (Head of Design in 1983, R&D Section Manager in 1986/87) he seems to confirm that Titanic was the original name [10]. He also said that the name Urchin (meaning sea urchin), as used for so named guitar models from 1981, was joked about as a model that would ‘sink’, and in turn “…we got told off (laughs)” about the ‘Titanic’ name, implying as well that it was something that would ‘sink’. The negative connotation is presumably why the name was then subsequently changed. Not enough examples of the ‘Titanic’ versions have turned up with readable serial numbers to date the change, but based on initial review, ‘Titanic’ is known for April 1981 (104xxx) on a TA-80 and ‘Titan’ in known for Sept. 1981 (109xxx) on a TA-100, so the switch happened in this range.