Aria TA-50 Hollow Body (335 Copy) Nice!

[Platefire]

I went by my local pawn shop Tuesday to see if they had anything new. They had this Aria and I had them take it down for me to look close at--just lightly strummed and was impressed and left. They just got it in and didn't have a price on it yet. Well I keep thinking about the old thing so I went back today and tried it out with an amp and I'm even more impressed--it's made in China. The pickups sounded good. I've never owned a 335 but this seems as good or better as I ever picked around on. I looked up the American price as $699.99. I'll be looking forward to seeing what they put on it---from past experiances it will be new price or higher. Plate

[tubenit]

I haven't played one of these Ibanez ArtCore guitars but I heard a jazz player playing one. It sounded excellent to me.

Only $350

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-Artcore-AF75-Electric-Guitar?sku=519453

Gretch Electromatic is $699

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gretsch-Guitars-G5120-Electromatic-Hollow-Body-with-DualCoil-Pickups?sku=513282

Epiphone DOT  is $399  (I think John Lee Hooker plays one?)

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-Dot-Electric-Guitar?sku=518250


There are some nice hollow bodies out there for decent prices.       

With respect, Tubenit

[Platefire]

Yow, I've been eyeballing all of those from time to time. The only hollow body electric I ever played for a period of time was a Guild Starfire cherry red back in the 70's. It was nice. Plate

[Platefire]

Well they put what I would consider a real reasonable price on it, so I went ahead and picked it up. I'm very impressed with it all way around. I just need a 335 type hard case for it now. Plate

[G._Hoffman]

The semi-hollow guitars that I have always liked were the ES-339 style guitars (John Scofield plays an Ibanez version).  I like the smaller body size, as ES-335's have always felt really weird under my right arm - too much real estate behind the bridge - and the 339's also seem to balance much better to me.


Gabriel

[Platefire]

Well I haven't played on a varity of hollow bodies. Back in the 70's I used a Guild Starfire for several Years. The body and neck felt plenty comfortable to me----it's just that floating bridge was a problem and I recall having to re-set it frequently. I sure like the tune o matic type fixed bridge on the Aria. I do recall the Guild feeding back when you cranked the volume up. In jamming on the Aria haven't noticed any feedback what so ever--so far. The SD pickups sound pretty spiffy so far. Plate

[G._Hoffman]

Well I haven't played on a varity of hollow bodies. Back in the 70's I used a Guild Starfire for several Years. The body and neck felt plenty comfortable to me----it's just that floating bridge was a problem and I recall having to re-set it frequently. I sure like the tune o matic type fixed bridge on the Aria. I do recall the Guild feeding back when you cranked the volume up. In jamming on the Aria haven't noticed any feedback what so ever--so far. The SD pickups sound pretty spiffy so far. Plate

If I'm not mistaken, the Starfire is an actual hollow body - the Aria is a semi-hollow, which is a whole other beast!  They are basically a solid body in many respects, just with some hollow spaces.  But the center section of the guitar is all solid - much different thing.


Gabriel

[Platefire]

Yeah, I think your right on the Starfire. No wonder with the feedback. So that's the reason the Aria sounds a lot like a les paul because of the solid block through the middle. I have found two different set of specs for the TA-50 on the net and can't figure out which one is right or which one I have??? The two sets of specs are as follows:


#1

Aria TA-50 Specifications
Body : Maple Top, Back & Sides
Neck : Mahogany, Set-Neck Fingerboard : Rosewood
Frets : 22F
Scale : 628mm(24-3/4")
Pickups : MH-1 Humbucker x 2
Controls : Volume x 2, Tone x 2, PU selector x 1
Tailpiece : SPT bridge & QH Tailpiece
Hardware : Chrome

#2
The TA-50 features:

Maple top, back and sides
Two classic f-holes
A maple setneck design that appeals to Jazz, Blues and Rock players
A rosewood fingerboard with stylish, angled block inlays
24 3/4" scale length
22 frets
Two Duncan Designed HB-103 humbucking pickups
Controls: Two volume knobs, two tone knobs and a 3-way pickup selector switch
A SPT bridge and QH tailpiece
Chrome hardware
Brown Sunburst (BS), Black (BK) and Wine Red (WR)

I know I been having big problems with it!!!! keeping my hands off it!  
  

[bigsbybender]

t mistaken, the Starfire is an actual hollow body - the Aria is a semi-hollow, which is a whole other beast!  They are basically a solid body in many respects, just with some hollow spaces.  But the center section of the guitar is all solid - much different thing.

Depends on the Starfire.
 The Starfire I, II, and III were fully hollow.  The Guild Starfire IV, V, VI were Semi-Hollow with the Center Block. The fully hollow ones were single cuts ala Gibson's ES135 (Starfire 1-3)...but the Starfire 4-6 were Double-cut semi-hollow ES335 style....although upon close inspection the outline of a 335 seem to follow a Gibson "Jumbo" outline in the bouts (not counting the cutaways) More likely contrived from some of the bigger "ES" boxes. The Guild follows a more squared and slightly smaller dreadnaught-like silhouette, I'm convinced they used a dreadnaught jig to form the SF. The Guild is also a hair thinner and lighter.
My main Axe is a 1969 or 70 Starfire IV (kind of ambiguous serial # system they used at that time).  It's still the smoothest playing guitar I've ever touched.  I've got an early 60's 335 here too...but it's in pretty rough shape and lived a hard life. The Guild suits me better overall.  

I am over 6'2" and 240 LBS...so big guitars look better on me IMO....My Teles look like toys on me in comparison to the SFIV and the ES335.


Nice pickup Bob!   I love semi-hollows...I used them for almost everything but Surf and country Twangin'. They just have great tone and I can hide behind them if the audience doesn't dig what I'm doing  


j.

[Platefire]

I've got a picture of me with that Starfire somewhere, if I could show it, you could probably nail the model right off but I can tell you it was the general shape of a 335 and cherry red.

I've become more of a fan recent years of the fat tone of humbuckers on a gibson fixed neck type body even kind of a jazz tone. The main guitar I presently have up to this point that would  do that is my Hoyer Les Paul Copy (Solid Mahogony fixed neck)but with the Aria takes me in this territory. What I'm liking about the Aria is I can roll back the tone knobs to get more depth and it don't seem to destroy the attack response and overall tone like some guitars do when you do that. My main thing is my tele and strat but I just need a break from that occationally and go in a total different direction and that is a refreshing change. Besides the Aria looks kind of elegant and classy which seems to cry "pick me up and wear me". Thanks, Bob

Additional mystery: The specs for this guitar indicate the pickups are duncan design MH-1 that stands for Midi humbucker but the pickup covers are full size. I can't figure this out unless they have a mid humbucker under a full size cover??? Anybody got any ideas whats going on here?

[G._Hoffman]

I've got a picture of me with that Starfire somewhere, if I could show it, you could probably nail the model right off but I can tell you it was the general shape of a 335 and cherry red.

I've become more of a fan recent years of the fat tone of humbuckers on a gibson fixed neck type body even kind of a jazz tone. The main guitar I presently have up to this point that would  do that is my Hoyer Les Paul Copy (Solid Mahogony fixed neck)but with the Aria takes me in this territory. What I'm liking about the Aria is I can roll back the tone knobs to get more depth and it don't seem to destroy the attack response and overall tone like some guitars do when you do that. My main thing is my tele and strat but I just need a break from that occationally and go in a total different direction and that is a refreshing change. Besides the Aria looks kind of elegant and classy which seems to cry "pick me up and wear me". Thanks, Bob

Additional mystery: The specs for this guitar indicate the pickups are duncan design MH-1 that stands for Midi humbucker but the pickup covers are full size. I can't figure this out unless they have a mid humbucker under a full size cover??? Anybody got any ideas whats going on here?

The Duncan Designed stuff bears no relationship to the standard SD line.  That is probably nothing more than Aria's designation for that pickup, which may have been designed by Seymour here in the US, but which is MADE by Aria (or whoever is building their guitars) somewhere in Korea, China, or Indonesia. 

Never confuse the Duncan Design pickups with Seymour Duncan pickups - they are not the same thing at all.


Gabriel

[Platefire]

Yeah I understand about the duncan design is a foreign cheap pickup--but right now the ones on there sound pretty good. I will have to test them with several differnt amps and under differing playing conditions to determine if they need to go or not. Also the tuning machines---I would perfer to have some locking ones.

I did a little research and the Starefire I use to have was a 1V just like the attched picture. Like I said, the main problem I had with it was that type bridge---to me a tunamatic type set into the body would have been so much better. Well my next aquisition is to find a case for this Aria.

[Platefire]

Got a nice new Guardian 335 type case for $70.00 in Fayettville NC while on vaction. A little scarry since I didn't have the guitar with me, but it fit perfect when I got home and tried it. The guitar is a little neck heavy as with a narrow type cloth strap the the neck drops down when you take your hand off the guitar. I have corrected that problem on previous guitars by using a wide leather strap that grips your shoulder better and won't let it slip. Plate

[Platefire]

Bump! One more comment on this guitar and I'll try to shut up.  


I'm just really pleased with this TA-50.
This guitar is excellent on all counts for my purposes. The only negative points I can say about this guitar is that it's neck heavy and I'm having a hard time adjusting to easily reaching the bridge pickup volume control.

When I let go of the guitar to play a harp part the neck dives toward the floor(with a standard cloth strap). When playing on the bridge pickup I'm having problems getting my hand on the volume control which I turn up for leads and back down afterwards. I can remidy the neck heavy problem by using a wide leather strap the grips the shoulder real well to prevent it from diving down. I think I will eventually get used to the volume control location, may take a little practice. This guitar is just a pleasure to play and besides, it looks really good. From all indications, it's a keeper. Platefire  

BTW-It works great for slide too!