Here for sale we have an Aria Pro II Cardinal Series CS-350 electric guitar in Transparent Red finish. Made in the Mastsumoku plant in Japan in 1981, this guitar is part of a well-regarded era in the Japanese production of guitars, with many brands having instruments manufactured by the Matsumoku company due to their excellent build quality. This was largely thanks to the combined use of CNC machines and skilled labour to complete the instruments. Guitars of this era are quite easily recognised by their similar appearance and 3-pc Maple necks. Other brands produced by Matsumoku include Westone & Westbury. This instrument features a bolt-on construction comprising an Ash body, 3-piece Maple neck and 22 fret Rosewood fingerboard. Chrome hardware is fitted including a hardtail string-through-body bridge and sealed tuning machines. A pair of Aria Pro humbucking pickups are installed, and are wired to some rather innovative controls. These consist of a 3-way toggle switch, independent volume controls, independent tone controls, mini toggle phase reverse switch and mini toggle for coil split. The Maple neck plays very well, with a profile which might be described as a moderately-sized 'D' shape which offers a smooth and responsive playing experience across the register. The slightly flattened area to the centre of the rear encourages ergonomic thumb positioning up and down the neck and ensures fast fretting and easy reach in any position. The Rosewood of the fretboard is pleasant under the fingers, and with its 10" radius is practical for both chordal and melodic playing styles. The dual cutaways enhance access to the upper register, whilst the smooth bevelled lines of the body are comfortable in the arms. The pair of Aria Pro humbucking pickups deliver thick and full bodied tones, well suited to rock and metal genres. The bridge is bright and fairly hot, and cuts easily through the mix to deliver a snarling drive sound on your riffs and rhythm parts. The neck is of course rounder and produces a smooth buttery sound for lead lines and solos. The onboard controls are quite extensive, with the tone controls offering a range of sounds between humbuckers and single-coils, as well as a traditional tone control. This makes the instrument really quite versatile. With the addition of the phase reverse mini toggle, this guitar can cover a lot of sonic ground. Brand- Aria Model- Pro ii CS-350 Finish- Transparent Red Year- 1981 Made In- Japan Body- Ash Neck- Maple Neck Profile- 'D' Fingerboard- Rosewood Fingerboard Radius- 10" Frets- 22 Scale Legnth- 25" Nut Width- 1.7" Pickups- 2x Aria Pro Humbuckers Controls- 3-Way Toggle Switch, Neck Volume, Bridge Volume, Neck Tone, Bridge Tone, Coil Split, Phase Reverse

Verification report

Our ID: 110032584881 Weight: 8lbs Serial: 1080991 Aesthetic Condition: Headstock: Overall good condition, the front face demonstrates a notable chip to the treble side bottom corner, revealing the wood beneath with a small amount of material missing. Further chipping and indentation is apparent to all sides and edges of the headstock. This is most consistent to the top edge where small sections of finish are beginning to delaminate. Neck: Overall good condition, the rear of the neck demonstrates light indentation throughout the register, most notably to the treble side behind the first fret. These markings can be felt under the thumb but do not impact the overall playability of the instrument. The fingerboard demonstrates a notable indentation to the treble side edge between the second and third fret. Further moderate indentation is apparent to the fingerboard edge on the bass side of the ninth fret. The fingerboard demonstrates tooling marks throughout, alongside the lengths of the frets. Body: Overall good condition, all aspects of the body demonstrate chipping, indentation, cracking and scratching of the finish. This is most notable to the treble side edge of the lower bout, where consistent indentation and chipping has revealed sections of the wood beneath. Condition of Frets: The frets demonstrate notable signs of use, with flattening of the crowns throughout the register. This does not affect the playability. There is no room remaining for future fret work. Current Set Up: Truss Rod: Fully functional. Truss rod tool (5mm hex) not included. Hardware: Fully functional with moderate signs of wear. The nut has been replaced for bone. The fit in the slot is not perfect but does not impact playability, all slots are cut to correct depth and spaced well with 2.5mm to fingerboard edge on the treble side and 3mm to fingerboard edge on the bass side. Structural: No concerns or issues to note. Height of the string from the 12th Fret-1.5mm - Bass 2mm Please be aware that the action on a guitar may move slightly in transit and this measurement is the current height. Strings on Guitar - 10-46 Electrics: Fully functional. Case & Accessories No case is provided with this guitar.