Letting go of an old (guitar) friend . . .

[Mick]

To make a decades-long story short, my house (for reasons I never fully understood) has been more or less the "Island of misfit toys" for rejected and abandoned musical instruments.

That said, my guitar-playing hobby started in 2006, when an electric guitar (an AriaPro II to be specific), landed at my house, and my son and I decided we wanted to try to learn to play it. How well we learned is wide open to debate, but I have been fooling around with guitars for the last 18 years as a result.

Since then, guitars have come and gone, but as of today, only two currently reside here, the AriaPro, and my Martin acoustic. Earlier today, I have been contacted by the original owner of the AriaPro electric, and informed that he would like to get the guitar back. I have agreed to not only return the guitar, but to personally deliver it to Plantation FLA later this month.

It is actually a decent guitar for a variety of reasons, and I am sorry to see it go. BUT, I am interested in acquiring another electric guitar to replace it. Suggestions are welcome!

If anyone has an awesome classic electric at a reasonable price, I would be open to buying a used guitar.

Thanks for listening.

[KenHorse]

Sorry, you can't have my 1965 Rickenbacker 360 12 string

[Mick]

Originally Posted by KenHorse

Sorry, you can't have my 1965 Rickenbacker 360 12 string

That's OK. Although I have had my phases where a 12 string acoustic seemed appealing, I have never had any interest in a 12 string electric.

[Chemtrails99]

Originally Posted by Mick

To make a decades-long story short, my house (for reasons I never fully understood) has been more or less the "Island of misfit toys" for rejected and abandoned musical instruments.

That said, my guitar-playing hobby started in 2006, when an electric guitar (an AriaPro II to be specific), landed at my house, and my son and I decided we wanted to try to learn to play it. How well we learned is wide open to debate, but I have been fooling around with guitars for the last 18 years as a result.

Since then, guitars have come and gone, but as of today, only two currently reside here, the AriaPro, and my Martin acoustic. Earlier today, I have been contacted by the original owner of the AriaPro electric, and informed that he would like to get the guitar back. I have agreed to not only return the guitar, but to personally deliver it to Plantation FLA later this month.

It is actually a decent guitar for a variety of reasons, and I am sorry to see it go. BUT, I am interested in acquiring another electric guitar to replace it. Suggestions are welcome!

If anyone has an awesome classic electric at a reasonable price, I would be open to buying a used guitar.

Thanks for listening.

Pictures or model? Aria Pro Two is the brand, not the model. Knowing the model gives info into what you may enjoy. I have an early 80's APII 5 string Bass I am enjoying playing, it's a great value....but Aria is quickly increasing in value.

[KenHorse]

Originally Posted by Mick

That's OK. Although I have had my phases where a 12 string acoustic seemed appealing, I have never had any interest in a 12 string electric.

Also have a 12 string Epiphone acoustic, Gibson SG and Fender Jazzmaster bass.

I'm a renaissance man

[Mick]

Originally Posted by Chemtrails99

Pictures or model? Aria Pro Two is the brand, not the model. Knowing the model gives info into what you may enjoy. I have an early 80's APII 5 string Bass I am enjoying playing, it's a great value....but Aria is quickly increasing in value.

I don't know the model. Pic attached of the head that says "XR-Series Electrics". I don't see anything else written on the guitar.

I'm not really interested in what it is worth, since it was abandoned at my house by a distant family member when he was still in college, and now that he has a son who is interested in playing guitar, he would like to have it back to play with his son. Kind of hard to say "no" to that one, regardless of the value.

Thanks for the input though!

[Frankie the Fink]

Originally Posted by Mick

That's OK. Although I have had my phases where a 12 string acoustic seemed appealing, I have never had any interest in a 12 string electric.

Nor do I, my mainstays are my Yamaha FG-160 acoustic I bought in 1974 and an electric PV Predator 1992 American-made, Strat clone - both are capable of producing sounds so far beyond what I can get from them I'm good for a lifetime.

[Mick]

Originally Posted by KenHorse

Also have a 12 string Epiphone acoustic, Gibson SG and Fender Jazzmaster bass.

I'm a renaissance man

Barring other great ideas from others, I was thinking of replacing it with a Gibson SG, or maybe an Amercian Strat, both 6 string of course. I know, less than inspired choices, which is why I was reaching out.

[Mick]

Originally Posted by Frankie the Fink

Nor do I, my mainstays are my Yamaha FG-160 acoustic I bought in 1974 and an electric PV Predator 1992 American-made, Strat clone - both are capable of producing sounds so far beyond what I can get from them I'm good for a lifetime.

I bought my Martin in late 2006, so it has been around here for 17+ years too. Low-end Martin, but sounds great, and is what I have been playing exclusively since the pandemic. The dust on the head of the Aria is testament to that!

One of the amazing things about the Aria is how well it holds a tune. I think it has been literally 4+ years since I have had it out of the case (again, the dust supports that), and it was still in tune when I played it!

[KenHorse]

Originally Posted by Mick

Barring other great ideas from others, I was thinking of replacing it with a Gibson SG, or maybe an Amercian Strat, both 6 string of course. I know, less than inspired choices, which is why I was reaching out.

I never cared for the Fender neck - my hand just feels more comfortable on a Gibson neck. I had a Telecaster for a while but sold it pretty soon after I bought it.

[Mick]

Originally Posted by KenHorse

I never cared for the Fender neck - my hand just feels more comfortable on a Gibson neck. I had a Telecaster for a while but sold it pretty soon after I bought it.

I agree with you, in that I have never owned a Fender guitar because I never liked the extreme (to me) curve of the neck. But I also recognize that maybe if I got used to it, I might like it for bar chords.

That said, I think between the two, I would probably pick the Gibson, just that my mind is open to a Strat.

[Chemtrails99]

Originally Posted by Mick

I don't know the model. Pic attached of the head that says "XR-Series Electrics". I don't see anything else written on the guitar.

I'm not really interested in what it is worth, since it was abandoned at my house by a distant family member when he was still in college, and now that he has a son who is interested in playing guitar, he would like to have it back to play with his son. Kind of hard to say "no" to that one, regardless of the value.

Thanks for the input though!

Its got the scale length if a Fender, so any Strat or Strat clone would feel much the same. Better to go to your local store and play a bunch. Buy the one that feels good.

[KenHorse]

Originally Posted by Chemtrails99

Its got the scale length if a Fender, so any Strat or Strat clone would feel much the same. Better to go to your local store and play a bunch. Buy the one that feels good.

Just remember

No Stairway or Seven Nation Army!

[Bill]

YouTube

[Tikiman]

I'm partial to Guilds. But you'll need to find an old Providence, RI one. Fender bought them and they just haven't been the same.

[Frankie the Fink]

I could never get next to a "hollow body" or a 12 string. Played a pal's 60's Rickenbacker 12 string for a while and owned a cheap one. They sound good for the first few go-rounds, but they are a "niche" instrument IMO.

[Tikiman]

Originally Posted by Frankie the Fink

I could never get next to a "hollow body" or a 12 string. Played a pal's 60's Rickenbacker 12 string for a while and owned a cheap one. They sound good for the first few go-rounds, but they are a "niche" instrument IMO.

I own both hollowbody archedtops and "slabs". Fretboards are the same on all of them. I don't have any issues going back and forth with them.

[SnikPlosskin]

Look into Warmoth. It’s like getting a high end custom instrument for half the price. You can also choose all kinds of different neck profiles, frets, radiuses, hardware, etc.

Https://Warmoth.com

I’ve been playing them for years. I usually do the finish myself using Stew Mac organic lacquer, do rough assembly then send off to a luthier for final assembly and set up.

Might be overkill if you don’t play out but I’ll never buy an off the shelf guitar again.

[Red Baron]

Originally Posted by Mick

I agree with you, in that I have never owned a Fender guitar because I never liked the extreme (to me) curve of the neck. But I also recognize that maybe if I got used to it, I might like it for bar chords.

That said, I think between the two, I would probably pick the Gibson, just that my mind is open to a Strat.

I had an old Fender Strat that I had Dave Edmunds autograph before a show in the Marriott ballroom in Maui once-cool story.
I took these pics inside Sun Studio, Memphis in 2018. There is a mark on the piano where the Killer put his cigar out ...

[Mick]

Originally Posted by SnikPlosskin

Look into Warmoth. It’s like getting a high end custom instrument for half the price. You can also choose all kinds of different neck profiles, frets, radiuses, hardware, etc.

Https://Warmoth.com

I’ve been playing them for years. I usually do the finish myself using Stew Mac organic lacquer, do rough assembly then send off to a luthier for final assembly and set up.

Might be overkill if you don’t play out but I’ll never buy an off the shelf guitar again.

Thanks for the suggestion, but yeah, WAY overkill for me. I'm a hobbyist.