I JUST BOUGHT AN ARIA PRO II FOR $150.00 with a hard case it says cardinal series original custom body, on the head stock. The neck plate is stamped MATSUMOKU. MADE IN JAPAN Sn H 800176 I'm trying to find out how old is is it's in GREAT shape. The case is not rectangular, it's molded to fit the bass. Also it's 4 string
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It's probably an early CSB380. These supposedly hit the market in '81, although the H80 serial number on yours implies was made in 1980. The "Original Custom Body" on the headstock was standard labelling on a bunch of the Aria Pro II line of the time.
I agree. I had the same instrument. CSB is the abbreviation for Cardinal Series Bass. Its was an entry level bass but is quite a bit nicer than that would suggest. Pretty cool that you got the case too.
Nice score.
What you got was about as much bass as you cam score for that much money. Everything that came out of that factory was well crafted.
Doesn't hurt that it looks great too!
Doesn't hurt that it looks great too!
I got given a 77 Precise bass with no electronics. Fitted a Fender pg, had a bridge route down, and added a DiMarzio PJ set. It's a great playing bass! Running stacked V/T and blend.
I had one of those some years back, though I think my truss cover was engraved with the model (which I remember as CSB-300 but could be wrong). It was a nice bass, played very well. I carefully de-fretted it (filled slots with plastic and tung oiled) and it actually came out great. The tight string spacing was my only minor complaint. Great score!
The color suggests it's a CSB-380 (the finish options are the only difference between the CSB-300 and CSB-380).
Aria Pro II CSB Series
You got a great bass for a really great price--they typically sell for $250-$350! As mentioned, they're a 32" medium scale, which, along with the narrower string spacing, makes them very comfortable to play. And it's a great pickup; the reverse split setup offers really good tonal balance and sweet, warm highs. The construction quality is also very high--like the five-piece laminated neck, for instance. Excellent instruments!
Aria Pro II CSB Series
You got a great bass for a really great price--they typically sell for $250-$350! As mentioned, they're a 32" medium scale, which, along with the narrower string spacing, makes them very comfortable to play. And it's a great pickup; the reverse split setup offers really good tonal balance and sweet, warm highs. The construction quality is also very high--like the five-piece laminated neck, for instance. Excellent instruments!
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