Fanboy poster mockup by a poster child Aria SB fanboy.

Working with wireless flash system using ceiling bounce then high righ and low left.

Backdrop didn't blur out (because of the "small" aperture used to keep the whole bass in focus so had to isolate and cut it out in photoshop (thank god for bezier curves path tool)

The Aria SB1000 Pro II is probably the definitive classic Japanese made bass guitar (the all but identical bolt on neck active SB800, which this one is, only lasted a year).

Designed by Nobuaki Hayashi (AKA "H Noble") of "Atlansia" instruments, built by Singer owned cabinet and joinery company Matsumoku, marketed by Aria.
Used by such greats as Jack Bruce (Cream), Cliff Burton (Metallica), Stanley Clark (Chick Corea's "Return To Forever"), Tony Butler (Big Country, The Pretenders, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend) and of course John Taylor (Duran Duran, Power Station)

This is the best built bass, bar one, that I've ever played (the other being a pre EB era Musicman Stingray).


Several years ago I bided on ebay and won a sight unseen "Aria SB - Model unknown" ... and not long later this piece of master craftsmanship arrived at my door. On one of my trips to Japan I managed to get it correctly identified by an Ishibashi music store Aria expert as a 1977 made factory prototype.... not that it makes it "priceless" or particularly collectable in anyway but nice to know.