Part of the fun of strange old MIJ guitars is researching the mystery surrounding their origins, and this one is quite mysterious indeed.
This Aria Diamond appears to have multiple different iterations over it's brief existence, taking place sometime in the mid 1960s. With that, pinning down an exact model number or specifications is nearly impossible.
What is obvious, is its superb build quality and attention to detail, and of course it's otherworldly looks. This one is sounding and playing wonderfully and almost in completely original condition, aside from the replacement Hipshot tuners. It's very similar in sound to a Fender Jaguar or Mustang but with much hotter pickups, and like those models, it's a 24" short scale. The switch and knobs are showing their age, but functional, and we don't have the heart to replace them while they still work.
Cosmetically, this guitar in amazing condition. There are some small dings and light scratches where you'd expect, but overall this guitar has been babied for 60+ years. The frets show very little wear, and are wider than the typical vintage frets used on similar vintage MIJs.
Appointments such as heavy braided wire, the triple bound neck and flame top suggest that this model was likely a premium option when it was initially offered.
If you're after a showstopper collectible vintage guitar that plays and sounds amazing without the crazy tag, check this one out.
