Aria Pro II History
The History of Aria Pro II | The Journey of Japan Vintage, the Birthplace of PE
Have you heard of the brand Aria Pro II? If you’re a fan of Japan Vintage, you’re probably familiar with it, but younger generations might not be as familiar with the brand.
To be honest, I didn’t know much about Aria Pro II myself until I started working at TCGAKKI. However, as I researched Japan Vintage’s original models, I often came across Aria Pro II’s “PE” model alongside Yamaha’s SG and Greco’s GO. And when I actually picked up a PE and played it, I realized it had a unique charm that was different from the SG or GO.
I want more people to know about the PE! I’ve come to feel a strong desire for people to discover Ariapro II. So, in this post, I’ll delve deeper into the history of Ariapro II and the appeal of its original models.
It all began with the classical guitar
~The Early Days of Arai Trading~
Ariapro II is a brand established by Arai Trading. Arai Trading is a company that handles the import, export, and wholesale of musical instruments, and continues to support the Japanese guitar market to this day.
Arai Trading’s history dates back to the 1950s. The founder, Shiro Arai, was originally a classical guitar enthusiast and even aspired to become a professional musician for a time. Although he gave up on the professional path, his passion for the guitar never faded, and around 1954, he began importing sheet music and classical guitars for his own use.
At that time, most music stores did not even carry guitars, sheet music, or strings. It is said that the instruments and accessories Mr. Arai imported were eagerly sought after by his fellow guitarists. (It was also Mr. Arai who first imported Augustine nylon strings into Japan—strings that are still beloved by guitarists around the world today.)
In response to requests from across the country asking him to “stock some for me too,” he established the Arai Shoten Trading Division in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, in 1955. The following year, in 1956, the company was reorganized as Arai Trading Co., Ltd., marking the official start of its history.
The Challenge of Improving Quality, Born from Differences with Overseas Markets
While importing guitars, the company also exported Japanese-made guitars, but they soon hit a major roadblock. The climate in the United States, in particular, differed significantly from Japan’s, and the exported guitars frequently suffered severe damage upon arrival.
"We must improve the quality of Japanese-made guitars."
With this resolve, Mr. Arai visited guitar manufacturers in Nagoya, explaining the importance of wood drying. He also personally brought Japanese-made classical guitars to the United States to investigate the process by which cracks began to form within two to three weeks. He provided this feedback to the manufacturers, contributing significantly to the improvement of Japanese-made guitar quality.
Around this time, Arai Trading’s own brand of classical guitars, “Aria,” began to appear on the market.
Is the brand name an anagram? The untold story behind the birth of “Aria”
So, Arai Trading’s in-house brand was launched—but why was it named “Aria”?
It was an anagram—a wordplay created by swapping the “i” and “a” in the founder, Mr. Arai’s, surname. Furthermore, the fact that the resulting word “Aria” meant “aria” in musical terminology was a major reason this brand name was chosen.
The Electric Guitar Boom and the Encounter with "Matsumoku"
In the early 1960s, Japan experienced its first electric guitar boom. Demand for solid-body guitars like Guyatone and Tesco skyrocketed. However, Arai Trading quickly sensed signs that the electric guitar boom was rapidly declining in overseas markets and turned its attention to Group Sounds (GS), which was showing signs of becoming the next trend.
As demand for semi-acoustic guitars was rising within the GS scene, Arai Trading quickly shifted its focus to manufacturing semi-acoustic guitars.
At this time, they formed a partnership with Matsumoto Woodworking Co., Ltd., located in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture—later known as Matsumoku Industries. At the time, Matsumoku was manufacturing guitars as a subcontractor for Fuji Gen (now Fujigen), but they harbored a strong desire to “make their own guitars.” With the shared vision of Arai Trading and Matsumoku, development of an original electric guitar began.
The semi-acoustic guitar born from this collaboration was given the brand name “Aria Diamond.”
The Little-Known Era of the "Aria Diamond"
In fact, for several years starting around 1967, Aria Diamond was sold under the name “Arai Diamond.” This was because Kawai Musical Instruments already held the trademark rights to “Aria” for its keyboards. Later, after acquiring the trademark rights from Kawai Musical Instruments, they were able to use the name “Aria” once again. It’s fascinating to think that if this hadn’t happened, the brand name might still be “Arai” today.
A Commitment to Originality
~Breaking Away from Copycat Models~
In 1968, while visiting a guitar show in the United States, Mr. Arai was struck by the reissue Les Paul model unveiled by Gibson. At the time, production of the Les Paul shape had already been discontinued, so this was the first time Mr. Arai had ever seen it.
Impressed by what he saw, Mr. Arai attempted to build a Les Paul-style guitar in Japan. However, he believed that simply replicating the design would result in nothing more than a copycat model, so he equipped the guitar with an original pickup featuring blade-style pole pieces and put it on the market.
However, this model did not sell at all. In Japan around 1969, there were still very few full-fledged copy models, and a model with added originality was not accepted by the market.
As the 1970s began and the number of domestically produced copy models started to increase, patent issues began to surface. While other companies responded by modifying headstock shapes and the like, Aria and Yamaha developed a strong conviction that they should “move away from copy models and pursue original designs.”
Why “II”? The Renaming to Aria Pro II
In 1975, at a music instrument fair, Aria exhibited a new guitar manufactured by Matsumoku under the brand name “Aria Pro II.” This marked the debut of the Aria Pro II.
This renaming was prompted by a suggestion from Aria’s U.S. distributor to “change the brand name slightly.” By adding “Pro” (meaning “Professional”) and choosing “II” over “I” for its better sound, “Aria Pro II” was born.
The Birth of the Masterpiece "PE"
Even today, it is widely accepted that Fender and Gibson are the go-to brands for electric guitars, and Japanese brands at the time were well aware of this.
Aiming to break away from copycat models, Arai Trading’s Aria Pro II finally developed an original model: the “PE (Pro Electric).”
The PE was designed by Nobuaki Hayashi, a legendary luthier who would later establish his own brand, “Atlantia.” Hayashi had been with Matsumoku since 1963, and he developed the PE just before leaving the company.
It is said that even at the start of development, Mr. Hayashi felt it would be difficult to completely break away from the two giants: the Les Paul and the Stratocaster. Consequently, he arrived at the concept of incorporating the strengths of both while adding a completely new level of originality.
Thus, the “PE” was born, featuring a single cutaway and an innovative arched top and back body. In 1977, the series’ flagship model, the “PE-1500,” was released. In the catalogs of the time, it was featured in a special section titled “Prototype Line” and even graced the cover, revealing the brand’s extraordinary expectations for the PE.
It’s not just the PE! The Rise of Original Models
Building on the success of the PE, Ariapro II went on to release a succession of distinctive original models. In 1979, the “RS (Revolution Sound)” and “TS (Tri Sound)” were launched, followed in 1981 by the highly cost-effective “CS (Cardinal Series).” These models are just as unique as the PE, each a masterpiece that embodies Ariapro II’s dedication and spirit of innovation.
So, from here on out, we’ll introduce the charming original models created by Ariapro II!
Author: Nihei (TCGAKKI, Electric Guitar Specialist)
Discovered the guitar through the manga "BECK" in junior high school and was inspired by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana, awakening his passion for rock music.
Graduated from a vocational school specializing in guitar making. Worked as a staff member at TCGAKKI Acoustic Floor and TCGAKKI Premium Guitar Lounge. Currently, as the electric guitar specialist, he actively spreads his love for the instrument through writing columns and appearing on YouTube.
A Word from the Author: While I’ve long been actively sharing the appeal of PE through articles and videos, I haven’t delved deeply into their other original models.
In preparing this column, I researched the original models released after PE and could strongly sense the trial and error and passion of Aria’s craftsmen as they sought to establish their own identity while building on the techniques honed through replica models.
While the Aria Pro II may be strongly associated with the PE image, I would be delighted if this column encourages you to also appreciate the excellence of Aria’s other original models.
Qualifications & Experience: 8 years as a musical instrument appraiser
▶︎Read my articles here
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The History of Pickups and the Trajectories of Great Figures
Why Did Aria Pro II Create the PE?
The History of Ibanez AR (The ARTIST SERIES)
B.C.Rich: A Brand That Shatters Preconceptions About Unconventional Guitars
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