Aria ProII history

Why did Aria Pro II create PE?
Tracing the untold history of Japan Vintage

Have you heard of the manufacturer Aria Pro II? If you're into Japan Vintage, you're probably familiar with them, but younger generations might not know much about this brand.

To be honest, I myself didn't know much about Aria Pro II until I started working at TCGAKKI. However, while researching original Japanese vintage models, I frequently came across the Aria Pro II PE model alongside Yamaha SG and Greco GO guitars. And when I actually held and played the PE, I discovered a unique charm unlike the SG or GO.

I started feeling a desire for more people to know about the PE! To know about Aria Pro II! So this time, we'll dive deep into the history of Aria Pro II and the appeal of its original models.

It all began with the classical guitar
: The Founding Era of Arai Trading

Aria Pro 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 Japan's guitar market to this day.

Arai Trading's history dates back to the 1950s. Its founder, Shiro Arai, was originally a classical guitar enthusiast who once aspired to become a professional performer. Though he abandoned the professional path, his passion for the guitar never faded. Around 1954, he began importing sheet music for his own use and classical guitars.

At that time, most music stores didn't even carry guitars, sheet music, or strings. The instruments and accessories Mr. Arai imported were highly sought after by fellow guitarists. (It was also Mr. Arai who first imported Augustine nylon strings into Japan, strings still beloved by guitarists worldwide today.)

Responding to requests from across Japan asking him to "get some for me too," he established the Arai Shoten Trading Department in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, in 1955. The following year, in 1956, it was reorganized into Arai Trading Co., Ltd., marking the official start of its history.

Challenges in Quality Improvement Born from Differences with Overseas Markets

While importing guitars, we also exported Japanese-made guitars, but encountered a major obstacle. The climate in the US, in particular, differs significantly from Japan's, and exported guitars often suffered severe damage locally.

"We must improve the quality of Japanese-made guitars."

Resolved, Mr. Arai visited guitar makers in Nagoya, emphasizing the critical importance of proper wood drying. He personally took Japanese-made classical guitars to the US, observing firsthand how cracks began appearing within just 2-3 weeks. He fed this data back to manufacturers, significantly contributing to the quality improvement of Japanese guitars.

Around this time, Aria, Arai Trading's own brand of classical guitars, began to appear.

Is the Brand Name an Anagram? The Story Behind "Aria"

So, Arai Trading launched its own brand. But why the name Aria?

It was an anagram—a word formed by rearranging the letters—of the founder, Mr. Arai's surname, swapping the "i" and "a". Furthermore, the resulting word "Aria" also carried the musical meaning of "aria" (a solo vocal piece), which was a major reason this brand name was chosen.

The Electric Guitar Boom and the Birth of "Matsumoku"

In the early 1960s, Japan experienced its first electric guitar boom. Demand for solid-body guitars like Guyatone and Tesco exploded. However, Arai Trading quickly sensed signs of the electric boom rapidly fading in overseas markets and turned its attention to the emerging trend of Group Sounds (GS).

As demand for semi-acoustic guitars (semi-acoustics) surged within the GS scene, Arai Trading urgently pivoted to manufacturing semi-acoustics.

The partner chosen at this time was Matsumoto Mokko Co., Ltd., located in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, later known as Matsumoku Kogyo. Matsumoku was then manufacturing guitars as a subcontractor for Fuji Gen (now Fujigen), but harbored a strong desire to "make their own guitars." The shared vision of Arai Trading and Matsumoku aligned, and development of an original electric guitar began.

The resulting semi-hollow body guitar was branded "Aria Diamond."

The Unknown Era of "Arai Diamond"

Actually, for several years starting around 1967, the Aria Diamond was sold under the name "Arai Diamond." This was because Kawai Musical Instruments already held the trademark rights for the "Aria" keyboard name. Later, after acquiring the trademark rights from Kawai, it was able to use the "Aria" name again. It's fascinating to think that if this event hadn't happened, the brand name might still be "Arai" today.

～Breaking Free from Copy Models～

In 1968, Mr. Arai visited an American guitar show and was struck by the reissue Les Paul model Gibson had unveiled. At that time, production of the Les Paul shape had ceased, and it was the first time Mr. Arai had seen this form.

Deeply impressed, Arai attempted to produce a Les Paul-type guitar in Japan. However, he realized that simply replicating it would result in just another copy model. He therefore equipped it with an original pickup featuring blade-type pole pieces and put it on the market.

This model, however, failed to sell at all. Around 1969 in Japan, even full-fledged copy models were still rare, and a model incorporating originality was simply not accepted by the market.

Entering the 70s, as domestic copy models began increasing, patent issues surfaced. While other companies responded by modifying headstock shapes, Aria and Yamaha developed a strong conviction: "We must move beyond copy models and pursue original designs."

Why "II"? Renaming to Aria Pro II

In 1975, at the Instrument Fair, Aria exhibited a new guitar made by Matsumoku under the brand name "Aria Pro II." This marked the Aria Pro II's first launch.

This rebranding originated from a suggestion by Aria's U.S. distributor, who proposed "changing the brand name slightly."

Adding "Pro" to signify "Professional" and choosing "II" over "I" for its better sound, "Aria Pro II" was born.

The Birth of the Masterpiece "PE"

Even today, Fender and Gibson are considered the definitive names in electric guitars, and Japanese brands at the time were well aware of this.
Aiming to break free from copycat models, Arai Trading's Aria Pro II developed its original model with great anticipation—the "PE (Pro Electric)".

The PE was designed by legendary builder Nobuaki Hayashi, who later established his own brand, Atlantica. Hayashi joined Matsumoku in 1963 and developed the PE just before leaving the company.

Initially, Hayashi reportedly felt it would be difficult to completely break away from the two giants, the "Les Paul and Stratocaster." He therefore arrived at the concept of incorporating the strengths of both while adding entirely new originality.

Thus, the "PE" was born, featuring a single cutaway and an innovative arched top and back body. In 1977, the flagship model of the series, the "PE-1500," was released. The catalog at the time featured it in a special section titled "Prototype Line," even gracing the cover, clearly showing the brand's extraordinary expectations for the PE.

Not just the PE! The rise of original models

Building on the success of the PE, Aria Pro II launched a succession of distinctive original models. In 1979, the "RS (Revolution Sound)" and "TS (Tri Sound)" were released, followed in 1981 by the cost-effective "CS (Cardinal Series)". These models were just as unique as the PE, each a legendary instrument reflecting Aria Pro II's dedication and spirit of challenge.