Aria Diamond / Conrad 1202T Hollowbody 1967 Sunburst

Aria Diamond/Conrad model 1202T hollowbody guitar ca.1967

This Matsumoku built Aria Diamond has a script Conrad badge indicating it was imported by David Wexler and Company of Chicago, Illinois The body is a Gibson ES-335 inspired double cutaway thinline with rounded upper and lower horns. The top has an attractive sunburst finish and is pierced with 3-part f-holes with the rounded ends separated from the center part of the "f". The pickguard, switch cover and pickup surrounds are 4ply faux tortoise. 

The two pickups are single coils selected with a three-way lever switch. Each pickup has individual tone and volume controls. The bolt-on maple neck has a bound, 21 fret, rosewood fretboard and plastic block inlays. Notice that the ends of the fretboard are rounded at the corners, a sign of quality in these early Japanese hollowbodies. 

The movable bridge is adjustable and the tailpiece is a traditional trapeze coupled to a spring Bigsby base. The tremolo bar is one of the longest you will ever see and it functions very well with a nice, smooth feel. The three-and-three headstock is somewhat Gibson-style with a deep notch in the center. The headstock is faced with the same tortoise used on the pickguard. 

 String height off the fretboard is about 1mm at the 1st fret, 2mm at the 5th fret, 4mm at the 12th fret and above.

The guitar is all original. The only cosmetic issue is a chip in the plastic pickup ring on the bridge pickup. A ground wire has been added to reduce hum in the pickups. 

No Case included but will be packed well and protected for shipping.