Aria WJ-40 – Natural, Lawsuit era, 1981

Aria WJ-40 is a Japanese acoustic guitar, manufactured in 1981 at the Matsumoku factory. This model is based on the Jumbo body shape, serving as a copy of proven American designs. The guitar features a spruce top plate and maple back and sides. After our service work, which included fingerboard leveling, refretting, and the installation of a proprietary passive system (piezo pickup), the instrument is ready to play.

Technical specification

• Manufacturer: Aria

• Model: WJ-40

• Year of production: 1981

• Body: Spruce (Top) / Maple (Back & Sides)

• Neck: Maple

• Fingerboard: Rosewood

• Frets: Blacksmith 2.1 mm (Condition: 100% – new)

• Pickups: 1x Acoustic pickup (Piezo)

• Electronics: Passive (Proprietary)

• Visual condition: Very good (details in description)

• Finish: Natural

• Weight: 2.39 kg / 5.27 lbs

Body and construction The Jumbo-shaped soundbox features a top plate made of spruce, with the back and sides made of maple. The instrument is finished with a clear lacquer (Natural), highlighting the wood structure. Inside the soundbox, a traditional bracing system is used. A standard glued neck construction (Set-Neck) is applied. In our workshop, the lacquer coating went through a polishing and protecting process.

Neck and ergonomics The maple neck is paired with a rosewood fingerboard. As part of the service work, the old frets were removed, the fingerboard was leveled, and brand new 2.1 mm size frets (Blacksmith brand) were installed. The fingerboard surface was cleaned and conditioned.

Sound The instrument is enriched with a proprietary, passive amplification system (piezo pickup) mounted inside the body.

• Characteristics: The use of a spruce top and maple back and sides in a large Jumbo body generates a frequency response with a distinct bottom end and clear, bright highs.

• Dynamics: The guitar responds appropriately to varied articulation strength, and the passive pickup allows for the direct transfer of acoustic vibrations to sound equipment without the use of batteries.

Additional information

The WJ-40 model was a copy of American acoustic guitars with enlarged body dimensions (Jumbo) within the Aria brand's lineup.

The instrument was manufactured at the Matsumoku facilities, known for producing high-quality guitars for domestic and export markets in the 70s and 80s.

The installation of a discreet passive circuit avoids the need for mechanical interference with the sides of the soundbox (no cutouts for a preamp).

The service work we performed included: fingerboard leveling, complete refretting, finish polishing, hardware conditioning, and the installation of proprietary electronics.

Hardware

• Bridge: Rosewood – an original bridge characteristic of Jumbo designs, ensuring proper transfer of vibrations to the top plate.

• Tuners: Closed-gear mechanisms. The chrome hardware went through a cleaning and polishing process, retaining its mechanical efficiency.

Instrument condition

• Technical condition: The instrument is mechanically and electronically functional after a luthier verification. The truss rod works properly, and the frets are brand new.

• Visual condition: The guitar is preserved in very good visual condition. Minor signs of use appropriate for the instrument's age (over four decades) are visible on the lacquer coating. The wood has no structural cracks.

• Setup and Modifications: A proprietary passive system (piezo pickup) was installed. Complete refretting (Blacksmith), fingerboard leveling, cleaning of the finishes, and a setup of the string action were performed.

Why choose this instrument

• Jumbo body: The use of the largest standard acoustic body size results in a stronger boost of lower registers and overall volume.

• Maple back and sides: The use of this wood species in combination with a large body balances the dark sound, adding clarity to the upper frequency range.

• New frets and leveling: The complete fret replacement and fingerboard leveling eliminate the wear resulting from use and ensure proper intonation.

• Proprietary pickup: The installed system allows for the guitar to be freely connected to an amplifier on stage or in the studio.