*RARE* 1989 Aria Pro II Diamond Series JX-550 Japan MIJ - Concorde Headstock Lawsuit Era - Excellent Condition

Aria Pro II Diamond JX-550 – 1989 MIJ – Excellent Condition

For sale is a 1989 Aria Pro II Diamond JX-550, a high-quality Made in Japan instrument from Aria’s golden era. This guitar is in exceptional condition for its age, both cosmetically and functionally.

One of the most distinctive features of this model is its laminated body construction, made from multiple layers of approximately 4 mm thickness rather than a single solid slab. While this does not affect strength, it contributes to more even resonance, delivering tonal characteristics similar to high-grade solid woods. At 4.05 kg, it is on the heavier side, with a tight, focused tone reminiscent of ash.

Typical of late-’80s Japanese craftsmanship, the build quality is outstanding. From the overall construction down to the smallest screws, the gold-plated hardware is of notably high quality and has aged very well.

The front and middle single-coil pickups do not have the aggressive “hit” of Fender-style pickups; instead, they excel at clean chord work, making them ideal for surf, Ventures-style, or GS-era rhythm playing.
The rear humbucker, when driven with distortion, delivers a raw, wild, and untamed character typical of guitars from this era—very different from modern, overly refined tones. Pulling up on the tone knob activates a coil-tap, allowing the bridge pickup to produce delicate, articulate clean tones as well.

The tremolo arm housing resembles a Floyd Rose, but features an internal spring mechanism that allows adjustable rotational torque. This can be fine-tuned from the rear using a hex wrench. There is a small chip in the housing, but once the arm cap is fully tightened, it functions perfectly with no issues. Each bridge saddle allows precise height adjustment; the 3rd and 4th strings are currently set slightly higher to match the fingerboard radius.

Cosmetically, there are minor marks visible only under certain lighting, but nothing noticeable in normal viewing. The finish retains excellent gloss, and the hardware remains clean. Considering its age, this guitar easily qualifies as near-mint / excellent condition.

Frets show minimal wear, the neck is perfectly straight, and playability is excellent. The guitar has been professionally set up with new D’Addario EXL-120 strings (009–042), including:

• Neck adjustment
• Bridge neutral leveling
• Action and intonation setup
• Pickup balance adjustment
• Hardware tightening
• Full bridge disassembly and overhaul

The guitar is fully ready to play and performs beautifully right out of the case.

A superb example of a late-1980s MIJ Aria Pro II, combining unique construction, versatile electronics, and authentic vintage character.