Sure, playing up at the 24th fret requires a fine balance as the neck feels so long and the bass is a fairly heavy beast, but once you're in a comfortable position you'll be soloing away like it's going out of style (again). Out of the box and onto your lap, the Aria plays smoothly and easily, set up with a slick, low action and benefiting at the top end from that neck-thru joint and the easily navigable heel. But why would you want to do that.? Sounds and Playability A single volume and tone are available, assuming you wish to bypass the large, six-position rotary tone selector that is at the heart of this great, slightly unorthodox instrument's appeal. This may be a classic instrument, but it's also a thoroughly modern one.Ī single immovable humbucker invites your thumb to rest on it as you flick through a quick rendition of Duran Duran's Planet Earth bass-line (or whatever takes your fancy), while a large red LED tells you that your batteries (two of them, 18-volt fans) are alive and well. There's a brass nut, just to add to the feeling of strength that the SB-1000 emanates, although there's no deliberately 'vintage' feel either. The ebony fingerboard atop the five-ply maple/walnut neck feels hard, solid and supremely resonant.
The Gotoh tuners do what Gotohs always do and work perfectly.