Vintage Japanese Aria Pro II Banjo with hardshell case

Vintage Japanese Aria Pro II Banjo with Hardshell Case

A 1970s or 1980s Aria Pro II flathead resonator banjo, built in Japan during the period when Japanese factories were building close copies of American bluegrass instruments, often to a standard that surprised the companies they were copying. Chrome hardware, sunburst finish, Hearts and Flowers inlay, and an original hardshell case.

Please read before you order: we have close to twenty of these in stock, so the banjo you receive will not be the exact one in the photographs. They are the same model and the same era, but each one is its own instrument. Tell us what you want after you order, and we will pick one out for you: clear or frosted head, fifth string capo or railroad spikes on the frets you name, original case or an upgrade. If you would rather choose first, call Geoff and he will go through what is on the shelf with you.

Call or text Geoff at (404) 218-8580 for an in-hand description of a specific banjo.

Why These Banjos Are Worth Owning

Through the 1970s and into the 1980s, Japanese builders turned out bluegrass banjos modeled closely on the American instruments of the day. Collectors often borrow the guitar world’s “lawsuit era” shorthand for instruments from this period, after the trademark disputes between American and Japanese makers in the late 1970s. Whatever you call it, the instruments themselves hold up. The fit and finish is clean, the hardware is solid, and they are frequently called “Masterclones” by players who have put them next to the originals.

The Aria Pro II sits in the same family as the chrome plated Gibson flathead resonator banjos of the late 1970s and early 1980s. It is a serious bluegrass banjo that happens to have been built on the other side of the Pacific.

Specifications

Era	1970s to 1980s
Country of Origin	Japan
Style	5-String Bluegrass Resonator
Rim	Multi-Ply Shell
Tone Ring	Full Profile Flathead
Inlay	Hearts and Flowers
Binding	Purfling on Resonator and Neck
Tuners	Planetary
Hardware	Chrome Plated
Finish	Sunburst
Case	Original Hardshell Included

Specifications vary slightly from instrument to instrument across our stock. Call for the details on a specific banjo.

Setup

Every vintage banjo we sell is gone through by our banjo tech Tara before it ships. On an instrument this age that matters more than it does on a new one: she checks the neck angle, the head tension, the truss rod, the tuners and the fifth string peg, and sets the action where it should be. A forty year old banjo that has been sitting in a case needs attention that a factory setup never gave it.

Fifth string spikes are free. Tell us in your order notes which frets you want, or say “the usual” and we will do the 7th, 9th and 10th.

Shipping, Returns and Financing

We ship free within the United States, fully insured. If the banjo is not right for you, you have 7 days to return it. Return shipping is the buyer’s responsibility, and refunds are the purchase price less $125 to cover our original shipping cost. Financing is available at checkout through PayPal Pay in 4, and through Afterpay on instruments under $4,000. Full details are on our store policies page.

More Like This

See every vintage Japanese banjo we have listed, or browse the rest of our bluegrass resonator banjos. If you are after the American originals, we also carry Gibson banjos.

We nearly always have instruments in stock that have not made it onto the website yet, so if you are looking for something specific it is worth a call.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I get the banjo in the photos?

Probably not. We have close to twenty of these, and the photographs show one of them. You will get an Aria Pro II of the same model and era, picked out and set up for you. Tell us your preferences in your order notes or give Geoff a call.

What is a “lawsuit era” banjo?

It is a collector’s term borrowed from the guitar world, where American manufacturers brought trademark actions against Japanese makers in the late 1970s. People apply it loosely to Japanese instruments of the period that copied American designs closely. It describes an era more than it describes a specific legal case involving any one banjo.

How does it compare to an American banjo of the same period?

Closer than most people expect, which is the whole reason these have a following. The build quality is clean and the hardware is solid. Call Geoff and he will tell you honestly how a particular one stacks up against what else we have on the shelf.

Does it come with a case?

Yes, an original hardshell case. If you would rather have a newer case, say so when you order and we will work it out.

Can you install fifth string spikes?

Yes, and they are free. Tell us which frets in your order notes, or say “the usual” for the 7th, 9th and 10th.

About Geoff Hohwald

Geoff offers virtual and in-person banjo instruction for players at every level, and especially for beginners. He has taught at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina, and has played professionally alongside Sid Campbell, John Hickman and Frank Wakefield. Lessons are priced on a sliding scale.

He is also the author of The Banjo Primer, the beginning banjo method we point new players to first.

Contact Banjo Warehouse

Call or text Geoff Hohwald at (404) 218-8580 for an in-hand description of this banjo, or just to talk banjos and bluegrass.
Email [email protected].

Follow us on Facebook and watch demos on YouTube. Join our email list for new arrival notifications, sale alerts, and a free banjo lesson from Geoff every week.

Want to come by? Call Geoff to set up an appointment at our Yellow Springs, Ohio location.