Aria AP-STD Parlor Acoustic Guitar Natural

This guitar was purchased for me through a local store a few years ago. A friend had purchased the same model months earlier and hers easily rated 4 out of 5 stars. It was fun to play, pretty to look at and had decent intonation -- that is, it was in tune playing multiple chords up and down the neck. I liked the guitar's size, finding it more comfortable to play than a dreadnought or jumbo size, but recognized there are trade-offs in the smaller size, most notably in a loss of deeper bass tones. Still, her guitar seemed like an exceptionally good deal, given the price point, so I asked for the same model for Christmas. Mine, however, was a different story. I have noticed sharp fret wires up and down the neck and some problems with intonation -- something that may or may not be fixable in my local repair shop. Also, there's a lack of clarity and resonance on the low end that new strings could not overcome. Overall, the guitar has been a disappointment. Fortunately, I have others to play, so this one may end up as wall art. The question I'm left with is this: Is my friend's Aria the exception, or is mine?

I bought this new for a steal on ebay, about $100 less than offered here, and I can comfortably say, after only playing around on it for about a half hour, that it is a great deal at the present Amazon price of $299. If I wasn't such a poor-ass I'd have dropped that on it without a blink. The finish is perfect, it's style low-key, and the sound awesome. It's snappy, rich, and quite loud. I am not sure of the nut width, but the neck seems a touch wider than some acoustics sporting an 11 and 1/16 width. I think it is that standard width, though, at the nut. The spacing at the saddle may be a little wider to accommodate fingerpicking, which is why it feels a touch wide when barring. I say this only for descriptive means; it's a mere observation, not a complaint. I play with a flat pick and it is great. I wanted a smaller guitar, at least a "parlor-like" one and this fits the bill, and it is great to have one that doesn't sacrifice those two extra frets. The actual body size is likely closest to a 00. The action out of the box is maybe a little high way up the neck for my preference, but there's room on the saddle to sand down. I doubt I'll bother for a while, though--the guitar is very playable all the way up to the body. The set up is surprisingly good! It came strung with what feel like lights. I usually play Martin mediums on my acoustic, but I like the feel of these on here. The guitar rings and has none of that overbuilt feel. The cedar top is quite thin and just pops with sound. All of the materials seem of notable quality and all the wood is just great, including the mahogany laminate. Beautiful. No excess glue visible inside. A quality construction job. I am very happy with this. If you are looking for a nice, affordable living room guitar (too pretty to call a beater just yet!) that's just a little different, you'll dig this. Snatch it up while you can still get a new one!

This guitar is delightful. I purchased it elsewhere on the web in near new condition.I have been playing guitar for about 3 years and was looking for an affordable, smaller bodied guitar with 14 frets clear of the body to play comfortably while sitting on the couch. A guitar that I could leave out on a stand, ready to grab at a moment's notice.This guitar sounds very nice to my ear. Notes ring clear with a bell-like quality. While it doesn't have the bass end of a dread, the notes on the low E string ring clear without sounding muddy or woody as I move up the neck. The saddle and nut do appear to be TUSQ.There are no issues with build quality. The poly finish is a bit thicker than I would prefer, but not out of line with other gloss finish guitars that I looked at.