The Aria Paul Brett guitars were the signature model of the 12 string legend Paul Brett. The design of these Japansese made dreadnoughts derives from Aria's popular AW30 model, with changes suggested by Brett himself.

The Paul Brett models have a dreadnought body shape, with solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides and marquetry purfling. The rosewood fingerboard is inlayed with elongated maple position markers. The headstock as a "Paul Brett" logo and gold plated machine heads. Brett hand signed every label.

The six string version sold for £229.90 and the 12 string for £247.80 in 1981. Secondhand values now are much higher (upwards of £700?). The late 1970s and early 1980s was a time when some great guitars were coming out of Japan: Guitar magazine rated the Paul Brett model as one of Aria's best ever acoustic guitar models.

According to Paul Brett (on his website) the signature deal was for the UK only, but Aria had other ideas!

I hand signed every guitars label that was sold. The deal was for the UK only but I later learned that they were being sold on a much wider basis throughout the world. Typical of Global Businesses….incapable of lying straight in bed ! I truly do not know how many were made or how many were sold as Aria never accounted to me for sales past the Gigsville Franchise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS0hoQ8m3m0

 

References

1981 Aria print advert

Link: Paul Brett's website