ARIA BANJOS (1970s)

Aria banjos were available in the 1970s. Including the tenor SB4710, the standard 5-string SB4720, the 912C and the top of the range 911C professional 5-string banjo outfit.

ARIA 911C

The Aria 911C was designed for the professional banjoist. It was deluxe quality with adjustable truss rod, slim maple finished neck and matching headstock with inlaid pearloid design. The machine-heads were chrome plated planetary geared units. The rosewood fingerboard had 10 inlaid metal position markers in a bow-tie design. It had a chrome plated arm rest and elaborate scrollwork etched into the design on the back. The shell was chrome-plated die-cast zinc, with 24 chrome plated brackets and tailpiece. The bridge had an ebony insert.

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ARIA 921C

The Aria 921C was a good quality 5-string banjo made in the early 1970s. It had chrome plated standard friction pegs, rosewood finished neck and headstock with matchin resonator. The fingerboard was rosewood with 9 inlaid position markers. The aluminum shell was chrome plated with 24 chrome-plated brackets. It had a specially designed sound chamber, 11 inch diameter plastic head with 14 inch resonator. A deluxe plush lined hard-shell case was also included when new.

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ARIA SB4710

Introduced in the early 1970s the Aria SB4710 was Aria's standard tenor banjo model. The neck and resonator were finished in red mahogany. It had an adjustable truss rod, rosewood fingerboard, open style vertical machine-heads with white plastic buttons. The shell was aluminum with chrome plated brackets and tailpiece. The diameter of the plastic head was 11 inches with a 13 inch resonator.

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ARIA SB4720

Introduced in the early 1970s the Aria SB4720 was Aria's standard 5-string banjo model. The neck and resonator were finished in red mahogany. It had an adjustable truss rod, rosewood fingerboard, open style vertical machine-heads with white plastic buttons. The shell was aluminum with chrome plated brackets and tailpiece. The diameter of the plastic head was 11 inches and with a 13 inch resonator. This model had a mahogany armrest.

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Specifications:

ModelImageFinish colorsMade inNumber of strings
ARIA 911C
1974
brown finishJapan5 strings
ARIA 921C
1974
brown finishJapan5 strings
ARIA SB4710
1974
brown finishJapan4 strings
ARIA SB4720
1974
brown finishJapan5 strings
ModelBody material
ARIA 911C
1974
aluminum body
ARIA 921C
1974
aluminum body
ARIA SB4710
1974
aluminum body
ARIA SB4720
1974
aluminum body
ModelFingerboard materialFingerboard position markers
ARIA 911C
1974
rosewood fingerboardbowtie fingerboard position markers
ARIA 921C
1974
rosewood fingerboard-
ARIA SB4710
1974
rosewood fingerboard-
ARIA SB4720
1974
rosewood fingerboarddot fingerboard position markers
ModelHardware colorTuners
ARIA 911C
1974
chrome hardwarebanjo tuners
ARIA 921C
1974
chrome hardwarebanjo tuners
ARIA SB4710
1974
chrome hardwarebanjo tuners
ARIA SB4720
1974
chrome hardwarebanjo tuners
ModelNumber of fretsTuner layout
ARIA 911C
1974
22 frettwo-each-side
ARIA 921C
1974
22 frettwo-each-side
ARIA SB4710
1974
20 frettwo-each-side
ARIA SB4720
1974
22 frettwo-each-side