Pan/Aria Hollowbodies...

[fastblack74]

Hello,

First time posting here. I was wondering if anybody had any info on PAN guitars. I have had about 5 of em now and all I can tell is that they seemed to be made mostly by Univox and/or Aria for sale in canada.
my problem is that i have on that looks like an Epiphone Casino but with humbucker pickups, one is a dearmond and the other is a Maxon- so I don't know if there original as the guitar has been "tweaked" over the years. Everything else is original, but the body and neck are the same as late sixties very eatly ibanez's???????? even the headstock is exactly the same but say PAn, but it does,'t have the little cartoon guy. This is a beautiful guitar and is fully hollw, no tone block and has the fastest neck, feels just like an ibanez.

Anybody with any ideas or PAN info drop me a line please...

[VintAxe]

Hey fastblack74,

Both Pan and Univox were made by Aria so you certainly have that connection correct. You are also correct about Pan being a brand name used by a Canadian distributior. Pan guitars were distributed by Turner Musical Instruments Ltd of Scarborough Ontario.

The only Pan literature I have has been posted in the Catalog section of this site. I don't see anything in the 68 or 69 catalog that would qualify as a Casino copy. The thinline electric-acoustics pictured have f holes that look more like elongated diamonds than f's. One has a Fender-style headstock rather than a Gibson-style.

Sounds like the pickups on yours have been changed out, they probably are an upgrade over the originals.

hope this helps, sb

[fastblack74]

does the Trini Lopez Diamond holes and fenderish (firebird) headstock some from 68 0r 69, the one i had was a brownish stain

[VintAxe]

It appears in both years. sb

[whitby rocker]

have a aria pan widebody is a copy of steve howes gibson #453 tobacco sunburst double crown inlay on head stock is it rare,was once told this was,cause of the absolute copy,this is not a bolt on neck