what is this?

[ubertar]

Got this used... the guy said it was a frankenstein of a 70s fender body (yeah, right) and a squier neck (no, that's wrong too). I didn't pay much for it, but it turns out it plays and sounds great. He may have been wrong about it being a frankenstein too... looks like the neck and body may go together. The neck plate says "made in japan". The finish has been removed and the sides painted. The wood looks mahoganyish. The body may have been sanded away to change the shape-- it's stratlike, but not a copy. I haven't been able to find another headstock that looks the same. It seems to be an older guitar, maybe '80s. If anyone has any info, or an educated guess, or even wild speculation, I'd be curious to hear it...

[ubertar]

It turns out it's an Aria Pro II RS Standard, from the Matsumoku era. The RS Standard was sold between 84 and 85. I don't know if it's worth anything in terms of $, but it sounds and plays really well.