Yngwie Malmsteen Aria Pro II: The Surprising Japanese Flying V of the Alcatrazz Era (1983-1984)

The Yngwie Malmsteen Aria story surprises many fans: he is the last guitarist most people would connect with a Japanese Flying V, yet in the Alcatrazz era he played an Aria Pro II. This article covers the XX series V he took on tour, how he modified it, the RS Esprit super-strat from his promo photos and the Gibson V he played later. For the brand itself, see the Aria Pro II guide.

Prefer to watch? This article is based on my own video below.

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1983–1984: Yngwie, Alcatrazz and Aria Pro II

Before his solo career, Yngwie Malmsteen played in Alcatrazz, the band fronted by Graham Bonnet, and recorded the 1983 album No Parole from Rock ’n’ Roll with them. During this period he was linked with Aria Pro II, the brand built at the Matsumoku factory in Japan.

He is so strongly associated with Stratocasters that this might come as a surprise. But two Aria Pro II models turn up in this era: the XX series V and the RS Esprit.

Aria Pro II XX Series: The Flying V Yngwie Played Live

The XX series (Double X) is Aria Pro II’s Flying V-style guitar. According to the catalog, the standard models came with two humbuckers and a synchronized tremolo, a rare combination on a V.

All three shared an alder body, a replaceable maple neck with Aria’s smooth joint, a 650mm (25.5-inch) scale, two Protomatic-V humbuckers and a simple 1 volume, 1 tone, 3-way layout. That Fender-length scale and tremolo make the XX feel closer to a Strat than its shape suggests.

A fun detail: the XX-MS came in black and white, the paint scheme famously associated with Michael Schenker, who also played a custom XX.

How Yngwie Modified His XX

At first, Yngwie used the XX with almost no visible changes, humbuckers and all.

Later he swapped the pickups for single coils, closer to the sound of his Strats. There is live footage from Alcatrazz’s 1984 Japan tour showing him playing this modified XX, and modified XX examples in the same style still turn up at auction.

Aria Pro II RS Esprit: The Super-Strat in the Promo Photos

Yngwie also played the RS Esprit, a super-strat from Aria Pro II’s RS series of the mid-1980s. It appears in promotional photos from the time of No Parole from Rock ’n’ Roll as well, and Aria used him widely to promote the RS line.

For a Strat player, the RS made sense: single-coil pickups, a 650mm (25.5-inch) scale, active tone controls and a locking ACT-3 tremolo on the top models.

Why a Strat Player Picked Up a V

Yngwie is the Strat player for many fans, and he has played Japan-made Fenders too, as covered in Fender Japan Guitars Used by 3 Legends. So the Aria XX can look like an odd choice.

But he also played a late-1960s Gibson Flying V fitted with Seymour Duncan YJM Fury pickups, a scalloped neck and a whammy bar, as you can see in the video below. Like the Yngwie Malmsteen Aria XX, it got the same treatment: Strat-style pickups and a tremolo on a V body. So maybe the V shape was always one of his favorites.

Yngwie jamming on his late-1960s Gibson Flying V. Video: Official Yngwie Malmsteen (YouTube)

Buying a Yngwie Malmsteen Aria Guitar Today

Both guitars are Matsumoku-era vintage instruments now. If you want a piece of this story, these are the two to look for:

Aria Pro II XX Series

The closest thing to Yngwie’s Alcatrazz V. Check whether the pickups are original or modified, since single-coil conversions exist.

Aria Pro II RS Esprit

The super-strat from the promo photos, with active electronics and a locking tremolo. Check that the active circuit and the tremolo work properly.

Final Thoughts

To me, the Yngwie Malmsteen Aria XX is one of the fun surprises of the Japanese guitar story. In the Alcatrazz era, a Japanese brand was good enough for one of the most demanding players in rock, and he made the guitar his own the same way he did with his Strats. For more on the brand’s best-known model, see the Aria Pro II PE series.

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