Product Spotlight
The PE-Exo - Taking the PE to the next level!
Aria first introduced the PE Series of electric guitars in the 1970’s. Their goal was to create a solidbody electric that would 
become an instant classic and survive the test of time…and they succeeded! Legendary players like Neal Schon (Journey) discovered that the PE had both a singing tone and an amazingly playable neck, giving them an instrument that would propel their music to new heights.
Not satisfied with resting on their laurels, Aria decided to celebrate the success of the PE by creating the PE-Exo. As you probably have guessed, Exo is short for “exotic” and that is exactly what this special instrument is all about.
At first look you will notice that the PE-Exo features a beautiful Spalted Maple top which has a stunning visual appeal and a great tone. The combination of the spalted maple top and the mahogany back gives the PE-Exo a fat low end, a defined mid-range and crystal clear highs. At least that was what the promo material claimed – but I had to put it to the test for myself.
The PE-Exo that was sent to me for this review was an incredible guitar. The aforementioned spalted maple top was even more beautiful in person than it was in the pictures I had seen previously. Aria uses a great gloss finish that deepens the grain of the wood and highlights the black, spalting lines, making the PE-Exo simply stunning. To frame the gorgeous top Aria surrounded it with an abalone binding with some of the best craftsmanship that I have ever seen on any guitar.
Before I talk about the results of my bench test, let me quickly go over the features found on every PE-Exo. The maple neck features a rosewood fingerboard and 22 frets. The set-neck includes Aria’s unique “heel-less” design that makes it very easy to play intricate parts high on the fingerboard. Aria also included a beautiful set of fingerboard inlays that have a very custom look and, once again, show off the quality of Aria’s craftsmanship. (No wood filler here – the inlays are perfectly inset.) The Pe-Exo has a scale length of 24 ¾ inches.
Moving on to the electronics, Aria chose Seymour Duncan’s SH-13 “Dimebucker” pickups for the PE-Exo. Full disclosure time – I love “Dimebuckers” and have them on several of my guitars. People might think “Dimebuckers” are only good if you play metal and hard rock, but I have found that they have an incredibly full sound when played clean. They are hum-cancelling and have a very high output…and sound absolutely killer. For controls, Aria kept it simple: One volume knob, one tone knob and a 3-way pickup selector switch. Aria went the extra mile by recessing the two knobs and the switch, which is classy touch that most companies forego, but I am glad that Aria decided to include.
Finally, the PE-Exo has a Tune-o-matic bridge and a string-thru body design. If you have never played a guitar that has a thru-body stringing system, you are in for a treat. In my humble opinion, I think by having the string go through the body there is great downwards pressure on the bridge that creates more sustain and a fuller tone. There are also some players who say that the increased string length also gives the low E and A strings more tightness and added clarity. While I cannot back that assertion up with any evidence, the PE-Exo does have a great low-end tone.
OK, on to my bench test.
I started by plugging my PE-Exo into my 100-watt Marshall head and Marshall 4X12 cabinet. Predictably, the PE-Exo handles high-gain, high-volume tones like a champ. I set the amp flat and maxed the gain just to hear how the guitar would perform. I found the tone to be well-defined, with a throaty low-end. Fast leads (fast for me – at least) sounded very articulate, as did complex two-hand tapping figures. I particularly enjoyed the sound of just the bridge pickup alone, which was bright and chunky.
Lowering the gain on the amp and switching to the neck pickup gave a very plush and liquid tone, perfect for bluesy leads. I won’t go into every detail of my high-gain testing, but suffice it to say that the PE-Exo is very comfortable in that world.
I moved on to my very old and very beloved Roland JC-120 combo to test how the PE-Exo sounded with a clean tone. Once again, I set the tone of the JC-120 flat and turned off the reverb and chorus. With both pickups on (the pickup selector in the center position) I played some simple fingerstyle chords and was rewarded with a very balanced sound that was warm and clear. The low E and A strings did not over power the treble strings, which can be a serious problem with some solidbodied guitars. For a more acoustic sound I switched to the neck pickup and dialed back the tone knob just a bit. Very nice. To be honest, I did not really like the sound of just the bridge pickup. It was bright but did not really inspire me – but that could just be me.
Although I did not have any gigs or sessions to test the PE-Exo in, I did have a few rehearsals where I was able to play it. The band is a classic rock band and I was playing through my Marshall half-stack. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about how the PE-Exo performed. The guitar sounded amazing and the neck was very easy to play. My bandmates marveled over the look of the PE-Exo and seemed to enjoy its tone…but they still complained that I was too loud.
The PE-Exo is just what its name implies – exotic. But it is not just a pretty face. Aria made sure that it could also deliver the goods sonically, with a playability that is second to none. My only criticism with the PE-Exo is that I wish it had separate volume controls for each pickup – but that is a minor thing and particular to my own playing needs. If you get a chance to play a PE-Exo for yourself I am positive you will love it. Bravo to Aria for creating such a special instrument that highlights their tremendous craftsmanship and quality.