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I'd bet these are becoming quite scarce and are now collectibles. Reading the Ventures book, it discusses Aria making a Ventures model and providing them to the Ventures. The first version did not have much appeal so a second version was made. I guess these are what eventually evolved into the Wilson Bros. Guitar. However, isn't Aria Mfg. located in Japan and the Wilson guitars made in Korea? Here is a shot of the second version.

OK, here's what I gleaned from the Ventures book. Tim Wilson (Don Wilson's son, in the restaurant business) decided to produce an 'affordable' Ventures labeled guitar for US consumers. Working through Aria of Japan, the guitars were manufactured in Korea. Don Wilson claims he nor the Ventures have any involvement in the enterprise other use the guitars to promote them in the USA.

Interestingly, there are two versions of this guitar, a 2001 model and a 2002 model. The difference between them seems to be the vibrato unit, with the 2001 having the ARIA quasi-Vibramute and the 2002 having a Jazzmaster style tremolo. I haven't played either to know what they sound like or play like, but going on looks alone, I prefer the 2001 with the ARIA-mute.

Didn't Aria make a "Ventures Model" in the late 80s-early 90s?? I remember someone mentioning this, and they did not "fly." But it was DEFINITELY late 80s or early 90s......

Yes, there was an 80s/90s Aria Ventures model in addition to the 2001/2002 series. The 2001/2002 are clearly forerunners of the current Wilson Bros guitars; I just think it's interesting that the first year of the 2000 series has a very different vibrato tailpiece than the later ones, including the Wilson Bros guitars.