Homepage Forums Guitar Discussion Guitar How old is this Aria ZZ?

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  • #25017
    KP2
    Participant

    Hi Guys,

    I’m slightly curious about this guitar I picked up the other day, I’ve been looking for an “explorer” style guitar and happened across this Aria ZZ when I got home I started searching around online for some reference as to what year it might have been made but I’m not having any luck, no serial number, no plate on the back of the neck, it doesn’t even say ZZ on the headstock it just says Aria.

    All the ZZ guitars I’ve seen thus far have an angled taper to them around the edge on the face of the body, this one does not…its just flat. I’ll attach a few pics maybe someone has an idea of how old/new this guitar is. Any help is greatly appreciated.

    [URL=http://imageshack.us]#http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/6881/ariaheadko1.jpg%5B/URL%5D

    The neck join (no neck plate)
    http://img371.imageshack.us/my.php?image=arianeckxj5.jpg

    Body shot (flat top)
    http://img517.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ariabodyrs4.jpg

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    • #76424
      schiamsn
      Participant

      In fact Aria produced a Z shaped guitar in the 1990’s. The guitar player of my first band bought it new in 1994. He called it destroyer but I don’t think that it was the official name.
      It had the same flat body and floyd rose like your guitar. But it had the “old” head shape like the current ZZ-2 and the old Aria logo.
      So I think your guitar was built later. Could be in the very late 1990s or beginnig of 2000.

      Hope this helps

    • #76420
      rgjmce
      Participant

      Hey i have that guitar and i can tell that as the guy already said it ain’t a 80’s models, i bought mine about a year ago brand new. I eventually found a site that has the specs for it, It’s called a Aria ZZ-1 (New Model) but i have just checked arias u.s. website and they have now re-issued the original 80’s model and thats called the ZZ-2

    • #76417
      SB
      Participant

      Hey KP2,

      If you check the Aria Archive, you’ll see that the ZZ model disappears in 1986 and doesn’t re-emerge until 2004.

      http://www.ariaguitars.com/jp/06comp/catalog_scan_list_web.htm

      Based on the build characteristics and logo, I’d say your guitar was built in 2004.

      It is most certainly not one of the Aria Pro II ZZ models produced from 1983-86.

      Another possibility is that Aria produced Z shaped guitars in the 90’s but didn’t call them ZZ. Unfortunately I have no Aria literature from the 90’s to check that possibility.

    • #76431
      KP2
      Participant

      I picked it up for $200 and I’m already on the hunt for a second one.

    • #76437
      lee_UK
      Participant

      Don’t have any info on it but it looks like a nice guitar, how much did you pay for it? Explorer style guitars are growing on me, must be an ‘Edge’ thing.

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