How to Identify the Manufacture Date of an Aria Guitar?

By Staff WriterLast Updated August 04, 2015

To identify the manufacture date of an Aria guitar, first locate the serial number, which is likely located on the back of the neck on an electric or in the body of an acoustic guitar. If a serial number is not present, the guitar was likely manufactured prior to the mid-1970s.

Once located, the serial number offers clues as to when the guitar was manufactured, and the first few digits are especially important, as the numbers changed over a few decades.

Aria guitars manufactured in the 1970s typically feature a serial number with the first two digits of the manufacture year. For example, a serial number that begins in 77 was likely manufactured in 1977.
Aria guitars manufactured in the 1980s typically only used the first digit of the serial number to denote the date. For example, a serial number that begins with a 1 was likely manufactured in 1981.
Aria guitars manufactured after 1987 became quite specific, with serial numbers identifying the manufacture date with the first two digits and the week of the year with the third and fourth digits. A serial number beginning with 8910 likely means the 10th week of 1989.

Locating and dissecting the serial number is a great first step in identifying the manufacture date of an Aria guitar. While not always exact, the serial number is a useful tool.