Help with dating, valuing my Aria Custom

  • Thread starter Thread starter kip4
  • Start date Start date
kip4

kip4

Well-known member
Has anyone any ideas about valuation and dating this guitar.
for me it was a pawn shop prize and i'd never part with it but i've had it for about 15 years now and never got anywhere near finding out anything about it.
Its nearly all intact New knobs and pick up but the rest is as was. ( i still have the original pickups and knobs).
It's got quite a few dings and knock and i think it's made from Basswood.
the tone is amazing and playability is second to none.

thanks for looking and thanks for helping

View attachment 71742 Aria Custom Body front.webpAria Custom headstock.webpAria Custom Neck back.webp
 
You are dating a guitar? At least you admit it.

When you are ready to ask about dating gilrs, I can help you.......
 
That looks like the Aria LP Custom 1977 -
Famous for being sued by Gibson and are kinda rare. Could fetch upwards of $1000. pending.

what year did you get it?
 
i got it around 1997 might have been earlier .it was second hand from a house sale with a flying V copy and my trusty german solid state amp. all for the princely sum of 40 shekels.
It sounds amazing the pots are a bit scratchy now but nothing that cant be fixed.
I hope it is a gibo law suite one. I wasnt aware there was one.
is there any online info that could help me identify it mate?
it has a bolt on neck and a serial number on it if it help.
 
When you changed the neck pick up was there any stamped or written numbers or letters?
 
From what I have gathered - it's gonna be hard to date this guitar.
It does have the open book head stock though, which was the whole premiss of the lawsuit.
 
i'd have to check the neck pick up its in the flying v right now.
i just dug out the bridge pick up i'll post a pic i think its a dual coil brb
 
I'm gonna join there forum and see if they can help too thanks mate
 
moresound said:
That looks like the Aria LP Custom 1977 -
Famous for being sued by Gibson and are kinda rare. Could fetch upwards of $1000. pending.

what year did you get it?
Click to expand...

nah man ..... it's a bolt on neck. In general bolt on LP's aren't gonna be worth a grand.
Gibson sued Aria and everyone else in sight back then and certainly that headstock is a rip off from Gibson. But bolt ons were always the lower line gits.
Aria DID make some LPs that were virtually identical to a paul .... I had a black one ...... but they were set neck just like a real paul.

Don't go by what I'm saying 'cause I could be wrong but I'll be surprised if it's worth more than 3-400 bucks
 
Thanks Bob. Thats still some profit should i ever decide to sell it which is unlikely.
I'm still gonna try to find out as much as i can about it, because i believe the more you know about a guitars provenance the better.
Its unusually because of the wood its made out of too. Only trouble with that is it wieghs in at over 12 lb. I've had it at jam nights some times and you know you've done a few hours by the shoulder ache and the need for a pint. Happy days.
 
kip4 said:
Only trouble with that is it wieghs in at over 12 lb. .
Click to expand...
:eek:
Wow ..... yeah that's pretty damned heavy.

The desirability or not of a guitar often has little to do with it being a good ax or not.

When my house got ripped 25 years ago ...... the git I hated losing the most was an Aria strat clone.
It may have been an Aria but it's still the best strat I ver played and I wish I had it back.
 
i have a heavier guitar a plexiglass one and its a biatch to play too. most of the time it just hangs on the wall looking pretty. Might have to flog that soon.
 
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