In September of 1967 Unimusic Inc. purchased the Ampeg Company in Linden, New Jersey as well as the Grammer® Guitar Company, a Nashville based acoustic guitar company named after the famous country-western singer Billy Grammer who was an inductee into the Grand Ole Opry in 1959. Unfortunately the Grammer guitars, which were once very proud and well made instruments, had become the victim of corporate cutbacks and the latest models of the Grammer guitars were rushed to market with various quality issues that had greatly diminished their sound and hurt not only the Grammer name, but the future sales of this guitar.
Ampeg came up to see Dan in 1968 as they wanted his advice as a consultant to improve the Grammer line of guitars. After showing Dan one of the Grammer guitars and consulting with them about it, Dan’s words were grim, saying “you can’t compete with the Yamaha® line of guitars as they make good instruments for the money.” Years later Dan told me “after hearing that they were pacing all over the floor, scratching their heads and going nowhere awfully fast when all of a sudden one of them turned to me and asked if there was anything at all that I could suggest, or do. It was then that I got a little blunt with them and asked… why are you interested in acoustic guitars instead of electric? You’re in the amp business, so why not make an electric guitar to compliment your amplifiers?”
A good question, and apparently Ampeg thought so too, for it wasn’t long before Dan Armstrong and Ampeg had reached a royalty agreement for a new line of electric guitars & basses that Dan would design and build. Using Dan’s own words, “From day one, I knew that I wanted something special, something new. I wanted to make not only an artistic statement, but also an electric statement. I didn’t just want to build a copy of something that was already out there.” In our very first conversation I can still remember Dan on the phone saying “I wanted the instruments to be totally electric – an un-banjo so to speak, so as not to ever resemble any guitar or banjo of the past.” Later on he added, “I wanted them to be classy, and feel good in a players hands.” Lastly, he went on to include “And if my name were going to be plastered on em, they were going to be made of the highest quality materials and parts.”
Leaving his shop in the hands of his employees, Dan took the next month off on vacation with his then pre-stardom girlfriend Carly Simon (who would end up writing a song about Dan on her first album called Dan My Fling) and on this vacation he worked out the details for a totally new design of instrument. By the time he returned to New York, he had come up with the ideas for his new line of guitars and basses. Dan felt that the time was right for a line of instruments to be manufactured of clear acrylic, thus making a ‘special, new & artistic’ statement while at the same time fulfilling his dream of a totally ‘electric’ instrument.
He would not be the first person to produce a clear acrylic solidbody instrument however. Fender® made an all Lucite Stratocaster® some years earlier, and while it made an impression at product shows it never became a production instrument that was offered to the public. This was the mold that Dan decided to break. Also, while Dan envisioned a clear acrylic body – the necks – unlike the aforementioned Stratocaster, were going to made of wood. As a result, it was a fusion of design and function where the old world of wood worked alongside the modern world of acrylic. When asked more about it Dan replied “Well, I just felt the market time was right and the technology available to be able to mass produce such a guitar for the public. The real trick was to see if I could make it cost effective enough”.
Everything from the body to the headstock had a totally new, and unique appearance, while being very functional. Clearly this was not just another copy of what was already out there and musicians knew it. They immediately tagged these instruments the “see-through” guitar. The phrase stuck, and became so well known that Ampeg actually patented the product name “see-through”, to further define these instruments.
But these “see-through” guitars went far beyond their dramatic appearance and high quality hardware. They were innovative in almost every respect. Being a visionary designer who had surrounded himself with expert luthiers, Dan had acquired a vast knowledge of guitar mechanics & engineering and maintains “I put every idea I’ve ever had about guitars into that one guitar”.
For the origins of the Dan Armstrong bass, it is highly recommended to first read through the guitar section, for with the guitar prototype completed, building the bass guitar was going to be a somewhat easier task as Dan & Matt didn’t have to “invent the wheel” all over again. Like the guitar model though, the bass was all hand built by Matt Umanov and although the overall body dimensions were identical the routing within the body needed to be changed.
Unlike the guitar, the bass did not utilize interchangeable type pickups. Thus the largest difference is the noticeable lack of the sweeping pickup channel in the body. The routing for the ball end of the strings is placed further back due to the fact that the combination bridge/tailpiece is placed further back on the body for intonation purposes.
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However, there was a significant change in the routing of the bass pickup control cavity, and it was here that Dan had once again delegated out a project. This time he turned to Kurt Munkacsi, who stated “I only got in on a small part of the plexiglas instruments. Dan gave me the project of finding a way to hook up the bass pickup to the volume and tone control wiring.” Kurt designed it so that there was a small section of the control cavity that wasn’t routed as deep as the rest. This gave him just enough room to secure both a good mechanical, and electrical connection from the pickup to the rest of the circuitry.
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On the earliest basses the pickup was secured to the body using a chrome plate that screws down onto the body and laps over onto the pickup enough to hold it in place. Together, with the three screws (seen above) that are also secured into the acrylic body, this provided enough of an anchor for even the roughest of bass players. Another sign of a very early bass is the use of the straight headed screws used to anchor down the combination bridge/ tailpiece. These straight headed screws were used on both the guitar and the bass in 1969 and were switched over to the more familiar phillips head screws around 1970. A low serial number and the use of the smooth, glossy type scratchplate material vs. the non-glossy matte material used in later models are other signs of an early model, as is the lack of a pickup switch that later models employ. Notice the non stock washer placed under the input jack added by the owner. |
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Sometime after redesigning the guitar body with the sweeping channel for interchangeable pickups, Dan decided to secure his bass pickups in the very same fashion – using a thumbscrew on the backside of the body that screws into the bottom of the pickup, thereby discontinuing the use of the chrome pickup-plate on top. Dan liked this design better because “by losing the plate it cleaned up the look of the entire body. Plus there were some minor cost savings in making the bass a little more like the guitar model.” Again, notice the straight head screws attaching the bridge and tailpiece combination to the body, and also note that the strap pin has been relocated to the lower cut-away horn by the owner. Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones has been photographed on their 1969 tour playing a clear Dan Armstrong bass with an exact modification such as this. |
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Another bass with the same modification as the one above. Though on this one, the strap pin has been relocated to it’s original ‘stock’ position on the upper horn. A very late 69 or very early 70’s ‘transitional’ bass that employs the smooth textured formica of the earliest models, as well as the straight slot headed screws that secures the combination bridge/tailpiece. But unlike the earliest of models it lacks the metal ‘pickup-plate’ on top and the pickup is now secured in place with a thumbscrew through the backside of the body in the same fashion as the guitar models.
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The pickup being secured in place with a thumbscrew through the backside of the body was not the last way in which the bass would more emulate the guitar model however. As seen at left, later basses with a serial number of D2000A and above saw the addition of a 2-way selector switch that made the bass appear more like the guitar model, while allowing even greater flexibility and control over the sound eminating from the already versatile instrument. |
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The year was 1976 when the bass player of our garage band showed up with an original Dan Armstrong black bass that he said was “one of 8 ever made” and that he acquired it from Guitar Trader® in Red Bank, NJ Since most (if not all) of these black instruments were sold out of Dan’s shop – it was no stretch of fate for it to surface in New Jersey – and only a short distance from where it was manufactured, Linden, NJ. From what I can remember the bass played really well, and although it had a really good low end I do not recall it having much treble or “zing” as Dan put it. Due to our low wattage light show the instrument did not have any tuning issues to speak of. Equally ironic is the use of the Ampeg SVT amplifier since Dan was instrumental in the design of it as well.
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Like the rest of the instrument, the hardware used on the Dan Armstrong acrylic guitars and basses was the best available. Even by today’s standards, some forty years later, the hardware and appointments can only be equalled and not really much improved upon.
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The instruments were trimmed with a wood grain patterned Formica® scratchplate that also matched the veneer used on the headstock. According to Matt Umanov the prototype was trimmed with rosewood until Dan started using Formica. When asked Matt replied “Best I can recall, Danny went out and bought some Formica, I suppose they found something similar, if not identical, for production.” Earlier models (right) have Formica that is smooth to the touch, while on later models (left) the Formica has a texture to it. |
Dan explains “our supplier, Rohm & Haas, switched over and began to produce a more textured look on the wood grained Formica veneer.” It is unknown for certain when the change occured, but based on serial numbers, the best guess is that it happened near, or in early 1970, thus making the 1969 models the only instruments to feature the smooth, glossy type Formica.
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As seen at left, two latter day, textured style Formica scratchplates for Dan Armstrong instruments. The scratchplate on the left depicts the design used for the bass, though earlier models (D2000A and earlier) had no hole drilled for a selector switch as they did not yet employ one. The scratchplate for the guitar can be seen on the right, and is virtually identical, with the only exception of it curving around the backside of the pickup a tad. When placed one on top the other, everything else lines up, even the small mounting screws that attach the scratchplates to the guitar body.
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There is, however, a marked difference in the placement of the mounting holes between a smooth, glossy surface scratchplate and a textured scratchplate. The textured scratchplates were wider by a small margin. As a result, and as can be seen at left, installing a textured type scratchplate onto an older guitar body that originally had a smooth, glossy scratchplate quickly reveals that the mounting holes on the guitar body do not line up. Seen here, the textured scratchplate mounting holes lie a fraction of an inch outside the original mounting holes. It’s unknown for certain why this change occured, but it is not recommened to alter the body of the guitar in this fashion. Although it cannot be seen from the front side it will neverless, devalue the instrument.
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As seen at left, the mounting screws used to secure the scratchplate to the acrylic body are phillips headed, chrome plated screws that are self tapping and feature tapered heads in order for the screws to fit virtually flush with the scratchplate surroundings. These same screws were used to mount the truss rod cover to the headstock. The wood grained Formica scratchplate is adorned with the words Dan Armstrong · Ampeg etched into it with white lettering. |
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Over the years players have sometimes had problems as they sometimes tend to step on their patch cord which in turn pulled on the plug that went into the jack on the scratchplate. Since the force being applied was more downward and not outward, the jack did not unplug, instead it cracked the scratchplate in and around the jack. In todays world of wireless connections patch cords are almost non-existent but time was when using a patch cord was the only way. Many players felt that the scratchplate material on the Dan Armstrong instruments were just too brittle as a result.
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In all fairness, it’s worth mentioning that many Les Paul® jack plates are broken each year as well, and usually replaced with metal ones. In the past, and as can be seen above left, guitar players would often times install a large washer under the input jack’s nut to solve this problem, though for cosmetic reasons, it is suggested to put the washer on the underside of the Formica. Alternatively, one can always get a replacement pickguard from places like Pickguard Heaven.
The volume & tone potentiometers, as well as a 3-way selector type switch and input jack are all mounted, and wired in underneath the scratchplate. Being an experienced guitar repairman, Dan made it so that his instruments would be easy to service. By simply removing the scratchplate screws, one can slide the scratchplate out from underneath the strings, flip it over, and begin repairs.
As fate would have it, Dan originally had no plans for a selector switch in his guitars. Bill Richardson goes on to say “Dan said that after the prototype was made and shown to Ampeg they simply said ‘nobody will buy a guitar without a switch’ – to which Dan replied…Guys, it’s only a one pickup guitar with a single-coil pickup.”
But Ampeg was adamant, and Bill continues stating “needless to say he was told to put a toggle switch in the guitar …and eventually the bass too. The bass one makes sense to me but the guitar one is a bit needless. If ya think about how cool, funtional and downright modern the rest of his pickups, pot values and tone cap choice was design wise in 1969, a switch to turn the tone to zero kinda reaked of afterthought to me. Basically, Ampeg got their way and wrote about it in their marketing blurb.”
Since Dan was forced to install a switch he figured it may as well do something, and put his best foot forward in wiring it so that he could make the most out of a one pickup instrument. Even then, as early as 1970 Dan made alterations to the wiring which made the switch on these instruments perform better, or at least differently then before. Many articles covering these instruments since have greatly emphasized the fact that the earliest model Dan Armstrongs were wired somewhat differently than the later models causing a wave of excitement and, unfortunately, for many, a great deal of confusion.
It all officially began on March 8, 1971 when Ampeg released Product Bulletin #17 Procedures For Updating Armstrong Guitars And Basses. This document, signed by Pete ‘Buddy’ Toscano and Roger Cox gave detailed instructions on how one could bring older Dan Armstrong instruments up to date, stating “In an effort to improve the tonal response from the Armstrong Instruments, several changes were made in their respective control assemblies.”
We should all be aware of the significance of the above date, as some 6 months or so later saw the end of the original production run of the Dan Armstrong instruments, and it’s worth pointing out that the models produced in and around this time were already updated with the changes that this document depicts. In a nutshell, the document describes in detail, and in laymen’s language, how one can change capacitors out with ones of different values, as well as relocate a few wires in the control cavities of a Dan Armstrong guitar or bass.
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The guitar was probably the easiest modification of all and applied to models with serial numbers below A2000D (which would seem to suggest that the guitars were wired this newer way for some time already). In essence, one is to simply remove the 500µµF and the .033µF capacitors and wire in a .01µF and a .02µF capacitor – not just in their place, but in a different fashion. Lastly, a few wires get relocated as well as a few removed altogether for a rerouting of the audio output signal and the update is complete. The end result is a 3-way selector switch that would now only shift to change the tonal spectrum, leaving out any volume type boosting.
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As seen above, a Dan Armstrong guitar scratchplate, complete with volume & tone potentiometers, 3-way selector switch, input jack and capacitors. Notice the .022µF and the .01µF capacitor wired into the circuit depicting the changes shown in Ampegs Product Bulletin #17 literature. This instrument, is wired as per that literature. However, keen eyes may have already noticed the pot codes on the volume and tone potentiometers – 1377035 – which indicates the 35th week of 1970. The red paint markings on the solder joints are clearly visible, meaning they are untouched. All of which would not only seem to suggest, but even prove, that although the Ampeg literature was dated March of 1971, that the guitars models had been wired this way for some time already.
The original owners manual states that with the switch in the forward position (towards the headstock) defeats the volume control, resulting in full volume which means that the volume control does not work except when it was turned full off. The idea was to be helpful in allowing a preset rhythm or lead volume level. After the modification, the switch in the forward position now offers the steepest reduction of high frequencies.
Also in the owners manual, it states that in the center position the tone and volume controls would function in their normal way. After the modification, the switch in the center position bypasses the tone control completely, accentuating high frequencies (suggesting that the older wiring scheme never really bypassed the tone control altogether).
Lastly, the manual states that with the switch in the back position (towards the rear of the guitar) will defeat the tone control (notice how it said defeat the control – not to be confused with bypassing the control), resulting in a full bass tone regardless of the tone control setting which would be useful if one wanted to get a front rhythm pickup sound while at the flick of a switch be able to go to a bridge sounding pickup. After the modification, moving the switch to the back, or rear position will yield a moderate reduction of highs.
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The bass guitar was slightly more involved, but not overly complicated. The first bass modification was for basses below serial number D1000A. All that is required is to loosen the strings and remove the scratchplate, and (if applicable) the chrome plated pickup plate that secures the pickup to the body as well. Lastly, one unscrews the pickup from the body and once removed, to take notice a short lead wire protruding from the pickup and to simply solder that wire to the nearest terminal lug on the pickup itself (this is usually the front & foremost, closest to the neck lug as the pickup lies in its cavity as can be seen at left. |
For those who didn’t want to mess with such things, or for those just plain uncomfortable an alternative replacement bass pickup was available with the short lead already wire soldered to the pickups terminal strip, as well as the required capacitors to complete the job. The last step is to replace the .05µµF capacitor with a .1µF capacitor. This modification will yield a more balanced response coming from the bass as earlier model basses were notorious for having very bassy E & A strings, and trebly D & G strings.
The second bass modification was for basses with a serial number below D2000A and is a way to update the Dan Armstong bass with a toggle switch. A drawing type template was included depicting where to drill a ½” hole in the scratchplate for a double pole – single throw switch. Once this switch is mounted, wires get relocated and a .1µF capacitor gets installed into the circuit and the .05µµF capacitor gets doubled.
The resulting switch functions are such that with the switch in position #1 forward (toward the neck) results in the deepest possible tones from the instrument with bassy E & A strings – coupled with more trebly D & G strings (or in other words, it will sound and behave just like the earliest models Dan Armstrong basses). With the switch in position #2 back (towards the bridge) results in a balanced sound from the instrument (or in other words, the sound one gets after one completes the first modification mentioned above). The switch, then, simply allows the player the choice between the two, and when used in conjunction with the tone control, makes it handy by allowing ever greater control over the sound of the bass.
The volume and tone potentiometers are made by CTS® and for the guitar model, the volume pot has a value of 200K, while the tone knob is a 100K pot. The earliest guitar models were equipped with a 500µµf & a .033µf capacitor while later models employed a larger green capacitor that was made by Cornell Dubilier® and is a .022 mfd 400vdc cap, while the disc cap is rated at .01 mfd and 600v. The 3-way selector switch was made by Carling Technologies®. If one looks closely the name ‘Carling Und. Lab Inc.’ is stamped on the bottom as is its 3A 125 VAC rating and is a Single Pole – Double Throw switch.
The volume and tone potentiometers on the bass guitar are also made by CTS and both have a 200K value. The earlier bass guitars were wired with a single .05µf capacitor while later models were wired with two .05µf disc capacitors that have a 400 vdc rating while the third capacitor is a .01µf and has a 200 vdc rating. On the basses that employ a switch, those with a serial number of D2000A or higher feature a Carling Technologies Double Pole – Single Throw switch. Both the guitar and bass models use a ¼” Switchcraft® guitar jack.
Alternatively, to take a newer model Dan Armstrong guitar or bass, and wire it like an earlier model, all one needs to do is reverse the wiring instructions given in The Ampeg March 8, 1971 Bulletin. This Bulletin, complete with an early Dan Armstrong owners manual (which contains the wiring schematics of the 1969 model guitars and basses) are available as a download at the Unofficial Ampeg Page. It is in the schematic section of that web site, and is a PDF type file.
According to Steve Constantelos, one of Ampeg’s design engineers, the guitar necks for the Dan Armstrong instruments were made right in the Ampeg factory under the supervision of Pete ‘Buddy’ Tuscano – who was a wood specialist as well as Manager of the Instrument Division at Ampeg. He involved himself in everything from the grade of wood coming into the factory to the final finishing touches before the instrument left the factory.
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Once in the assembly area, each Dan Armstrong instrument was fitted with a neck that is as innovative as the body, and were built from quarter-sawn northern maple. Matt Umanov relates the story, stating “when building the prototypes for Dan, I recommended the use of quarter-sawn maple. Dan didn’t really have much knowledge about such things as wood grain and how it affects structure, strength, and tone. But he took my advice unquestioningly after I gave him a brief explanation and demonstration.” |
The existance of quarter-sawn over plain-sawn maple is just one small example of the high quality materials used on these instruments and a testament to the high quality standards that Matt used on the prototypes and that Dan insisted on throughout the entire production run. Quarter-sawn wood provides improved stability, with much less shrinkage, warping & twisting than plain-sawn wood, and maple and provides for maximum sustain when bolted to the acrylic body.
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A unique effect of quarter-sawn wood is that it can sometimes present us with a dramatic appearance. The grain on the face of quarter-sawn wood has tight, straight, parallel lines running the length of the board and if the tree rings happened to be very close to 90° perpendicular to the face of the wood then the effect of the ring can be seen when turned to a light source. In the case of Oak the effect is referred to as ‘Quartered Oak’. When it comes to maple it is often referred to as ‘Flame-Maple’. |
On Gibson’s Les Paul® sunburst guitars the effect can often be seen on their maple tops creating the look that somewhat resembles the backside of a violin or cello. On certain models the effect is very dramatic and when turned toward a light source a certain way the flame is so vibrant that it takes on the look of a tiger’s pelt, and is often referred to as a ‘flame-top’ or ‘tiger-stripe’.
The existance of flame-maple necks on Dan Armstrong instruments were sporadic at best, for the quarter-sawn maple was used for it’s stability over appearance. While flame-maple is no less, or more stable than non-flame, it is nevertheless a treat to discover it, and to know that it can only come from quarter-sawn lumber.
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Earlier models have thicker necks on them, similar to a Les Paul Standard® while later models have necks that are thinner, more like a Les Paul Deluxe®. The neck on the left has a serial number of A204D making it a very early 1969 model, while the number on the right has a serial number of A2357D R which dates it around a later 1970 model. One can clearly see the thickness of the neck on the earlier model. When asked, Dan replied “I just felt that the necks were a bit too big, and so we changed over to a thinner neck.” When the change occurred is unknown, but the best guess, based on serial numbers, is that it was the early part of 1970. Ampeg literature states that the thickness of the neck is the same at the 24th fret as it is at the first fret. To test this I unbolted these two necks from their bodies and one by one I inserted the squared base end of the neck into my shop vise to hold the neck in place while I took some measurements. |
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Upper left – taking multiple measurements of the first fret on the 1969 model neck with the serial number A204D yielded a thickness of 0.915″ or 23.26mm. The width of the neck measured in at 1.774″ or 45.08mm. But by the 12th fret, as can be seen in the upper right, the measurement had moved down to 0.907″ or 23.05mm. The width measured in at 2.045″ or 51.96mm.
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Upper left – by the 23rd fret it snuck down to 0.891 or 22.63mm. Measurements at the 24th fret were not possible to retrieve as it was too close to the shop vise. Moreover, the neck at the 24th fret area was just starting to give up it’s nicely rounded shape in preparation of the change from the curved back to the squared base of the neck that inserts and bolts to the acrylic body. The width of the neck was now 22.18″ or 56.35mm. On the 24th fret the width measured in at 2.234″ or 56.74mm.
As to whether the Ampeg literature was correct or not is debatable. Technically speaking, the caliper proves that the neck is not quite “the same thickness at the 24th fret as it is at the first fret.” Instead, it would seem that the neck is the thickest at the first fret, and narrows down as one goes up the neck. But on the other account it is worth mentioning that the variances that were measured are so minimal that short of using a caliper and taking measurements one would never notice the difference nor would they consider such minor changes a ‘difference’ to speak of if they had known. For all intents and purposes, it could be argued that the literature is correct, and that the neck is roughly the same throughout.
Next, I wanted to compare a newer neck to the older one. As can be seen upper right, I placed the neck from my 1970 Dan Armstrong with the serial number A2357D R into my shop vise and placed the caliper on the first fret. What I discovered proved to be most interesting. Again taking multiple measurements, the neck measured in at 0.802″ or 20.37mm. Considerably thinner than the 69 neck which came in at 0.915″ or 23.26mm. The width of the neck came in at 1.641″ or 41.69mm.
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At the 12th fret, as seen upper left – things got interesting. I had expected the neck to be like the 69 neck – thinner by a small amount over the first fret. Instead, the neck got thicker and I had to move my caliper out to slide it on. Hardly believing my eyes, I took several more measurements, as the neck measured in at 0.856″ or 21.74mm. The neck width at the 12th fret was 2.010″ or 51.07mm.
By the time I got to the 23rd fret, upper right – I once again had to take several more measurements than what I had been taking prior as the neck at this point came in at 0.892″ or 22.68mm. Even thicker yet, over the 12th fret. The width of the neck at the 23rd fret was 2.220″ or 56.40mm. and 2.232″ or 56.71mm at the 24th fret.
I immediately began to wonder if the changing thickness of this neck was the reason that it was stamped as a reject when in fact it plays so well, so I decided to measure another newer neck. This time I measured the neck on my 1971 Dan Armstrong guitar with the serial number A2678D which exhibited the same results. While it is true that Dan had “changed over to a thinner neck” it is also apparently true that the necks were given a completely new profile over the older necks. While the old necks remained fairly constant, the newer necks began thin and got thicker as one went up the neck.
In my interview with Matt Umanov, he stated “I intentionally made the prototype guitar neck wider at the nut, and therefore at the 24th fret too (as well as string spacing at the bridge), than any standard electric guitar of the day, and probably a bit wider than standard steel-string acoustics of the day as well. The depth, or thickness from fingerboard surface to back of neck, was pretty much left alone, thereby giving more of a ‘flat-oval’ feel to the neck. This, from my recollection, of Danny’s usual reply of “do what you think is best” when I asked him what he wanted for neck dimensions and string spacing on the prototype.”
As a point of reference, I took width measurements off the neck of my Gibson® 1957 Goldtop Les Paul® reissue guitar. The differences are as follows:
| 1969 Dan Armstrong
1st Fret: 1.774″ or 45.08mm |
1957 Les Paul Standard RI
1st Fret: 1.709″ or 43.41mm |
1970 Dan Armstrong
1st Fret: 1.641″ or 41.69mm |
Given these readings, it would appear that Ampeg’s 1969 production neck was a bit wider than a Les Paul neck until the last couple of frets, when the Les Paul neck got a touch wider. By 1970 the width on the necks of the Dan Armstrong guitars had slimmed to the point that the Les Paul was wider throughout and would remain that way throughout the rest of the production run.
It’s worth mentioning, at this point, that Gibson like most every other manufacturer, has also made changes to their Les Paul guitar necks, and the measurements from the 1957 reissue is only to serve as a reference.
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The fingerboard is built from Brazilian rosewood, and features a 12° radius arch for playing comfort. Matt Umanov goes on to add “Brazilian rosewood was just the common type of rosewood to use at the time, considered by far the best and nothing out of the ordinary; Danny may have chosen that over ebony because of its feel.” Today, Brazilian rosewood is highly desired among musicians, somewhat due to it’s rarity, but also because it is less fibrous, and a somewhat more harder, denser wood than Indian rosewood. Although it is a harder wood to work with, being it is a very brittle wood, it tends to reflect sound more, while also producing a somewhat more brighter sound than does Indian. Because Indian rosewood is more porous, it has a tendency to dry out more, whereas Brazilian retains more of its oil, and many musicians feel it offers a much smoother playing surface overall. That being said, the owners manual does state that ‘it may be necessary, at times, to apply a light but thorough application of lemon oil’ to keep the rosewood from drying out and cracking, suggesting that all types of rosewood needs to be kept somewhat oiled. Like the neck, the fingerboard is built from quarter-sawn wood, and features 24 frets on it, all free of the body due to its front bolt-on design. According to Matt Umanov “Using 24 frets was Dan’s idea.” The guitar necks themselves are based on Gibson® style ‘short-scaled’ necks – 24¾” for the guitar and 30½” for the bass. While Dan made set-in necks later on in his career he once mentioned to me that “bolt-on necks are still very desirable to me, and I guess it’s because I tend to look at it from a technician’s point of view. You see, with a bolt-on neck, you have an extra adjustment point to work with than a set-in neck has. In order to get good, low string action with a set-in neck, once you get the truss rod straight, you only have one other tool to work with, and that is the adjustment of the bridge height. But with a bolt-on neck you get all of that, plus you can also install or remove shims between the body and the base of the neck to tilt the neck one way or another. So it’s more of a technician’s preference that I tend to have.” |
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The fingerboards for the guitar and bass are all fitted with smaller round dot position markers on the top of the fingerboard, and even smaller dot type position markers on the side of the fingerboard. The dots begin at the 3rd fret and continue on up to and including the 24th fret. As the next two photos reveal, both the 12th fret and the 24th fret are fitted with double dots, used to designate the octaves.
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Like most everything else when it came to these guitars, Dan delegated the project of the position markers out to Matt Umanov but when it came to ‘the type’ of position markers Matt remembers a somewhat more collaborative effort, stating “the best I can recall, it was either Dan or me who said something like “little ones would look real cool”, and that was that.”
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Dan explained his choice of position markers long ago to me, stating “Les Paul Customs® , for example, use large blocks for position markers and as a result, do not have a consistent feel from fret to fret. Bending strings on a fret that has the large position markers has quite a different feel to it than when bending strings on a fret without a position marker. I wanted the neck on my guitars to feel the same everywhere, regardless which fret was being played, so I used smaller position markers.”
The fret wire feels similar to Dunlop 6130’s like many other guitars on the market. However, that is where much of the similarity ends, as Dan was not one to install frets like other manufacturers. According to Dan “fret wire is extruded, or pulled through a die, and as a result is ‘work hardened’ – thus it has a very hard surface, much harder than any guitar string and will last the life of the guitar as long as they are not filed or ground down. The frets were carefully pressed in place using a press and gauge.”
Years later Dan said “I was never one to hammer in frets into the fingerboard. I really don’t believe in using a hammer on any guitar and especially not for installing frets. The hammering ‘blows’ affect the wood, shocks it – if you get my meaning”. It also weakens the fret itself. These things may sound trivial, but a player or anyone else with a fine ear, can hear dead spots on instruments fretted like this when the instrument is played. I did everything I could do to make my guitars ring and sustain like a steel guitar, with no dead spots. Thats why we pressed our frets in place.”
Luthier Bill Richardson, who studied under Dan agrees, saying “I agree with Dan that using a metal hammer can dull the metals strength but the real problem is hammering the heck out of the slot just makes for an unpredictable and slightly loose slot, no matter how hard ya hit it – it will never seat properly and when ya wanna hit that note, it don’t ring at all. Dan taught me to tap on the frets with the end of a 6″ ruler and listen for a ‘solid’ sound and when ya hear a dulled lower pitched one…ya got a loose fret. Now when that happens ya certainly can’t level any frets as the loose ones just keep rising up and you have a total nightmare on your hands …let alone a bunch of instruments coming down the assembly line.”
He continues stating “pressing them in using an arbor press like Dan did, and as I do, one gets a better feel on the install and Dan’s real point was to not mess with the tensile strength of the metal. After you mutate a fret and mess with its strength and say, pull it out and straighten it out and try to reinstall it – it never goes in the same. Did ya ever pull out a bent nail and try to straighten it out and re-pound it…even after ya made it look straight? It never goes and bends exactly at the original fatigued point. Also, very important to Dan was if this pressing in was done right you would eliminate the dreaded filing/levelling of frets, which in a production scenario is a big time saver (very important to bean counters).”
Bill wraps up saying “We have to remember Dan saw many guitars and bass’s come into his shop let alone the ones he saw on gigs etc. and many were having issues with problems like these. His business was started because of the fact that many guitars simply were built not paying attention to these details.”
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Once completed, every instrument was checked over by Art Storley, who did the final check on the guitar, as well as the necks, and if necessary, did minor adjustments. Here you can see Art Storley’s initials in the ‘final test’ section of a registration card that accompanied this instrument. After this final test, the instrument awaited Dan’s personal inspection and final OK before it was shipped to the various Ampeg dealers. |
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For a string nut, Dan chose to use ivory. He had witnessed first hand how Matt Umanov had used ivory, and he had come to learn and appreciate the tonal quality and additional sustaining capabilities of the instruments that Matt installed ivory nuts onto. When it came time to build Dan’s prototype, it wasn’t even a question. Dan wanted ivory nuts on his new clear guitars as well. As fate would have it, for a time Matt Umanov was the only man to go to for ivory in the New York area. Once production began, Dan &/or Ampeg would purchase their ivory from Matt Umanov. Matt goes on to say “eventually they found their own supply source as after awhile I didn’t hear from them anymore.” |
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The headstock featured a 17° angle relative to the fingerboard, and it’s unique design came about in roughly the same way the body style did. Matt Umanov had built the prototype neck for Dan, and had made the headstock fairly similar to the headstock design of the 1924-1934 Gibson L5® guitar like the 1928 model shown here. But near it’s completion Matt realized the problems associated with producing and marketing something too close to another makers design. In brief, he was having second thoughts. Matt went on to say…. “I told him Danny, we have to change the shape of this headstock or they’re going to come after us with a lawsuit. From there Dan just pickup up a pencil and drew a curved line near the top of the headstock and said ‘make it like this’ and that’s how the headstock got it’s shape.” Later on, Matt went on to sum it all up, stating “I took that early peghead and exaggerated it a bit, and Danny lopped off the top, and exaggerated the whole thing a bit more.” The animation at left gives an idea as to the headstocks origin, and how quickly Dan had come up with the design for it. |
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As seen upper left, the base of the neck is also where the instruments serial number can be found. It is stamped into the bass side of the neck in a black ink or dye and once the instrument has been strapped on, or otherwise held in the playing position, one can easily see the number by merely looking straight down and through the clear acrylic body and onto this portion of the neck. The serial numbers always ran consecutively, and according to Dan the actual production models “began with number 100.”
Using this information, the guitar neck numbered A204D is actually the 104th guitar off the standard production line. Apparently anything prior to A100D was some kind of prototype, or was made at a time prior to the actual production line. The neck with the serial number A2357D R seems rather unique, and Dan informed me that “any serial number followed by the letter R was a reject much like a Gibson® factory second. It usually refers to some minor flaw in the cosmetics of the instrument“. While not enough to affect the structural ability or the playability, the guitar had some minor cosmetic flaw that was not up to Dan’s high standards. Such instruments were then sold for less.
At upper right, the serial numbers on the bass instruments begin and end with Dan’s initials. The bass guitar seen here has a serial number of D1255A which makes it an early 1970 model. As for the guitar, and seen below, they too began and ended with Dan’s initials. However, in the case of the guitar necks the initials are reversed. When asked about it all Dan replied “I decided to include my initials along with the serial numbers on the necks and if I remember correctly, we had a run of bass necks right away and so we used this numbering-lettering convention on them. It all worked fine until we started to do some guitar necks and thats when we discovered that we would be duplicating serial numbers. So we had to quickly come up with a different convention for the guitar models. So I just decided to used my last initial first”.
 photo courtesy of Elon Coats |
 photo courtesy of John McCutchan |
 photo courtesy of Craig Johnson |
At upper left, and as can be clearly seen, a 1971 Dan Armstrong guitar with a fairly high serial number A2720D which happens to belong to my friend Elon. This instrument was getting close to the end of the production run in 1971. As seen at center, another Dan Armstrong guitar with a very high serial number A2813D belonging to John McCutchan which was produced even closer to the end days of production. Everything that Dan and Ampeg had learned about the manufacturing these instruments were featured on these instruments.
As seen upper right, and belonging to Craig Johnson, this Dan Armstrong instrument features the highest serial number I have seen to date A2837D which almost certainly was produced extremely close to the end of the production run of these instruments. When asked about the actual number of instruments produced from 1969 to 1971 Dan had said “around 6,000 guitars and basses” which I originally took to mean 6,000 guitars and 6,000 basses. But what I believe he actually meant was around 3,000 guitars and around 3,000 basses – making for a total of roughly 6,000 instruments overall that were produced – which would be fairly close, though serial numbers higher than these shown here have yet to surface on either the guitar or the bass models. However, if you figure in a fudge factor and remember that the first 100 instruments were experimental, one can say that roughly 3,000 of each were made.
As a means of quick reference, guitar necks alone can be approximately dated by the serial number on them. While this is by no means an ‘official listing’ it’s pretty close and it’s listed here to help sort through at least some of the mystery and confusion. For bass necks just reverse the letters – but the numbering scheme would be the same.
| 1969 necks A100D to A1100D |
1970 necks A1101D to A2450D |
1971 necks A2451D to A2850D |
However, even with serial numbers at your disposal, some Dan Armstrong instruments simply defy description, usually as a result of the time frame, &/or the circumstances they were manufactured under. Again, and according to Dan “any instrument made prior to A100D was a prototype made before the actual production run began.”
After hearing Dan say that I became curious if any instruments were made prior to, or after, the point where they stamped the necks with a serial number. It seemed likely that some instruments may have slipped through the proverbial ‘cracks’ in the system, but I had never actually seen one.
My curiousity was satisified the day I heard from Mr. Paul Q. Kolderie, a record producer and engineer who sent in photos of his Dan Armstrong guitar that somewhat fit my theory.
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As can be seen in the upper left, this guitar features all the usual hardware of later Dan Armstrong guitars. However, as the upper right reveals this guitar is fitted with a neck that has no serial number on it whatsoever. In fact, the only distinguishable feature on this neck are the letters ‘ACF‘ which is hand written, on the bottom of the base, or tongue of the neck rather lazily or haphazardly, not like what one would write if one was trying to be extra careful. On the contrary, it looks rather scribbled in there.
Was this a particular neck picked out by an Ampeg employee with the initials ACF? It would seem unlikely, for Dan personally inspected every instrument before it left the factory. This was an agreement made at the very beginning and one that Ampeg apparently came to regret over time as they felt that Dan’s visits were a bit too sporadic for production purposes. Guitars would be ready to ship but they had to wait for Dan’s OK. Toward the end, much of the reason for Dan’s fewer visits was due to the strained relationship he now had with Ampeg management over the SVT and other V series amplifiers.
Nevertheless, Dan eventually showed up, and being he personally checked over each & every instrument to his satisfaction, it would seem unnecessary for anyone to pick & choose a neck beforehand, and even if they had – why would it not have a serial number?
Perhaps the answer lies with the rest of the hardware on this guitar. As stated earlier, it has all the features of a latter day Armstrong. By mid to late 1971 Ampeg had closed down the production of the Dan Armstrong guitars and the news came as quite a shock to the employees on the production floor at Ampeg. As former Ampeg engineer Steve Constantelos stated “most of us were surprised when we came to work one day and were told that production of these instruments had come to an end, and to cease operations.”
He continued, saying “we completed any instruments that we could and everything else was sold to a local dealer in New Jersey – I can’t remember his name but I bought some bass parts from him.” I told him “that would be Lou Rose from Lou Rose music” and instantly he stated “that’s the guy – that’s the name – he was a good friend of Dan’s or something and he bought out everything.”
Steve also talked about Ampeg’s employees taking home any left over pieces of acrylic lying around. Apparently smaller remnants of it were free for the taking and Steve said “we made lamps and all kinds of things out of it around here.” But what he said earlier had my total attention….. “we completed any instruments that we could”…. for it is a phrase that could well serve as an epitaph to the end of the Dan Armstrong acrylic instruments, and it may well offer us the best clue as to the possible origin of this particular instrument. As though waiting its turn in line on the production floor, it may have been quickly completed and made ready to ship – as history turned a page, and the Dan Armstrong · Ampeg clear guitars and basses met the end.
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Regardless of whether it was an acrylic guitar or bass, every Dan Armstrong · Ampeg instrument could be ordered with a custom hardshell case for an additional $60.00 as per literature quote of June, 1969. These hard shell cases were manufactured and supplied by the Ess&Ess Manufacturing Company out of New York who were a major supplier of cases for many musical instruments on the market. Ampeg contracted them to build form fitted cases for Dan’s new line of instruments. If it hasn’t been removed or worn away one can usually find the Ess&Ess tag up by the headstock portion of the case on the inside liner. Their sticker advertized them as the Ess&Ess Mfg. Co. Quality Cases, Brooklyn, New York. |
When Dan and I got around to talking about the cases for the acrylic instruments I remember asking him how it was that he chose Ess&Ess over other makers. Dan replied “It was a matter of convenience more than anything else, I knew someone in the area had to be making guitar cases so I just asked around. When I finally got their name I just turned the contact information over to Ampeg and let them handle it from there, I really didn’t have much to do with it.”
But a second later Dan added “I do recall that we decided to only make the one size case, and someone took a bass over to them [Ess&Ess] so they could get body and neck measurements as trying to do it over the phone was quite a hassle.” I then asked why only one size case was made and Dan went on to say “Convenience again, plus just plain economics. The dimensions of the guitar and bass bodies are the same, and it was cheaper to just make one case. The bass has the longer neck – so the case was designed for it, but we also made sure the guitar neck was going to be supported too.“
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As seen above left, the Ess&Ess case is a perfect fit for the bass guitar but as seen above right, it cradles the guitar body equally well since the body dimensions are the same. Although the neck is shorter on the guitar model, it is still supported. Although fairly dark, the cross member of the case that supports the neck can be seen at the 3rd fret – whereas it’s at the 5th fret area on the bass guitar.
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Above left, the case is form fitted to hug the acrylic body while at the same time supporting the neck. By cradling the body in this manner, the neck is more isolated from any jarring or shock. The pickup compartment is large enough to house at least four pickups as well as a strap and other accessories. A metal hook helps to ensure that the lid to the pickup compartment remains closed.
At right, the supports and padding of the Dan Armstrong case can be seen better. The headstock is kept clear of the bottom of the case by a padded support piece that extends the entire width of the case and is located at or very near the third fret area on the neck. The inside cover of the case features a piece of padding located directly above this area which in turn keeps the headstock clear of the topside of the case as well. Further back more padding can be seen on the inside cover, helping to secure the body when the lid is closed. Watchful eyes may have noticed that there is also some additional padding located in the position between where the two strap pins on the body would lie. The bottom of the case is slightly raised and padded in the body area so as not to create any pressure on the point where the neck and body come together. In essence, the case itself is a total shock-mount design made to support, cradle, and protect the body and neck during transport.
photo courtesy of Brian Davies
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photo courtesy of Chad Coulter
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Seen more in the earlier years of production is a second type of design for the Dan Armstrong case. While still made by the Ess&Ess Mfg. Co. these cases are virtually identical to the other cases shown above, with a few minor exceptions. As can be seen above left, the lid to the pickup compartment faces, and thus opens the other way compared to the former style case. The lid itself is kept closed by a small piece of leather that snaps to the lid itself vs. the metal eyelet & hook combo of the former case. As can be seen upper right, these cases sport a different shaped carrying handle. The shape of the handle is more squared off and features a strip of metal covering the section where the the handle anchors to the case – whereas the former handle is more rounded in shape and secured to the case differently.
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The very early cases featured a light blue velvet-like liner inside – as can be seen at left. Notice too, that this case also employs the squared off handle and the reverse lid on the pickup compartment that features the small strip of leather with a snap. In addition to the changes in the handle and pickup compartment was the change of color for the velvet type liner. Soon all inner linings would be available in black only. While the other colors may be valued a bit higher due to their rarity, I have always liked the black liner inside the case as I feel it is a nice touch that looks classy and was (and still is) a welcomed relief over the loud and gaudy colors that are so prevalent in other cases. |
Why Ess&Ess chose to supply two different style of cases for this line of instruments is both confusing and unknown but it’s a good bet that it was one of two reasons. The first reason may have been that there was a shortage of the aforementioned parts and they needed to get cases out the door, so they substituted with different handles, latches and inner linings.
Since the early cases are the ones with the different hardware and colored linings inside and, since both of these seemed to have been changed in and around the same point in time would seem to suggest another reason, or theory which was that their vendors had changed their product lines to the parts and colors that we all know.
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The guitars and cases all included what players today refer to as ‘case candy’. Brochures, literature, and any accessories that might accompany an instrument. At the upper left is a string advertizement page, then an extra pickup and it’s protective package, an Ampeg amp & accessories brochure, the owners manual, and an Ampeg Scrambler® effects unit advertizement. On top the pick compartment is the case keys and truss rod adjuster (in envelope), owners registry card, and a large folder type envelope to hold everything.
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A little more closer look at some of the Dan Armstrong/Ampeg case candy. The registry card, pickup, and the care & maintence brochure guide can be seen on other pages on this site. More pages will be added as they become available. The Scrambler was a distortion/octave pedal. Seen here, on the left page is a drawing that describes using the Scrambler unit in a ‘Y’ type configuration – using two Ampeg amplifiers.(notice the logo on the upper left corner of the amplifiers’ speaker cabinets)
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Another brochure that accompanied the instruments is the Ampeg musical amplifiers, instruments, and accessories brochure, seen at left. The backside of a Dan Armstrong pickup can be seen resting against it’s protective package. Notice the threaded screw hole for the guitar’s thumb screw to turn into and secure the pickup to the body. Behind the pickup, notice the pickups protective yellow mailer type package. In particular, notice the postage amount needed back then if one were planning to mail it.
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While the Ess&Ess Mfg. Co. would survive the passing of the Dan Armstrong instruments, it would not endure indefinately. As Matt Umanov states “Ess&Ess was owned by the Sandler family, and was located I think in the Bushwick neighborhood, maybe on Bushwick Ave. We used to do business with them directly years ago. The company was, during the 1970’s or early 1980’s, taken over by the son, Marty Sandler and eventually they went out of business sometime in the mid-1980’s at the latest, not to be revived in any way, by name or otherwise.”
Today, these cases are somewhat sought after and – given their rarity – the presence of an original Ess&Ess case greatly increases the value of a Dan Armstrong · Ampeg guitar or bass. About the only way to acquire such a case is through the various online auctions, &/or select guitar shops.
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1998 began a new chapter for the Dan Armstrong acrylic guitars and basses as on August 26, 1998 Ampeg announced that it is reissuing the Dan Armstrong · Ampeg line of instruments made famous in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. As seen at left, and after 30 years, Dan Armstrong once again graced the Ampeg booth at the 1998 NAMM show in Nashville. Standing next to him is guitar luthier Bill Richardson who was not only a good friend of Dan’s, but also tutored under him. Here Bill can be seen holding the very first reissue Dan Armstrong guitar produced. |
It all began at a NAMM show back in 1997 when Kent Armstrong®, while at his own products booth was visited by representatives of St. Louis Music – then the owner of the Ampeg franchise which was going to be celebrating their 50th Anniversary the next year. As part of this celebration Ampeg was once again producing their old product lines. Along with an entire line of amplifiers made to look and sound like the amps of yesteryear, Ampeg also wanted to include the Dan Armstrong · Ampeg clear guitars & basses in this ‘updated reissue’ project.
Although St. Louis Music had worked with Dan throughout the 1980’s selling guitars and pickups that Dan made for them it was always under the SLM name & not the Ampeg name – at least not directly. This project was going to be different however, for although Ampeg had changed ownership many times over the years, and none of the present management even involved, they nevertheless knew that they were standing on thin ice with Dan given the history of how he parted company with Ampeg back in 1971.
The situation was explosive, and demanded a delicate pair of diplomatic gloves, for while Ampeg owned the rights to the acrylic guitars & basses, they did not own the rights to the Dan Armstrong name – which they desperately wanted to use. “It just wouldn’t be a Dan Armstrong clear guitar without Dan’s name on it.” said a former Ampeg employee who finished by adding “but it was such a hot potato that none of us really wanted to approach him about it.”
Enter Kent Armstrong, who was not only Dan’s son but also a well known and highly regarded pickup designer who was approached by representatives of Ampeg and who asked if he would check with his father as to whether or not Dan would be interested in reissuing these instruments. At the same time, they asked Kent if he would consider making the pickups for the instruments as nobody else in the business even wanted to try it.
Kent had their contact information so he told them he would check with Dan, then check his own molding system to see if he could mass produce the pickups for these instruments. Shortly after the NAMM show he contacted Dan about the project. Not surprisingly, Dan wasn’t interested. According to Kent, Dan replied “I don’t do retro……” Kent went on to add “but then changed his mind shortly thereafter.” Why the change of heart, we will never know. Perhaps it was simply a matter of finances, for Dan eventually settled on a flat rate from Ampeg vs. a percentage of every sale. Dan had recently finished up his affairs with Cerwin-Vega® as the Hot Cabs® project had come to an end, so maybe he decided that it was the logical move to make at this point in his life.
After looking over his lab processes Kent figured that he would be able to mass produce the pickups for these instruments. Although the pickups were not going to be cheap, they were not out of reach, and so after contacting Ampeg with news of a ‘green light’ – the project was quickly underway.
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Unlike the original Dan Armstrong · Ampeg instruments which were made in Linden, NJ these instruments were made in Japan by FujiGen-Gakki, which is a musical instrument manufacturer based in Matsumoto which is a city located in Nagano Prefecture of Japan. For those of us living in the US, think of Matsumoto as the city and Nagano Prefecture as the state. It’s location – highlighted in green, can be seen at left on the map of Japan. Fujigen is an OEM for several musical instrument brands in the marketplace with one of the most prominent probably being Ibanez®. According to Wikipedia, FujiGen has 3 factories in the Matsumoto area, the Omachi factory, the Hirooka factory and the main FujiGen factory. |
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Above left, the FujiGen Headquarters in Matsumoto. Notice the name written in what appears to be English on the roof. At right, one of the Fujigen factories, this one in Omachi. Notice the tall stack, perhaps where the wood is dried.
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Above left and right, the 1998 Dan Armstrong reissue guitars and basses. The clear instrument models seen at left are the ADAB-1 and ADAG-1 models. The ADAB being ‘Ampeg Dan Armstrong Bass’ as well as ‘Ampeg Dan Armstrong Guitar’ while the numerical number ‘1’ represents the clear acrylic. At upper right, the ADAG-2 and ADAB-2 with the numerical number ‘2’ representing the smoked acrylic.
These units were produced until 2001 and as mentioned above – offered in both clear and smoked versions. Rumor has it that the smoked versions were added because of the black plastic prototypes that Dan had experimented with many years prior. Although these smoked versions were transparent when compared to the black plastic models it was still a matter of keeping with history that they were included, though these reissue smoke models were made of acrylic, not plastic. However the effect – as well as the historical references, and significance’s are still there. True or not.
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As seen above left & right these instruments were made to Ampeg’s exact specifications, though there were changes that were designed in as improvements over the original design. Many things remained the same however, for example, notice how the clear instrument has a washer placed around the output jack on the scratchplate. Musicians were still stepping on their guitar cords and cracking the scratchplate in and around the input jack.
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One of the biggest changes to the instrument was the bridge. The bridges on the original instruments were simply a piece of rosewood, while later models had a fret across the bridge to enhance the treble.
As seen at left, the reissue instruments also feature a rosewood bridge. However, the bridge has been redesigned to alleviate an age old problem – intonation. The rosewood bridge now features brass insert type saddle pieces to perfect intonation. These brass inserts are preset for the bass instrument, but are adjustable for the guitar model. Strangely, the tailpiece is not sandblasted.
At upper right, and seen from the bottom side, a shallow, round hole is machined into the body where the small pin on the bottom of the bridge resides. At first glance this may seem like a bit of a hinderance, however – it should be remembered that the new bridge utilizes the adjustable brass saddle pieces, and even then, the center of the bridge (where this hole is located) is where the least amount of travel is needed. Usually it’s towards one of the outer ‘E’ strings where the bridge might need to be positioned more forward or back and the center of the bridge will not interfere with this travel.
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As seen upper left & right – another significant change is that the bass models now feature the sweeping scoop, or well in the acrylic body to accomodiate interchangable pickups. Whereas the original models had the pickups screwed down onto the acrylic body, these models employ the banana plugs like the original guitar model does. However, being a bass model, three such plugs are required vs. the two that the guitar models employ. According to Kent Armstrong “additional cost is incurred in the manufacturing of the newer basses as a result of the well in the body but it opens the door to all sorts of possibilities for different sounds.”
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Seen above left and right – the newly designed Dan Armstrong bass pickups were made by Kent Armstrong® who went back, and through the original pickup design for the bass pickup and made an exact model like the one that was used years ago. In addition – and, with the bass now sporting the same exact look and interchangeable pickup design, Kent not only made the original pickup, but also designed and made an additional pickup that could be slide in for a totally different range of sounds. Notice the letters ‘DB’ etched (or scratched) into the bottom of the pickup in the photo at upper right to help one quickly identify it.
Both of these pickups are actually two pickups in one. The first pickup is stacked on top the other which can be seen in the pickup section (under bass pickups). These pickups differ in the number of windings, and a coil tap on one offering many different tonal characteristics. The two pickups that are included are labeled DB (deep bass) and BB (bright bass). Some label the BB as ‘broad bass’ while others ‘balanced bass’ – but Ampeg labels it as ‘bright bass’.
The DB unit produces a vintage Fender® type tone while the BB pickup has a more modern tone that ranges from a very deep, low bottom end reminiscent of a Gibson EB-O® bass to the familiar sound of a Rickenbacker 4001® bass with plenty of high end left over.
In both of these pickups each half of the pickup is split with a capacitor, and like the Dan Armstrong bass models before them, employ an electrical circuit that uses tonal variance caps which allow a blend between the coils (or halves) of the stack. Moving the pot counterclockwise engages only the bass coil, giving the bass a thick low end thump while turning it clockwise brings the high-end coil into the circuit. At the center point on the tone knob both pickups are equally activated, making for a good top/bottom full range sound. As the tone control gets turned up more, the low end begins fade, while the high end gets more prevalent. Turning the control and all the way up results in the most clarity and brightness.
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Seen above, and as mentioned earlier, the pickups on the guitar models were also made by Kent Armstrong, along with his son Aaron Armstrong® who also wound many of them in England. The two pickups included with these guitars are the RT or Rock Treble, and the MD or Modern Drive pickup.
Seen above left, the Rock Treble is a single coil pickup that is identical to the original Bill Lawrence RT design and measures in here at 2.27K while at upper right, and seen from the backside of the pickup, a sticker showing the 2.27K reading (rounded up to 2.3K) along with another sticker label – this one with Kent’s name on it, and the letters RT which serve to help identify the type of pickup that it is.
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As seen upper left, the other pickup included with the guitar is the Modern Drive or MD pickup which is a completely new type of Sustain Treble humbucking pickup similar to the original, but with more modern high gain. Also a different look. Notice how the MD pickup has 2 full length bar type pole pieces vs. the 12 squares of the original Sustain Treble pickups which can be seen at upper right. Both the RT and the MD pickups utilize ceramic magnets.
Apart from the redesign of the humbucker, Kent Armstrong improved all of the pickups (including the bass pickups) by internally shielding not only the individual coils, but even the magnets (neither was shielded in the original design). Also, an improved epoxy is now used that will not flake or peel. The original rubbery type epoxy on the originals had a tendency to break down with age. The epoxy used on these pickups is much harder, feeling almost more like plastic. Although only two pickups come with the reissue Dan Armstrong instruments, Kent can manufacture any original type pickup desired, as well as do a custom order pickup making whatever the client wants. Kent went on to say “compared to other units there’s so much room with these pickups I can fit virtually anything in there.“
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At upper left, another improvement. The formica type scratchplate is a bit thicker, making it and less prone to breaking. Also, and as seen just to the right of the tailpiece and highlighted in yellow – the reissue scratchplates (and bodies) accommodate an eighth screw to help secure the scratchplate down more securely.
At upper right, not only are the Kent Armstrong pickups shielded, so is the scratchplate. As can be seen on this 1999 bass guitar, the backside of the scratchplate has a thin aluminum sheet that covers the entire scratchplate which helps reduce hum and noise, especially over the control cavity where much of it is normally picked up.
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As seen upper left, the maple necks attach to the acrylic body as per the originals – with nicely dressed ½” bolts, nuts and washers. Unfortunately, the neck and fingerboard are no longer made of quarter-sawn wood. The neck is now made of 3 piece laminated maple. Though no longer quarter-sawn – laminated maple does help resist warping and twisting of the neck however. The fingerboard, like so many guitars these days does not feature Brazilian rosewood but rather Indian. The necks feature a slimmer profile – somewhat like the 1971 Dan Armstrong instruments though literature of the time stated that the thickness is the same at the 24th fret as the first fret which would seem to make it a bit bigger, and a bit more like the 1969 profile – only thinner – for my 1971 model neck does not maintain near the same thickness throughout.
As seen upper right, the serial numbers are different, as are their location on the neck. No longer stamped into the tongue of the maple neck, the numbers are located on the very back of the neck in the area just above where the neck disappears into the acrylic body. These numbers are inked in with a longer numbering convention which gives the year, month and production number of the particular instrument. The first two numbers indicate the year, the next two the month in that year, and the following indicate the actual production number. In this particular case, the 98 tells us that this Dan Armstrong is a 1998 model. The next two numbers – 05 tells us that it was made in the month of May, and the following numbers indicated that it is the 34th that was produced. Lastly, Made In Japan is seen inked in over the serial number.
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At upper left, the 1998 headstock features Schaller® type tuners like the original 1969 models. The screws used to secure down the truss rod cover have smaller heads on them than the original models, but are still the usual Phillip type heads. At upper right, and seen from the back side, the 3 piece laminated neck and headstock is easily vi sable.
With original Dan Armstrong instrument prices skyrocketing, these reissues were a welcome sight and a viable alternative to anyone wishing to own one and not be afraid to take it out for booking engagements as the originals had by this time become collectors items.
Shortly after introducing the reissue Dan Armstrong acrylic guitars and basses Ampeg had other ideas that they wanted to explore. Since they owned the rights to the Dan Armstrong instrument (just not the name), it was decided to market a line of instruments modelled after the Dan Armstrong · Ampeg acrylic models but instead these were going to be all wood models. These instruments came to be known as the Ampeg AMG1 guitar, and the AMB1 bass.
Like the reissue Dan Armstrong acrylic models, these all wooden instruments were also made in Japan and incorporated the Dan Armstrong headstock, neck-joint, body & scratchplate shapes along with volume, tone, switch and output jack placements all following the Dan Armstrong design.
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Above left and right, both the guitar and bass models. Production models for the guitar are made of solid mahogany with a figured maple top. There are a few prototype guitars that are made of basswood instead of mahogany but by production time it was decided to just use mahogany. Interestingly though, the bass bodies are basswood with a maple top and remained that way. These instruments sported both transparent colors as well as solid colors and as seen above the sunburst finish, as well as other transparent colors let the elegance of the maple top show through.
The guitar model has a 22 fret fingerboard allowing space for an additional pickup over the original Dan Armstrong acrylic model. As such, the guitar models employ two Seymour Duncan® SP90-1® pickups which are advertized as a faithful recreation of the 1946 Gibson® single-coil ‘soapbar’ pickup. The bass model features 24 frets like the acrylic bass and employs a Seymour Duncan SMB-4D® pickup as well as a mini switch for the usual series/parallel pickup coil switching.
The body is a little thicker than the Dan Armstrong acrylic model, no doubt to help accommodate not only sustain but also for the presence, and thickness of a neck pickup. The volume & tone controls are exactly where anyone that ever played an acrylic guitar would expect to find them, as is a Les Paul® type 3-way selector switch (only it works sideways). The output jack is located directly underneath the switch – again like the acrylic models. The black scratchplate matches the black headstock veneer and truss rod cover and has the Ampeg name across the bottom of it, while the headstock featured the Ampeg ‘a’ emblem.
The combination bridge/tailpiece is made by Wilkinson® and is styled after the Gibson® ‘wrap-around’ design, however this unit features adjustable ‘G’ & ‘B’ string slots so you can tweak the intonation on these two key strings. Bass models feature a Gotoh® large mass bridge which allows for precise intonation and offers one the ability to mount the strings through the rear of the bridge or through the body, which many players feel increases both sustain and string tension. The strap pegs, Gotoh-Grover® style tuners and vintage style knobs trim out the rest of the instrument which also adds the recognizable, circular Ampeg ‘a’ on the headstock.
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At upper left, an unusual AMG1 guitar that sports single blade type pickups that are a cross between a Dan Armstrong type pickup and a basic humbucking pickup in that it features pickup height adjustment screws on the sides. Notice how the rear pickup has a creme pickup ring around it. Also notice the metal scratchplate, as well as the lack of an output jack on the scratchplate. This guitar features the output jack located on the sides, like a Les Paul® guitar. Last, but not least, notice the Gotoh type bridge/tailpiece that closely resembles the units on the bass models.
As seen upper right, and like the bass models, this bridge/tailpiece also features alternate ways to string up the instrument. As shown here, the ‘string thru’ type is seen. Notice the bevels on the guitar body and how even they correspond to the Dan Armstrong acrylic model guitars.
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Upper left, the headstock of the AMG1 guitar showing the Grover type looking tuners, and the Ampeg ‘a’ emblem which is unusual in that it is placed on a black colored truss rod cover whereas most are located on the headstock itself and not on the cover.
At upper right, the neck set can be seen in greater detail. Four screws through a metal plate and into the maple neck hold the neck to the body in the typical Fender® type fashion. The plate again carries the Ampeg ‘a’ emblem as well as the Ampeg name. What appears to be a thin sheet of black plastic resides between the finish of the guitar body and the plate itself, no doubt to help protect the finish. The neck itself is 3-piece laminated maple and the serial number is placed exactly like on the reissue acrylic model guitars, using the same numbering convention making this instrument a 2000 model, made in November of that year, and the 23rd model produced. Lastly, and again ‘Made in Japan’ is inked on above the serial number.
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At upper left, a Dan Armstrong acrylic bass stands alongside an Ampeg AMB1 bass guitar. Notice the addition of a washer on the output jack of the clear model. At upper right, one for the ladies perhaps? A pink speckle model with a white scratchplate and black pickup somewhat gives this instrument the look of a Musicman® bass.
Ampeg would continue to make the AMG1 guitar and the AMB1 bass instruments over the next few years. Although they had a few twists of their own compared to their acrylic brethren, they are nevertheless a good quality, affordable alternative for anyone wishing a basic workhorse type instrument that successfully combines form and function – and, depending on the finish, the beautiful look of figured maple tops, with decent sound & playability.
On March 7th, 2005 Loud Technologies Inc.® acquired St. Louis Music®, complete with all it’s products and franchise names – including Ampeg and they put all of these franchises under one tent, called the MI (musical instrument) group.
Many people at Loud Tech Inc. were fans of the Dan Armstrong acrylic instruments, and not surprisingly, in fairly short order it was decided that they would once again, market the Dan Armstrong clear acrylic guitar. Again they had the rights to the instrument, but wanted to use the Dan Armstrong name. At the same time they would also need someone to manufacture the pickups for these instruments. This time they only had to see one man – Kent Armstrong® who also has everything under one tent – as he and his siblings now own the Dan Armstrong name, and he was again the only renowned pickup maker that even wanted to touch these pickups. Furthermore, being he made the pickups for the 1998-2001 reissue models meant he had the experience. He was the logical choice.
Kent went on to say “I work with them [Ampeg] alot on many things, so it was not something unexpected to have them call me. This time they just made their proposal to me for the use of the name, as well as making the pickups. After hearing everything it all sounded pretty good, so I just said sure!”
From January 19th through the 22nd 2006 at the NAMM Convention in Anaheim, CA in Hall B, booth # 5776 the ADA6 guitar made it’s debut. Like the reissue acrylic instruments before them, these new models were also made in Japan by Fujigen® but unlike the earlier reissue line, only the guitar model was shown. Inside sources at Ampeg stated “we wanted to see how well the guitar model went over before we went ahead with the bass.“
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Above left and right, a 2006 Dan Armstrong guitar as seen from the front and back and sharp observers may have already noticed a few things different from the 1998-2001 reissue models.
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One of the things different about this guitar can be seen above left and right. The MD pickup retains the same look of the 1998 MD pickup model with one important exception. The pickup now features 3 banana plug receptacles on it instead of two. Kent goes on to explain “There were a couple of good reasons for adding the third, middle receptacle. First off, if desired, it can be slid right into the bass guitar and work – giving the bass even more sounds. Secondly, if one wants to add a third banana plug to their guitar and do some custom rewiring they can have coil tapping capabilities. If the player chooses not to do anything at all and just plug it into the guitar as it is, no problem because as it is – it’s still the MD pickup. But by making some changes and using the middle banana plug gives players more options should they want them.“
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Above left, notice how the MD pickup’s center connector is not connected, and therefore not in the guitar circuitry meaning this pickup will sound in the usual way. Only by adding a middle plug to the guitar and doing custom wiring will change it. Even then, the stock sound would be available as one of the switchable options.
Above right, another angle of the MD pickup showing the three banana plugs on the pickup. Notice the ‘MADE IN JAPAN’ label on the tongue of the neck shinning through the acrylic body.
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As seen above left & right – the Rock Treble pickup is created in the same fashion as the original. Being a single coil pickup, there are no options for a third banana plug. Notice the plastic layer over the pickup which seems a nice touch and especially helpful in music showrooms where people pick up a guitar and try it out. The layer can somewhat help protect the pickup from dust and minor pick scratches so that the eventual owner still gets new pickups.
According to Kent the 2006 pickups, unlike the originals, as well as the 1998-2001 pickups – are now using a molded plastic cover which are made in the UK and are more durable for the top of the pickup than just using the epoxy alone. The pickups are still filled with epoxy however, and in fact, the pickups now utilize a bobbinless incarnation where the wire coil is cooked in hot wax for several hours, then suspended inside the the pickup, and finally surrounded by epoxy. In this way, even the coil itself is cradeled in the epoxy for maximum isolation from jarring, or feedback.
The stock pickups are now made in Korea at one of Kents businesses called Dong-Ho Electronics where Kent is a partner with Mr. ShiKag Yu. For custom orders or rewinds, Kent does them himself at his business in Vermont where he can make virtually any kind of pickup, even one made to your own specifications – and make it slide into a Dan Armstrong guitar or bass.
From 1969 to the present day nearly every rock musician has at one time played on, or at least slung on a Dan Armstrong · Ampeg instrument. Some tried it just because it was… well…. cool! Others thought it was rather nostalgic, and lastly, there were those who fell in love with them and used them exclusively. These pages are dedicated to all of these stars and users regardless of their reasons. They are listed here, in no particular order.
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What better place to begin than with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones® who was largely responsible for the popularity of the Dan Armstrong · Ampeg guitars. However, and as seen upper left, it appears that this guitar has a prototype pickup in it. These photos are dated approx. around 1970.
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Another photo from that same time. At upper left, notice the extra Dan Armstrong · Ampeg guitar on the chair with a capo on the neck – no doubt it is tuned quite differently. At upper right, it now appears that he is playing it, notice the capo. Speaking of tuning – back at upper left, it looks like that is exactly what he is doing. Tuning it up.
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At upper left and right – more photos from that time period. Notice the capo on the guitar he is playing while the guitar without a capo can now be seen in the chair.
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At upper left, a closer look at that pickup of his. Any ideas anyone? At upper right, Keith shows his clear guitar to the guitar man himself, Jimi Hendrix. A video of it can be seen here. Unfortunately, this instrument got stolen from Keith many years ago.
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Upper left, Keith tears into a lead sole while at upper right, the Dan Armstrong · Ampeg guitar made the cover of one of the Rolling Stones albums.
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Fast forward several decades and in 2007 Keith had once again taken the stage with a Dan Armstrong · Ampeg clear guitar. At upper right, this one is a reissue model which can be better seen in the enlarged view where the 8th scratchplate screw can be seen along with a newer Kent Armstrong pickup.
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Bill Wyman played a Dan Armstrong · Ampeg bass. Here in these 1969-1970 photos, and seen better in the enlarged view, you might notice that he has moved the location of the strap peg down to the lower horn.
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By the mid to late 1970’s Bill had migrated from the heavier acrylic bass to the Dan Armstrong ‘London’ series bass. Here he can be seen playing a 342 short scale bass. Notice the newer type body styling – though with the words ‘London’ still on the headstock. Here again he has moved the location of the strap peg down to the lower horn.
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Black and white images taken at the same booking as above. Notice the Ampeg amps behind him. Here one can easily see the strap pegs in the lower horn.
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One can only guess what those devices are on the Ampeg head behind him but the antenna would seem to suggest some form of early wireless unit.
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Back in 1969 or 1970. Seen better in enlarged view, notice that the lower horn has the strap peg. Apparently for this engagement Keith swapped out his Dan Armstrong · Ampeg guitar for a Gibson Les Paul.®
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Source: http://www.danarmstrong.org
Guitar Museum 
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