I saw in an interview that Jesse Keeler of Death from Above 1979 is always looking for these. Not sure how you'd get in touch but if it's really good condition, he might be interested.
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Ampeg Dan Armstrong Plexi bass
- Thread starter jazzboi
- Start date
I saw in an interview that Jesse Keeler of Death from Above 1979 is always looking for these. Not sure how you'd get in touch but if it's really good condition, he might be interested.
Sorry for reviving a dead thread here, but I've come across one for sale recently and they say it's a full 34"..
I see here that everyone says it's a 30", but the pictures really makes it look like a 34" and the seller says 34. I also found a review stating it's 34".
Were there different models?
SOLD Ampeg Dan Armstrong Plexiglass Fretless Bass, 1969
I see here that everyone says it's a 30", but the pictures really makes it look like a 34" and the seller says 34. I also found a review stating it's 34".
Were there different models?
SOLD Ampeg Dan Armstrong Plexiglass Fretless Bass, 1969
Actually, the Danos were 32" scale. AFAIK, all of them were, but i suppose anything is possible…
Now I'm definitely confused... Messaged some reverb seller, and one replied 30". Some reviews say 34". This thread says 3/4 size AND 30". Another thread I found lists a chinese copy as being 32".. What a mess! DOESN'T ANYBODY HAVE A GOD DAMNED MEASURING TAPE ANYMORE?!
I had a Dan Armstrong original plexy bass on loan for a few years back in the 80's. They were something like $1,200 on the used market back then.
They were 32" scale, a little heavy, but balanced OK.
The bridge wasn't very adjustable but mine was good.
They had interchangeable pups that slid in an out. I don't remember which one mine had but it sounded good.
I realized early on that I was bringing it to shows for the look and not because of the superior tone or playability.
They were 32" scale, a little heavy, but balanced OK.
The bridge wasn't very adjustable but mine was good.
They had interchangeable pups that slid in an out. I don't remember which one mine had but it sounded good.
I realized early on that I was bringing it to shows for the look and not because of the superior tone or playability.
How sure are you that it was 32"? There must be different models then..
Awesome! Yeah the "plug and play" of the pups is kinda wild. On the re-issues theres a bit of a slope on the side, to easier slide it in and out. It's a pretty neat concept IMO. It's very rare to see one with both the pickups, allthough I THINK they all came with one extra in the case.. Atleast the re-issues. Hehe, it's a nice concept even today, a "modular" bass. Seeing as the pickups and rest of the electronics are pretty much the only thing the average person cant swap on their own..
Also, are you completely sure of the scale?
My mistake. They appear to have been 30" or some call it 30.5".
No wonder why I didn't keep it! These might be helpful for you:
The Story of the Beloved, Delightfully Bizarre 1969 Ampeg Dan Armstrong
Ampeg Dan Armstrong 1970 Lucite Bass For Sale Guitars West
If you're looking at a lucite bass make sure it is a true Ampeg Dan Armstrong and not a Chinese knock-off. The knock-offs have a different scale length (30.5" for the original and 32" for the Chinese made versions).
There are several other very obvious differences between the two basses. If you do a bit of research to familiarize yourself with each you'll be able to ascertain which is an authentic Dan Armstrong bass and which are copies.
There are several other very obvious differences between the two basses. If you do a bit of research to familiarize yourself with each you'll be able to ascertain which is an authentic Dan Armstrong bass and which are copies.
I've done quite a bit today
Yeah I saw a post here on TB on the chinese one. TBH the extra scale appeals to the player in me, I could always fix the sprout, trim the neck to fix string height, etc.. But I hate counterfeits with a passion! The only acceptable ones are the vintage japanese ones that didnt counterfit the names, just used the shape and at the same time also made high quality versions.. The original appeals to the collector in me, but it won't get much playtime with a 30" scale... I hope maybe Eastwood will do a run of them in the future. It's the kind of stuff they do. For now I'll be content eyeballing em
I owned one, sold it off in the great recession. I still have the secret sauce for the 1960's pickguard material.
Note: The reissue pickguard holes don't match up with a 60's pickguard.
Note: The reissue pickguard holes don't match up with a 60's pickguard.
I had an Armstrong/Ampeg plexi guitar that a good friend (he was my best man) borrowed for a gig. I was doing sound for them as a freebie and after the second break he went back on stage and did what everyone in the band hoped he wouldn't do...nobody in the crowd noticed. The band and I all laughed heartily. He played a couple of songs like that before he turned away from the crowd and made things proper. After the show I told him he had defiled my guitar, to keep it and he owed me his Telecaster. He paid up.
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I played one of these at rehearsal recently. It was one of the newer (2000's?) reissues. The short-scale threw me off, but it played well enough. It sounded ok, but I'm sure with the right strings/amp it could be great. Cool instruments.
