Ampeg ADAB1 Dan Armstrong Bass

1970 Dan Armstrong 4 string bass. Clear acrylic body, Maple neck, Rosewood fingerboard, 30 1/2 scale, 24 frets. Vol Tone- deep switch.

I bought this bass used in 1982. I bought it because Geezer had one on the inside pages of my Black Sabbath Vol. 4 album. It was well worn in and the stock bridge was terrible. I took it to Foster's music in New Orleans and had a Schaller bridge installed and the neck shimmed. This let the bass play intune. I have used it through Orange, Marshall, Sound City and Peavey amps. It sounds great and is very easy to play. The one drawback is it's weight.

Action from Fosters is great. The bass is built like a tank. Solid Solid Solid.

I know you can clock a drunk in the head with this sucker and not worry about damaging the acrylic. It does show scratches. The reccomended polish is Toothpaste. One strap button stripped out from the previsous owner. You can depend on this bass for gigs and to get out of tight spot.

Dan passed away so I guess customer support did too. His son makes pick-ups but doesn't list these as ones he rewinds.

I have been playing for 33 years. Owned bus loads of stuff. I have kept this bass and will take it to the grave. I have had this bass through a whole bunch of crap and will not sell it. The schaller bridge made it useful. Fosters does excellent work. In fact better than anyone period. If it were stolen I would hunt the b-st-rd down and take it back with force. Nuff said.

What a great disappointment this 1998 version is. A few years ago I purchased a 1999 model, and I figured from the shoddiness of construction, that I had simply been unlucky and bought a lemon off the assembly line. I was sadly mistaken, having decided to give the Dan Armstrong bass another chance, and finding the very same shoddy construction on my current 1998 model, a N.O.S. bass puchased through an Internet auction (I am the first owner). Since Ampeg had the gall and nerve to suggest a MSRP of $1499.00 when they introduced this reissue in 1998, from THAT price I will critique their product. The 'No Name' tuners are best suited for a bass in the $125.00 to $200.00 range, and the switchable pickup system is a useless time-wasting gimmick. The only ways to adjust string height is to either shim the neck or shave the bridge down. This bass should have retailed for around $400.00 to $600.00 range...similar to Dillion or Ibanez brands. Concerning the case: the outside is built like a steel vault, Very professionally constructed, but the inside is a whole other matter. The cut-away for the body to rest in is only about half the thickness of the bass, and it is cut larger than the body; so, the bass does Not fit snug and moves around when the case is closed. Also, there is NO padding or cushioning on the inside top of the case, to help hold the bass down when the case is closed, not to mention that the case is about 6 inches longer than the bass itself....all this leading to the bass rattling around inside the closed case.

It sustains forever!! I use only the DB (dark bass) pickup, since the other one - BB (bright bass) - is quite useless. I can adjust my amp's tone / eq settings and achieve the SAME sounds from the ONE pickup, so why bother switching? Pickup-switching was just a silly gimmick that caught on with almost NO OTHER manufacturer...I guess, like so many bass players, they saw the uselessness of the system and decided not to partake. Also, due to the design, pickup height cannot be adjusted...so, if one or more strings are louder or softer then the others, or if you prefer the pickup closer or further away from the strings, you're out of luck and stuck with whatever volume the pickup projects.

Like the 1999 model I owned, the fret job on this 1998 model is absolutely Horrible...several frets are unlevel, sloppily filed, and almost every fret tang protrudes past the fretboard (on BOTH sides), scraping and cutting into my thumb and fingers. No Way is this crappy workmanship worthy of a $1499.00 price tag. I'd expect this lack of quality on a Jay Turser, or Galveston instrument. As I mentioned before, adjusting string height is a hassle...either the neck must be shimmed or the wooden bridge saddle must be shaved down. The 'wooden' bridge, with its almost complete lack of intonation ability (you can move it back and forth about 1/4 inch), is another lousy gimmick that should have remained on the drawing room floor.

Regardless of its misgivings, the bass IS built very well, structurally. I would trust it on stage, with no backup.

I have had no contact with the Ampeg Company, nor have I delt with anyone who has, so I will not comment in this section.

With its clear acrylic body, this is the Ultimate stage bass. But no way is it professional enough for studio work...the craftmanship just isn't there. Thank goodness I didn't waste $1499.00 on this thing....I'd say $450.00 to $600.00 is far closer to its quality range, since it possesses all the typical cheapness and shortcomings of most Japanese imports (It was "Made In Japan").

Besides the fact that it looks awesome and is one heck of a conversation starter it really plays like butta. I have no use for the bright bass pickup but it works fine. Just my taste for tone I guess. The deep bass rocks tho!! I'm more of a vintage tone guy and this has that and more! I am honestly flabbergasted at the thought that more guitar/bass manufacturers aren't making instruments with this pickup swapping system. I dig the role reversal "wood" pick guard. Kinda funny. I have no idea why a bass in this price range (or any for that matter) would have a wodden bridge! Don't get me wrong, with the proper setup this thing plays and sounds wonderful but jeez...why wood. I "updated" the knobs to some cheap funky looking radio shack brown plastic with silver top knobs and they fit the bill pretty good. I'e heard reviewers of this and other guitars gripe about small strap buttons being an issue. In my opinion every guitar should have straplocks of some type on them anyway. You don't put strap locks on and you're asking for a broken toe and/or a dinger. I've got no beef with the tuners.

I'm a fingerstyle rocker for the most part. I've been toying around with slappng but I'm just learning so I can't base the review on that. My bass instructor is a slap master tho and I've seen him just really go into overdrive on this thang. Don't you hate it when someone else makes your gear sound better than you do?!? This thing is solid. I run it through a couple of Ampegs sepending on where I'm at. I have a B2 running at 450 through a 4ohm 4x10 Avatar and some Ampeg combo at Church on Sundays and Wednesdays but quite honestly I mostly run it through an old Fender Rad bass in my livingroom. heh heh Sounds like a champ off'n them hardwood floors! I actually have quit using it at Church recently because it hums. Go figure. I thought it was their system what with running through direct boxes, P.A. and all but the other day I noticed it out of the Fender as well. Luckily I've got my trusty Fender Bullit backup. Still it's like leaving the caddy in the garage 'cause it knocks a bit. I don't know what I'm gonna do about that. I guess I'll try a noise gate or something before actually getting into the electronics of the thing. Still it sounds incredible!

I bought this used from someone on ebay so I can't say about the setup from the factory. Get a good setup guy to give 'er the once over and you should be set for a while. My guy did add a shim under the heel of the neck to get it into alignment but other than that she's gold. Pickups are the blade style so there are no adjustment screws or anything for them. Far as I can tell everything (after setup) was as it should be. Frets were fine and everything works dandy.

This bass is awesome in any setting and it's built like a tank. Weighs a ton but you know what they say about weight and tone...they usually go hand in hand. Get a thick padded strap and yer good. Again...get strap locks on anything you play. I'm a play them until their dead string guy so I don't know about intonation after a string change but it seems to be holding up to regular abuse quite well in that area. I feel very confident about this bass and wouldn't bring a backup.

Never dealt with them.

I've been playing bass for 6 years or so but taking it seriously for about a year and a half. I also own the 80's Fender Bullit that is also built like a tank I wouldn't buy a "cheap" Fender these days but back then they wre still made with quality in mind. I was actually in a music shop... WWW.Elderly.com in Lansing checking on an Allen Woody bass. They were so new thay hadn't even been brought to the floor yet so While the guy uncrated one down in the basement I waited. I noticed a fretless Ampeg hangin there so I picked it up and I was impressed!!! I wasn't in the market to spend that kind of money on a Fretless not knowing if I'd even care for that aspect. I went home and eventually found mine on ebay. I had to quick sell off my Les Paul Custom ,so sad, to pay for this bass I'd just purchased. I do not regret it one bit. I'd deffinately check into getting another if it were lost or stolen. Like I said I don't care for the bright bass pickup and the "Phase" switch is fun to play with but useless in my cicumstance. Just that deep bass pickup and tone/volume is all I use and it's still the best bass I've ever owned. I fear the day that I might have to find a replacement pickup. Customizablity(?) is low but who needs it. I'm not a fan of minimally adjustable wooden (or otherwise) bridges but set up right this thing plays like a dream and stays true. I'd like to find a five string as I'm ready to make that step but I'm not aware of any. Nine for the bridge. I do love walking around with a case that says Ampeg on it tho. That's gotta raise some musical eyebrows.

Reissue, made in 1999 in Japan bought it in 2003. So it has been lying around somewhere. I saw a Dan Armstrong for the first time on a visit to NY and was surprised to encounter it again on a random visit to this shop (looking for a Jazz bass). I still have the impression they have made a mistake with the price. Materials: see other reviews. Maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, thin frets. Easy acces 24 frets. Great design from over 20 years ago. Passive but very loud electronics. Take some time to adjust your amp (mine is a G&K and needs quite a bit of the parametric equaliser knob on the right). Shortscale, you'll have to get used to the neck since it is not as narrow as modern basses, it is not thick. A switch probably for parallel, serial switching of the pick-up.

The bright pick up sounds pretty much like a preci, the Dark Bass elelement sounds....darker. Works well in rock, punk, played in a brass band. It takes some time to adjust an amp when it's not your own, because it has different characteristics then the standard basses (Preci, Jazz whatever brand)

Great set-up from St-Louis Music (they even give you the name of the guy that did it). Haven't changed a lot. I changed strings to D'Addario nickel wound, did have to change the intonation a bit, but this worked out well (didn't expect because of that thing they call a bridge). The biggest problem is that you will have to check intonation every time you change strings, because of the bridge.

Tuners are not very good, they are a bit small so you do need shortscale strings (instead of cuttting normal size strings), otherwise the E string doesn't fit well. Why didn't they change the bridge entirely instead of only putting these brass sadles on top of the rosewood bridge? The wood model based on the Armstrong has a nice bridge.

I think it will last, I dropped it once very hard and not a scratch on it. I wonder if the contact for the interchangeable pick-ups lasts. Although I only use the bright pick-up. The strap buttons are a bit small, but Grolsch beer rubbers (Dutch readers know what I mean)do the trick.

5 years waranty but never needed them. You can register the product on the AMPEG website. So the 8 is not based on experience.

I have been playing for 18 years. The other bass I own is a Gibson EB-3, so that's also shortscale. I guess I am lazy because my hands are reasonably sized. My EB-3 also was a cheap, extremly good sounding bass, that's why I bought it when my Warwick Fortress One got stolen. Output of my current basses is much better then the passive warwick I had. Unlike others I have no problems slapping these basses. Although I don't slap a lot anymore, playing three finger slap chords is easier on a short scale bass (4 tone slap chords are silly because they sound bad). I also own an EKO BA4 acoustic fretless bass, but that's something completely different (extremely long scale!). I was tempted to sell it in a complicated switch involving a Neuser bass and an American Fender 5 string Jazz Bass. After changing my strings to short scales I am glad the switch got cancelled. I agree that tuning lower then E doesn't work out right, perhaps thicker strings do the job. Well I don't play lower then E anyway, D's and B's can also be played elsewhere. An occasional drop to D works but tension gets quite low when you use a standard (.105?) E-string

Reissue Model, used, made in Japan (new cost about 1800?). 4 String Smoke Plexi-Glas model; passive. 1 vol. knob, 1 tone select.
2 Pick Ups, switchable in less than 1 minute.

Not much features, but who has a need?
Only wish that it was active, although its loud for a passive Bass.

I play mostly hard rock - and it has a great tone for it with one of the two pick ups, lot of mids and a wonderful growl!! think it would compare more to an Preci than to anything else. Love it!
(i know a preci is a preci...)

Second PU has a less significant sound, sounds also fine, but i don't use it, so i can't tell you much about it.

Use it with a SWR Silverado special - Sounds perfect for me.

If you want to slap, forget it, theres no way, but i got a second bass for that style so i don't care.
(Don't give a ten because can't give the highest grade.)

Everythings just right.

It's definitly one of the best looking basses ever created, that smoke glas is really cool.
But the scratch plate looks kinda cheap (maybe cause its now more than 7 years old) and the volume knobs lost a bit of color, i'll replace them.
Broke One screw, when it replaced the plate.
(######## !?""!%6?"%!?!!"?)
But its really solid, neck and body will last... until?

Never dealt.

I play now for hm, four years, but i know this bass won't leave me, not for it's sound nor the great look.
If stolen or lost i would crie and crie and crie, i don't think i could get this one with it's perfect condition again...
Love the Switchable PickUps, really cool idea it's just so easy - don't know why other basses don't have this too.?
Wish it was a longscale (and that i wouldn't have broke down this f###### screw), but i also wish freedom and peace would come to this world ;)

If you can get one of these beautiful basses (in good condition for a fair price), buy it and keep it!

Reissue Model. Two different pickups, easy to switch. One sounds more fuky, the other is pure Rock-Tone. Shortscale passive bass. One Switch to switch between the two inner pickups, cheap plastic knobs.
Thin neck.
I give a 7 because of the cheap knobs for volume and pickup, and if you switch, theres a big defference between the volume levels. On full volume output, sound gets worse.

ROCK, HARD ROCK. it is the perfect bass for my tiny fingers *g*. Very fast neck, great Rock-Sound, really great.
I use a SWR Silverado 350W Special Combo and a multifx pedal. You really get a fat or punchy or dirty distortion out of this baby!

You can do a lot of varieties in the sound (with the second pickup even more, but i don't use it...), but the volume-difference sucks, so its a nine.

The beautiful baby looks good, i believe it lasts forever *g* - as it is:
the screw of the pickup is a bit damaged, it doesn't really fit, so i rarely change the pu. One string seems to be palm muted by the bridge, but no one who doesn't play the bass every day will ever hear it.

Often used live. I play HardRock, anything else to say?

oh, yes the strap buttons are small, you need a good belt.

bought it used...

I own this bass for three months now, great baby.
Won't give the bass away if i find even a better sound. Would be the most perfect bass for me if: it would be a longscale (although i have short fingers) and knobs and pickups would be better quality.

Bought one on ebay about a month mostly for looks and reputation.

It's a 1998 re-issue smoke body see trough lucite with 24 frets and the two standard bright bass and rock bass pickups.
These pickups are stacked and the tone knob controls the balance between the two.
You can use one pickup at a time slide the one out and slide in the other.

I use an Ampeg svt pro3 with a 4x10 and a 1x15 cabinet and it keeps on amazing me.

I use the rock bass pickup the most, you can go from a fat envelope like bootsy P-funk sound to distorted deep deep metal bass. The bright bass is also very impressive in the highs but not as loud.

I have several active basses but this one blows all off them away!
What a sound.

Sustain goes on for eons.

Use this bass in the studio and you can get any sound you want.
On stage? Fasten your seat belts!!

The bridge is still a weird contraption they've improved it on the re-issues but still. It's a piece of wood four brass rolers in smaal routed out cavities. Never take all the strings off at the same time, the strings keep the bridge in place.
I still have to have it set up properly, but it almost plays like a normal guitar as it is.

It's buit like a house but if you want one be prepared for some bridge and intonation hassle, or replace the bridge for a proper one.

I've been playing for twenty years now and I'd buy another one any day. Im already looking for a fretless one or a bargain to de-fret.

This was a recent buy,I owned a 70's model. This one blows it away. Super action, un-real sustain, Has two pick-up's ,one deep bass, one bright bass, each are two pick-up's in one with the tone control balancing between the two pick-up's and the pick-up switch that engages capacitors of different values into the circuit fot more variations.!! IT Will ROCK YOUR WORLD !! I have a P-BASS with EMG pick-up's that won't even touch it as far TONE,PUNCH and CLARITY and also sheer VOLUME !!!!! I've been playing for 30yrs owned alot of great basses,BUT this one takes the CAKE !!!!!!!!!

Ampeg is still ST. LOUIS MUSIC's main product!!!