Ampeg Dan Armstrong Guitar

Ampged ADAG2 1999 re-issue. Smoke lucite finish.

It sounds incredible...the Modern Drive humbucker is fat as hell. I play it through a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier and the crunch is scrumptious! Don't really use the RT single coil, but that is also a great pickup. This guitar seems a little noisy, but a Boss NF 1 solves that instantly especially on high gain settings.

This guitar is not about variety..it's about rocking. There is no neck pickup...you will only be able to make rocking music with this guitar. The rock sound on this guitar is fabulous.

These guitars are setup badly and have major design flaws, despite their unbeatable sound.

First of all BEWARE...unless you get the 2006 re-issue, the originals and 1999 re-issues HAVE A VERY WHIPPY NECK. The neck is unstable and moves. This is what Ampeg product support told me:

Here's the story. The neck joint on the 1999 reissue is exactly the
same as the original, and we recognize that there is instability in the
design. The new 2006 reissues have an improved neck joint. The
original and 1999 version use large carriage bolts under the pick guard
that requires the removal of massive amounts of wood from the tongue of
the neck to accommodate the rather large bolts. The current model uses
much smaller T-nuts in the tongue of the neck which allow more
wood/mass
to remain. The neck is then bolted on from the back, like a typical
bolt-on design. We think that this results in a much more stable neck
joint.

I'd recommend that the customer fill the holes with maple, then install
T-nuts and bolt the neck from the outside. This will likely require a
good tech.

Action is however you like to have your action when you get your guitar setup. A low action is good on this guitar, because as you get past the 12th fret, the action seems to get noticeably higher.

The compensated wooden bridge has average intonation after a professional setup, and it needs a better bridge. The G string rings sharp if you strum it too hard, and that is with 10-52 string gauge!

It's highly dependable in terms of sound. The fact that it's made of plexiglass means that it's quite fragile, but straplocks will prevent you from dropping it.

These guitars badly need to be professionally modified and strengthened at the neck joint, because the neck is too long for the body.

I've tried the 2006 re-issue and the neck does feel more solid, but it still needs to be improved, with an adjustable wooden bridge.

Ampeg were helpful.

Been playing for years..I love this guitar because it's got real character and crunch. It feels great and all it needs is some work done to the neck joint. It sounds awesome, but the sound is ultimately a result of how you play and what amp you use. It has quite a hard, raw midrange sound due to it's plexiglass body, so play it through a good valve amp. Ultimately, what counts is the music you make...

In keeping with the original design, the2006 ADAG Dan Armstrong Re-Issue sports a Lucite body with formica pickguard and headstock veneer. A 24 fret rosewood board on a three piece laminated hard maple neck with 24 frets which sit clear of the body. Single interchangeable pickup of which two are supplied. Single volume and tone controls, three way switch, and input jack all sit neatly on a removable formica pickguard . Three way switch giving normal tone rolloff, tone control bypass and an exaggerated roll off intended to simulate a ???half-cocked??? wah pedal. Two strap buttons on the bottom of the guitar allow it to be securely leaned against a wall or amplifier. Dan electro style flat tailpiece with string anchors cut at rear. Rosewood bridge which incorporates a newly upgraded design which allows for compensation via small brass inserts. The guitar comes with chrome Grover tuners and a beautiful hardshell case covered in the distinctive blue checked Ampeg tolex. For those that care??? the ADAG is manufactured in Japan. Given the latter???s penchant for quality and detail, I for one see this as a plus.

As the physical properties of the instrument suggests, this guitar was meant to be played amplified. That being said , I am always pleasantly surprised at a Dan Armstrong???s acoustic properties. While no where near the resonance of a conventional wood bodied guitar, there is enough resonance coming off the neck to provide a pretty satisfying un amplified experience.

When you plug in a Dan Armstrong it becomes immediately apparent that the man was on to something.

The ADAG comes supplied with two pickups. The Rock Treble which according to Ampeg and Pickup designer Kent Armstrong is an exact replica of the original, ceramic magnet model designed by Bill Lawrence. The second, the Sustained Treble, is a humbucking style pickup. With the RT in place the Dan exhibits a very p-90 like tone. With the switch in the center tone bypassed position, it is bright and aggressive, with a good deal of midrange snarl. AB comparisons with recordings of an original DA are dead on. The tone controls function nicely, and provide a good range of control. These pickups tend to shine when slightly overdriven, however they also provide nice articulate, warm, clean tones , riding that zone between a really fat Tele and a Les Paul Junior. As with any single coil this pickup does produce a fair amount of hum??? but thanks to the shielded pickguard which is now stock on the ADAG this has been minimized.

The Sustained Treble is every bit a modern humbucker, but with a nice complexity that makes it perfect for single note runs as well as power chords.

Here is the beauty of a Dan Armstrong. On those gigs where 60 cycle hum caused a change in guitars??? you can now just swap out your pickup in a minutes time.

The guitar body was a meticulous recreation of the original. Body shape, size and all bevels are exact to the original. Some of the edges appeared a bit sharper when compared, however that may be due to 30 years of wear rather than manufacturing. The three piece maple neck followed the contours of the original in that it is the same thickness from nut to heel. Not quite as chunky as your current Les Paul, but with a good deal of wood to fill your hand. The satin finish along with the, beautifully executed low, wide frets give the guitar a quick and effortless feel. Although the action is fixed as a result of the tailpiece design, my guitar showed very low action with zero fret buzz.

The jury is out on whether or not the three piece neck actually serves the purpose of strengthening the unusually long neck, or is simply a cost saving measure. That being said it remains a Dan Armstrong neck, and has the very special look and feel that you can only get with a Dan Armstrong.

The method of bolting the neck has also changed somewhat in that Ampeg now uses a more conventional method of attaching the neck. On the original , bolts were used under the pick guard which required the removal of a fair amount of wood on the neck tongue. I always questioned the strength of the neck where so much wood was removed. This again is an improvement over the original design.

The guitar is indestructible and should last a lifetime if properly cared for. However I may have some issues with the electronics. The switch on my guitar was destroyed at the time of delivery. The guitar was returned to the vendor, and a second guitar was ordered. That too came in with a damaged switch. This leaves me somewhat suspect of either the quality of the switch, the fit of the guitar in the case, or shipping handlers used. In any event Ampeg quickly sent me out a new switch which was easily installed.

My second issue is with the pickup. After two weeks the RT pickup simply went dead. Apparently some internal break in the ground as evidenced by the fact that if I touched the thumbscrew and the tailpiece at the same time.. the pickup worked. To Ampeg and Kent Armstrong???s credit however.. they have been very helpful and I believe that a new pickup is on its way to me.

As an original Dan Armstrong owner.. I was also a little concerned with use of smaller sized pots and the general appearance of the electronics used. Being accustomed to the military grade electronics used on the original models these seemed cheap in comparison. That being said however, the controls function smoothly, and for all intent and purpose represent quality components that would be used in today???s computerized, and downsized world.

To be honest.. It was a little difficult working through the maze that is LOUD Technologies. However once I found and ear??? and an e-mail address my concerns were handled happily and very quickly. I am a happy consumer.

Again, Having owned many original Dan Armstrong guitars I was extremely skeptical about anyone???s ability to accurately reproduce these wonderful instruments. The earlier (1999) attempt in my opinion fell short.

Not so with the recent. This guitar feels as though they never stopped making them. The refinements that are present on the re-issue do not alter the sound or vibe of the original design, and in my humble opinion actually improved the instrument. This is a Dan Armstrong in all its glory.. If it was stolen I would happily order another. Thanks Ampeg !

Ever since I saw Greg Ginn of Black Flag play one of these back in 1979 I wanted one. 26 years later I found this re-issue on Ebay. I had never played one & was hoping that it played & sounded as good as it looked. Wow! I am blown away! Everything about this guitar is cool & innovative... just like me! (jk) I honestly love it! I've owned Guilds, Tele's, & various copies over the years - My latest guitar was a Music Man Axis. I loved it & thought I'd never buy another guitar again - boy am I gald I did. It's the only one I ever want to play now.
The design is genious. Slide in interchangable pickups, tone bypass (I never use the tone knob), fast neck, easy to intonate, stays in tune - I have heard stories of the pickguard breaking @ the input jack, but a metal washer @ the jack will easily solve that problem. I thought it would be heavy, but it's so well balanced, it doesn't seem heavy at all (unlike Les Pauls). They improved the bridge since the orig. ones ('69-70)

I gone though so many guitar / amp combos over the years trying to get that sweet spot, but this guitar hits the spot. I use a Marshall TSL 100. I use the humbucker it comes with. The rock treble pickup has got too much hum for me. It really cuts through well.

It's perfect - what else can i say.

This guitar is practically indestructable. Strap buttons are solid - they give you two on the back end. No paint to ding. Scratches are easy to buff out of Lucite. Even though I own 6 electrics, I'm a 1 axe kind of guy - hell yeah I'll gig with it! It's the coolest guitar of all time! I'm not going to put it in a glass case to look @.

I think it came with a 2 yr. warranty - though I don't think I'll be needing it.

I've been playing in Punk bands for 26 yrs. The original DAs were made between 1969-70. They now go for about $4000! This re-issue made in Japan (IMO) is better than the originals & only $1400. They are exact duplicates, except they improved the bridge. I ordered one from Music 123 3 mos. ago, got sick of waiting, then bought one on Ebay. I still haven't cancelled my order - I'm thinking of buying a second one... if it ever comes in!

Circa 1969 or 1970 original DA made in America. 3-way toggle offers surprisingly varied tonal options. Came with country bass pickup. Neck is thin. I've never had any problems with the original bridge. My guitar's intonation is actually near perfect, and it's easy to keep in tune. Original Grover tuners have "Pat Pending" stamped on the back. Contrary to what others may say, I don't think this guitar is that heavy. My PRS feels heavier.

Sound is very unique. Can't compare it to anything else I own. Cuts well through the mix. Likes moderate amounts of overdrive. It also sounds great clean. I find myself using it more for lead work than for rythm, although I can totally understand why Mr. Richards enjoyed this axe for a few years. Pots are a bit noisy, but I don't care. I play it through either an Orange Rocker 30, or a 1977 Fender Princeton Reverb. Sounds great through either.

Factory?? I bought this used. Pickup adjustment is moot. Just slide it in. I love the look of the huge pickup. Action is very good. No buzz. See-thru look is also way cool. This guitar, IMHO, is the epitome of 1960s adventurous guitar design. It's also extremely well built, and as playable and functional as other better known brands.

I've never gigged with it. I'm affraid someone would steal it. I'm very protective of this thing. The pexiglass is poised to outlive me.

Been playing 20 years. I own 5 other guitars. I record with all of them, and gig with only 2 of them. I'm a tone snub and only use good quality gear. I stay away from nonsense effects pedals and try to get different sounds from the guitars themselves. This DA was given to me as a gift from my wife and I will never part with it.

New 2006 re-Issue... Made in April if I'm reading the Serial Number correctly.

Not alot of features, but I'm the type of guitarist that doesn't want many features anyway. I'm "All-Good" with the simple Wooden and Brass Bridge, the single Bridge Pickup (at a time.) And having a single Volume Pot and a Tone Pot that can be by-passed (with the switch) I hate Tome Pots...

There's no finish, it's just Lucite. And it doesn't really scratch, and looks amazing... The Neck's a big chunk of Wood, with 24 frets clear of the Body. I'm not a real big fan of the Frets, I don't really mind them, but I'm used to playing Les Paul Jrs. and 70's Deluxes, I found the frets pretty thin at first. I may still replace them. It's pretty hard to get the Action as low as I like it on my Gibson's but it's very playable with the high action, no complains in that department... And it's got those big Grover Kidney Bean Tuners.

You get 2 Pickups with the Guitar. I knew the Pick-Ups popped out with out having to re-string it, but I didn't know I'd be getting a 2nd Pickup with the Guitar. I tested it with the Single Coil (the one they say is voiced like a P90) and that was fine with me. I was pleasantly surprised when I got the Guitar home and found the Humbucker in the Case...

This is my first Japanese Built Guitar I've bought since '84, and the first New Guitar I've also bought since '84 as well... It's also the only Guitar that has a Bolt On Neck that I would own/play, normally I don't like Bolt-Necks, but on a Plastic Guitar, it's a little hard to have a Gibson Style Heel. Dan Armstong's unique design has the Neck being Bolted on the Body after all of the 24 Frets and under the Pickgaurd where Guitars normally have their Neck Pickups. The Neck Joint Ends where the Bridge Pickup starts... I don't regret buying it one bit!...

The Lucite's and it's Looks are it's features, and for me there's nothing better than a "stripped" down Guitar, I have nightmares about having to Gig with those "Super Strat" Guitars, with all the fancy Bridge Floyd Stuff and switches and knobs and Pickup every where...

The Lucite Body and it's Looks are it's features, and for me there's nothing better than a "stripped" down Guitar, I have nightmares about having to Gig with those "Super Strat" Guitars, with all the fancy Bridge Floyd Stuff and switches and knobs and Pickup every where...

My main Guitar for the last 10 years has been a '86 Les Paul Jr. Re-Issue. Single cut with the Finish Stripped off, and the Tone Pot disabled. It's got a wonderful Dog Eared P90 in the Bridge. That just screams. But that's also the problem; it sounds great, but is incredibly noisy, through my HiWatt Rig... In the past 2 years, I've been getting alot of delight out of buying old 70's Les Paul Deluxe's, which you can still find here in Ontario for under $2000 Cdn... And swapping the Mini-Humbuckers for Seymour Duncan P90's. The Tone Pots are also disabled. It's a great way to get that Original 50's Les Paul vibe on the (mostly) cheap. These guitars sound amazing to me... But again, through the HiWatt, a little noisy. (I don't run any/many pedals. Just a Boss EQ and a Seymour Duncan Boost for leads, I "Loop" the Pedals together with a Boss Line Selector) They're either both ON of they're both OFF...
The Ampeg DA sounds similar to the P90 Gibson's but ALOT QUITER. There isn't alot of noise of buzz with either pickups, and they get the bite I'm after. They're not as Loud, but they can really get the job done, and since I find the Ampeg easy to play, I don't mind making it my main stage guitar. It looks Unique, and sounds/plays good so why not. Although I'm not a Humbucker fan (or Fender-Style Single Coil fan either, P90's are it for me) -I prefer using the Humbucker with my HiWatt rig. I'm still experimenting with both Pickups (why not they pop-in and out!) But so far I like the Humbucker better... It's bigger.

With the effect Loop off (Thanks to the Boss Line Selector) the Guitar makes no noise at all, I can start and stop playing without noise on my HiWatt's Overdriven "Bright" channel, something the Gibson's will not do. It's indispensable on stage for me as a result. Sounds as good and the Gibson's only quieter.

I wouldn't say there???s much variety in the Sound. I could get some if I chose to mess around with the Tone Pot/Switch. But that's not my thing. I play straight up Rock (in the Classic 70's Punk, R'n'R, vein) no Clean Sounds needed, Balls out, but it's not Metal... It's about quality, nor variety.

The Set up was good. But because the Bridge is simple a Piece of Wood with Brass Saddles Screwed into the Body (the Strings are anchored by the metal plate that the Bridge sits on...) -I had to re-set the Guitar to be able to use my Heavy String Gauge. (I use Dean Markley DT's, 13-56, with a wound G, and would use bigger strings if I could find them... I down-tune to Db in all my bands, they're surprisingly easy to play) My String Gauge required a re-Set Up, and that meant tweaking the neck. The Guitar stays in Tune, holds the strings well and I've got the action a little lower than it originally came... I'm happy. I wouldn't mind lowering the Action a bit. I play through a loud HiWatt rig, a little fret noise wouldn't be noticed. To do this it would appear I'd have to get someone to shave the Wooden part of the Bridge, something that seems risky, but I'm looking into it. I trust the guy who does my set-ups.

Some people many not be keen on the Fake Wood Pickgaurd, or how the Headstock matches the Headstock, I like the look of the stuff, it's adds to the Uniqueness of the Design.

There were no flaws when I got the Guitar our of it's (beautiful and sturdy tortex case) But I had to replace the Tone Pot, because I broke it off by accident. Like I said I don't use the Tone Pots at all, I keep the Tone Switch in the "bypass" position. I was messing around with the forks on the Pot so the Knob would stick on a little snugger like the Volume Pot... And of course, the forks snapped off. I debated not replacing it at all, since it's going to go un-used, but for $20 it was easily repaired. I like having the knob there even if I don't use it. My Gibson's still have their Tone Knobs in place, but they don't do anything...

It's solid, solid, solid. I'd play it at any show. No Tuning issues, I've only broken 1 string in 4 months, and I hear legends about rubbing out scratches with toothpaste...

This is going to be my Main Stage Guitar for years to come...

I replaced the original/standard Strap Buttons with the Dunlop Locking System I use on all my Guitars. It was also a little tricky thanks to the Lucite. The Strap Buttons ship with longer screws that fit deep inside the Strap Lock Pins. We had to shave down the Guitar's original Strap Button Screws to fit inside the Strap Locks. They didn't fit originally and we didn't want to use the Strap Locks own Screws, they'd have required drilling, which we didn't want to risk on the Lucite... A bit of a pain, to replace, but not really...

The Ampeg Dan Armstrong is a visually stunning electric guitar, with it's double cutaway, symmetrical see through plexiglas body. It really looks totally Space Age and futuristic, But the rosewood fingerboard and maple neck give it a classic feel. The tones derived from the interchangeable pickups are very vintage ones. The RT pickup sounds a lot like the classic P-90 and the ST sounds like a classic Gibson PAF. The volume and tone controls, which are made from a totally happening brushed aluminum, are very responsive and the 3-position toggle affords a wide variety of tonal options. The simulated woodgrain formica pickguard and headstock offset the clear plexiglas well, very nice touches. Speaking of the headstock, it's flame point shape is really cool, and ensures almost totally straight string travel behind the nut. The re-issue is made in Japan, and exhibits a dramatic attention to detail. My Dan Armstrong re-issue came in a beautiful dark blue tolex case (like the awesome Ampeg tube amps now being made) with a striking plush red velour lining. Very classy, indeed. This is my fave guitar of all time, period. I would DEFINITELY replace it if anything ever happened to it. Highly recommended!

As a longime owner of an original 1970 Ampeg Dan Armstrong, naturally I was excited to learn that Ampeg was re-issuing this amazing guitar in 2006. Previously, it had been re-issued in 1998-2001, but I was unable to get one then. Anyway, here goes: it sounds EXACTLY like my original. I mean, exactly. My main amps are a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 50 half stack and an Ampeg VL-502 half stack. My new Dan Armstrong RI gives me all those authoritative Keith Richards '69 tour tones! With the 2 included pickups (a re-issue of the classic RT-Rock Treble single coil and the new ST-Sustained Treble humbucker) a wide array of usable tones are available. As with the original, the slide in/out pickup system is brilliant! This is a guitar for Rootsy Hard Rock 'n Roll, but it will also do Blues and Country well. It has a nice twang when played clean. Probably not a guitar for Jazz or Metal, but it's also great for Punk. Green Day could use a Dan Armstrong to great effect!

Everything was set-up well coming from the factory. No flaws at all.

The Dan Armstrong RI is a dead-on recreation of the original. There are some small differences (brass compensated saddles on the bridge, screw heads on the back of the neck bolts, rather than on the ends under the pickguard, Grover tuners instead of Schallers, shielding under the entire pickguard) but these are all improvements and refinements of the original design. Like the original, the new Dan Armstrong is a tank and is totally reliable as a sole guitar for a show.

Never had any repairs, but I have contacted Ampeg support with a couple of questions and they responded very quickly and were very friendly.

After playing my original Dan Armstrong for over 15 years, I can honestly state that this guitar is every bit as great as the original. I have a lot of guitars (Teles, Strats, Epi Dots, an SG, etc.), but the Ampeg Dan Armstrong has ALWAYS been and will ALWAYS remain my fave. It is the ultimate Rock 'n Roll guitar, for those of us who grew up loving late '60s/early '70s Rolling Stones. It's perfect for Rock 'n Roll, Blues and old school Country. It is also a fabulous Punk Rock guitar.

Features, humph, if you don't know then look on Music123 where it is for sale again. Not much in the way of specs but its plexiglass and this is why I bought it in ~1972 from the then West Allis Music in Wisconson Milwaukee suburbs. I was drawn to the fact that it stood out under lights and that you could rub out scratches with toothpaste and I am surprised no one has mentioned the self repairable aspects. I was one of the first USA owners of this with a 12 pole pickup that seems to be stated as hard to get here in other reviews. I don't really remember the exact year of purchase '72 or '73 maybe, but do remember Captain Beyond was my fav band then. And I even hitch hiked out to West Allis to have a look at it. Give it an 8 for the changable pickup.

Well it rocked pretty hard. I still had an orginal boss tone fuzz from the late '60s and it and the twelve pole rocked nicely. I always used the pickup with the twelve squares on it that had two arches supporting 6 squares each and never the others and I had three pickups I think. Sound was not bad but it did not stay in tune very long or very well even with stock grovers on it. I used a band master or twin reverb and again with the boss tone it was the only guitar I needed for hard rock which is all I played then and now over ~30 years later. I can't say it had tons of sustain but for me scratches were fixable and it worked for hard rock. Give it an 8 as it rocked but tuning was a problem forever. You had to be carefull not to grab on to the neck too hard too or look out, it would be out of tune.

Well the pickguad/ala controls cover seemed cheap and thumpy like a drump head but thicker than a drum head of course. You could tap on it to get a beat going though almost. Knobs were heavey steel or aluminum like, tuners were true stock grovers (my first ever grovers and had grover stamped right on their round bottom. Had cotton pads on all the strap buttons to protect the plexi. (I use Dunlop straplocks now, not sure how much the plexi could take redrilling for those larger required screws). The neck, ah the neck, I used to call it a toothpick. I used 009's on it always. The case, appluaded here in other reviews was actually cheap. It was a square original tolex covered case with nice black but typical fur inside. It was made for and fit the guitar but the shear weight of the guitar caused it to sort of bow at the case handle and gave some when the case had the guitar inside. The case was barely adequate and pissed me off as much as the neck did. I traded this for a natural strat. Six months later the guy I traded with wanted to trade back. Then I said no way. Now I might, depending on wear and tear but lets face it that was then and this is now. I have tried Switch guitars for the same reason, some means repairability. I have also considered that Les Paul feel the music $3K thingy? The one created for New Orleans disaster. If that got damaged you add some wood putty and just through some paint willy nilly anyway you want on it. Give it a 7 as the neck and the case were both poor. Also the pickup back screw was not the best and they should have included and extra one if lost though I never lost mine.

Body was repairable, seriously very repairable with a little rubbing with cloth water and crest toothpaste for an hour or so. To me this was the highlight and huge! Neck was a toothpick, too thin, too unstable. No wonder I own a 50s neck Les Paul Studio, carved top brown wood with no real finish now these days, again due to the repairability thing, though not as repariable as the DA. I find I play better and balls out on a guitar I don't have to worry about, don't you too? Who can really play uninhibited on a $4K+ Paul or other guitar anyway? I give it a 9 as the body was one of the first of its kind that allowed the user to remove his/her own scratches with simple house hold items and a little elbow grease.

Don't know. I got every pickup I could for it from West Allis Music but I don't even remember how many I had, but I believe I had three pickups. I bought the guitar as the Ampeg name was on it and not because of Dan or Kent Armstrong. I remember I tried to get a better case for it but never could. Guitar was always nicer than the case. Supposed this is the way it should be, after all..or should it be the other way around?

Think I paid around $400 US for it brand spanking new, perhaps $460 but I do not think it was over $500 total. Overall being just out of high school when I bought it, I rate it not so great for the neck but stellar for the technological innovation it was. There was Travis Bean aluminum neck guitars out then which I never owned but I did own this Dan Armstrong. It was heavy, it was suitable for hard rock, it had neato pickup replacement. But the neck was a trifle too unstable for me. Today I am advanded enough to work-a-round it or do someting about it engineering wise myself. Hence I am very much eyeing the new one now just out but not yet in stock right now in May 2006. It was a love hate thing. I hated the neck but loved this guitar. I always regreted trading it for a strat (as I didn't like the strat either - strat was as a cheap toy in comparison). Settled on over 4 different high end custom pauls, then a MIJ tele, H1 tele (nice) and now a no finish (but not faded) all mahogany carved top brown in wood color studio paul of the GC only variation. Like I tell others, I am always looking for my next ex-axe. I am having a hard time holding back my desire to own this new DA guitar again and now with it out and new again no less, problems or not, I may be writing another review soon to express my buyers remorse for a new DA. If it were stolen I probably couldn't do shit about it. Most insurance is a joke and even worthless. My deductable is more. I try and buy guitars I can replace easily and not care about if stolen but the return of the DA and new no less has me salivating, even if it still has a bad neck which it may or may not. I have been playing for almost 45 years, starting on my dads Playtime guitar and know better have owned a DA before but there is nothing else like it on the planet. I give it a 7 overall, but I still want one again. If your good you can make a 2x4 with strings even sound good like I can. Might be dancing madly backwards with a DA again real soon if it ever gets in stock soon.

Update on the ST Humbucker for the Dan Armstrong guitar:

It is probably impossible now to find an original ST for sale. The closest you might get to one is on a guitar on eBay - you could buy the guitar for the pickup, and either sell or keep it.

There are several guys out there who make humbucking pickups that will slide right into the slot.

One of them is Dan's son Kent. I got in touch with him and he made me a few HB, one PAF-style and two ST's replica's. Kent claims they are according to original specs. I'm sure he is referring to the magnet layout and the number of turns on each coil because it certainly doesn't look like the old ST.

But really! The SOUND is amazing. I wish I'd had had it when I was on the stage with the thing 4 times a week!

What a great sound - it has everything: lively, punchy, cutting, fun, quiet in hum, loud in signal, the tone control rolls it off beautifully, and it fixes the one issue I always had with the DA: a lack of "virtuosity power".

I don't know how this p/u stacks up next to a ST. But it is a great sounding pickup all by itself, and it definitely looks the part.

Kent was VERY reasonable with the price, and provided EXCELLENT customer service.

All you DA owners out there, shoot me a mail to teye@teye.com and I'll hook you up with Kent directly.

And if there's anyone looking to sell an ST original, I'm definitely in the market for one!

Kent's customer support was flawless.

It is fantastic that so much has been written about this guitar. For so many years this was my main guitar. I have two: one 1969 (said Ampeg in '78 when I bought it in London) and one my father and I put together in 1981 from spare parts that you could buy for awhile from Lou Rose Music of New Jersey - we made the body (the only part not available) from a block of lucite: a LOT more work than we originally thought!

So: here's my two cent worth (I've played close to a 1000 gigs on these guitars...):

YEAR: 1969

MADE in usa.

For the time I used these guitars, the sound suited my style extremely well: a mix of Stones and punk: all-the-way ballsy rock and roll. I played it through two Ampeg VT-22 amps (also designed at least in part by Dan Armstrong) for the loud gigs; through two Fender Tremoluxes for the "softer" sounds (!)
No effects, or sometimes with a short stereo slap-back echo. I used Gibsons and a Danelectro for variety so cannot tell you exactly about the scope of the DA. Did most of the work glamorously well. I also had the Rock Treble (NICE and ballsy midrange) and the Country Bass pickup (nice clean twang) to choose from as well as some others that I potted myself: a Telecaster bridge p/u (disappointing); Gibson Super Humbucker (NICE!) and some others...
Noise was minimal (hey these stock pickups were NOT humbuckers!) a LOT quieter than a strat. But I shielded the control cavity with thick copper foil (I do that on all my electrics. Would you use a non-shielded cable? Well then how come you would use a non-shielded control cavity?)
Conclusion: sounds were awesome, and especially I might add, for slide guitar.
Now, in comparison with my two Zemaitis guitars, the DA sounded rather thin, but then again almost any guitar sounds a class below the Z's!

The weird thing is: I actually LIKED the bridge construction. Have to admit though, I replaced the rosewood saddle with an ebony one, and then quickly with stainless steel one. The stainless steel saddle immediately added a lot of brilliance to the guitar, a "directness" that I haven't found in other DA's with the wooden bridge.

But the basic idea: to have an electric guitar that is set up like a good classical (i.e. fixed, no screws that can go rattly etc), I tremendously liked that. Also I found out that if your bridge saddle was the right height to start with, you only had to compensate for climate changes using the truss rod. I KNOW it was never meant to be this way, but it worked! I NEVER had any action or intonation troubles! (Oh please don't give me the "well then you don't have ears": I am a classically trained professional musician). I guess I just was lucky. Most my electric guitars are set up with their saddles in a straight line much to the surprise of those who try them.

The neck on the 69 is beautifully flamed quartersawn maple, wide neck, serial # A1001D, it sounds way better than the replacement neck from Lou Rose which also has lesser quality rosewood board and is narrower (a delight to play) serial # A2821D.

The small but fat headstock made perfrct sense to me, as did the placement of the truss adjustement nut (away from the weak spot of the neck, just like ...Tony Zemaitis' guitars! I had the head of an SG fly off once and know how to appreciate a detail like this! The DA's had their fair share of falls and didn't break)

My GOD talk about durabillity! This is one of those proverbial guitars that you could drive a nail with. We actually had to defend ourselves (the bassist of my band played a DA bass) once with our guitars at a very aggressive punk happening... No kidding.
I've seen one DA in Paris once with a crack down the middle (presumably one of Keith Richard's two prototype guitars that got stolen in the south of France in 1972: these had different screws on the bridge plate from later production models) but other than that I would say these will stand any abuse.
The finish on the back of the neck of my '69 wore off, reason why I searched and found the second neck at Lou Rose, and that's how the concept of making one myself was born... But this was in 1981... after a LOT of gigs.

I played this guitar without ever worrying that something would break on it.

Ampeg, in the days that I dealt with them were owned by Magnavox, was VERY helpful, in providing all background info (their VT22 amps sucked though, the original late sixties/early seventies VT22 amps sounded way way better). They also directed me to Lou Rose music, where we found all of the parts at VERY reasonable prices except the lucite body).

Have played guitar for 37 years: 6 years semi-professional and then 20 years full professional. Many styles (currently flamenco: check out the website www.teye.com where you can see the world's first underwater flamenco dance video). Have owned manymany guitars and other instruments but am now down to 14 of which 6 fall into the $ 10,000plus range.

The DA's today represent more of a sentimental value for me. I do not play them anymore (I know: a sin) but they certainly have put in their miles!

A great guitar. Oh and by the way, I am not selling them.

Only thing I wish I'd had nut never found was the twelve-pole humbucker (YES exactly like the one of Keith Richard!)

I think this was either a 69 or 70 made in the USA! It only came with one pickup which was the CB pickup which stood for Country Bass. It was still twangy! Good pickup!

It was a great sounding guitar! Great for pop or rock or surf! The only thing I didn't really like about it was that it wasn't original at all. That really sucked because someone rewired it and there was no toggle switch and the pickguard was not original! It was still cool, but aside from all that, you get what you pay for on eBay!

The frets were pretty good! Not bad at all for how old the guitar probably was! The wiring really kinda pissed me off about this guitar! I just don't understand why people fawk with that kinda sh*t!

This was a heavy guitar and sustain it did! It lasted for the years before I got it in 99! So I think it was built like a tank! I could probably depend on it if I still had it!