1969 Ampeg Dan Armstrong Plexiglass

[El Gringo]

 

[El Gringo]

My 1969 Ampeg Dan Armstrong Plexiglass . I got this see thru beauty in August 2019 , after I seen her in Chicago Music Exchange in person in June of 2019 when I visited the Windy City . Great guitar as she has a really thick tone from her Rock Treble Pickup, which was 1 of 2 that she came with as she also has the Country Bass pickup inside the case pocket which I have not tried . I did not expect to love her tone as much as I did and was quite surprised at how good she sounds and plays , save for the tuning issues of which whenever you bend a note she goes out of tune until this past May when my tech got his hands on her and fixed her with double sided tape underneath the bridge . To which I was pleasantly surprised that it worked and she now stays in tune .Wow ! These instruments are famous for having a moving bridge which thus renders the tuning to go out of wack at once when you bend or use the slightest vibrato , until now . Guitar is heavy as to be expected for a big hunk of plexiglass , with a Brazilian Rosewood board and genuine Ivory nut , which is odd looking to say the least in person, Matt Umanov who was Dan Armstrong's apprentice sourced the Brazilian Rosewood and Ivory directly from the Village in lower Manhattan , for which I did have a nice conversation on the phone with him after I made the purchase as I have shopped at his store in the past and he always is the Best . If any of you have seen the Rolling Stones Concert Movie Ladies and Gentleman you can see Keith Richards constantly tuning his Plexiglass . This guitar has a 2 position toggle switch which in the back it is much more dark and the front is more treble and I totally get why some use this for slide as her tone is so thick and really rocks . Chicago Music Exchange was a treat and such a no hassle stress free place to shop without being hassled . I was on a mission to try out there CME spec R9 Les Paul's , and I was set up in one of the rooms with a boutique amp with lots of gain that was similar to My Marshall 2555X's (Silver Jubilees ) . I set out to trying out several R9's and almost when I was done I spied out the Plexiglass in a rack by the front of the store where all the pedals and strings and things were and I finished up and left without playing her . Then I get back home and I picked up the phone and purchased her for a very reasonable price and the experience was awesome . Totally hassle free and very laid back and they had nice couches in there to lunge around on and read there books and periodicals and such . I Love this shop on the North side of town !

 

[seafood]

what a great guitar!!!!! it takes me back.......i had one back in the day.......l loved it ...i plugged it into a marshall stack!!!!!!....i couldn't tell if it stayed in tune or not!!....i was a kid. i didn't care........makes want to get another one!!!!!! really cool.

 

[AA00475Bassman]

I played a friends great guitars & lets not forget all the great Richards riffs played on a Dan Armstrong !

 

[renderit]

Looks pretty minty fresh!

I always wanted one back in the day.

 

[VirtualJazzbo]

Those were so unique back in the day. I had a 70 model that I traded a Peavey amp for at a music shop in the mid-70s. It had the RT (Rock Treble) pickup. I never liked the rosewood bridge so I had an identical one made out of brass. Talk about giving that guitar signal some zing! Sold it in the 90s on ebay. It was in primo shape just like this one.

 

[El Gringo]

I played a friends great guitars & lets not forget all the great Richards riffs played on a Dan Armstrong !

Oh my goodness , all you have to do is watch Ladies and Gentleman -The Rolling Stones concert movie from 1972 Tour of America and Keith is wielding it like there is no tomorrow . Keith's was the first one made and is the Prototype or I should say was as it was nicked from Nellcotte France in the infamous heist of a whole bunch of Vintage Fender's and Gibson's .

 

[El Gringo]

Looks pretty minty fresh!

I always wanted one back in the day.

Up close you can see wear on the Brazilian board and the back of the flame maple neck , not so much on the plexiglass . Also you can see wear and pitting on the Grover gears which show there age .

 

[El Gringo]

Those were so unique back in the day. I had a 70 model that I traded a Peavey amp for at a music shop in the mid-70s. It had the RT (Rock Treble) pickup. I never liked the rosewood bridge so I had an identical one made out of brass. Talk about giving that guitar signal some zing! Sold it in the 90s on ebay. It was in primo shape just like this one.

Very cool ! The saddle is the only part made out of Rosewood as the bridge plate is chrome . To my eyes the saddle is like looking at an acoustic guitar.

 

[IMMUSICRULZ]

@El Gringo

Very nice looking Ampeg Dan Armstrong! Not only did Keith play one, so did J Geils and Leslie West of Mountain.

 

[charliechitlins]

Is that Tone Plastic?

 

[IMMUSICRULZ]

Is that Tone Plastic?

What else would a Dan Armstrong Ampeg be made out of?

 

[cincyguitar]

Back in 73.... I saw one of these for 375$ in a store...but i had about 100$...I wanted it sooo bad....now look at what they are worth...

 

[El Gringo]

What else would a Dan Armstrong Ampeg be made out of?

Plexiglass

 

[El Gringo]

The see thru guitar .

 

[Amp360]

Awesome! I have a copy I paid $150 for but I just use it for slide. Always wanted a real one. I always think of Joe Perry.

 

[blauserk]

There's a concert video on YouTube of Ronnie Wood getting awesome slide tone out of one with the Faces. Really made me want one.

 

[El Gringo]

Awesome! I have a copy I paid $150 for but I just use it for slide. Always wanted a real one. I always think of Joe Perry.

He is awesome using it on Monkey on my Back , which is always a highlight at live shows .

 

[El Gringo]

There's a concert video on YouTube of Ronnie Wood getting awesome slide tone out of one with the Faces. Really made me want one.

I have to look for that . Thanks for the heads up !