Dan Armstrong - Man & Guitars

Overall though, the vast majority of email received over the years has been very positive, and it appears that many people were like myself and wanted to know more about Dan and his clear acrylic instruments. Others wanted to know more about Dan's other products, and everyone it seems, wants to know more about Dan himself.

Many of you are just happy to see a web site about, and in honor of Dan. One email I recently got shared an opinion that is actually a fairly common theme that I often hear from others. I thought he summed it up quite nicely as well as rather concisely when he said "I have never thought that he [Dan] got the recognition he deserved. He was overshadowed by the mainstream Fender and Gibson people." I couldn't agree more, and in fact, it was one of the major reasons, or the driving force that lead me to making this site.

Surf the Internet and you will find hordes of sites dedicated to the brands mentioned above, with gobs of information within those sites. This is a good thing - to be sure - but you will find very few sites and very little in the way of information about Dan Armstrong. One email to me asked (though in a positive way) "How did you get into this bit of guitar esoterica?" - I informed him of my teenage years with a clear guitar (mentioned just a few pages back). And while everything I told him was true, I later discovered an even better answer to his question than what I had provided. The answer came from a man I don't even know who posted in a bulletin board on the net. Although he was in a different conversation, his statement, or post, is one I shall never forget. He went on to talk about Dan Armstrong, and the point in time when the original Armstrong instruments were being made - stating "When you think about it, in the 60^'s and 70^'s - after Gibson & Fender - what was the next biggest name out there?" Some will no doubt argue his point, and that's their right, but personally I feel that any arguement against his point would turn out to be nothing more than a futile exercise in semantics. As such, I feel his statement is valid, and stands as a testament as to how popular Dan and his products were, and still are.

All of which brings us full circle, and why I decided to create this web site. Back in 2001 when I first uploaded the site, I thought I had covered most anything that anyone would ever want to know. I literally tore my Dan Armstrong instruments apart in order to answer questions that may arise. One would think that might have wrapped up the subject but not so. Tons of questions obviously remained, and they began to pour in once the site got better known. Hopefully this update will answer many of them but given the number of people Dan touched in his life, I realize that even this latest update probably won't answer them all.

I had hoped that former Ampeg employees (both from the Linden, NJ years as well as from the reissue years through St. Louis Music) would have been more forthcoming in the telling of Dan's story, but for whatever reason most do not want to go on record. Of all the former employees I've interviewed only one - Mr. Steve Constantelos - would step forward and allow me permission to post his name on the site along with his comments. As to the others, their stories are relevant, even poignant at times, and as a historical reference and perspective, I have included a few statements from this silent majority. While I will most certainly respect their privacy, and their wishes, I cannot help but wonder why such silence exists after so many years.

But for those that still may require answers, or if you just want to chat - feel free to contact me. I answer each and every email I get and always do my best to answer within a short amount of time. My contact info can be found on the menu screen. As stated the last time, I originally thought I had covered most everything, only to be shown how wrong I was, and since Dans passing there still seems to be more questions.

To help answer these questions, I have enlisted the help of those who were even closer to Dan than I was, and I have been blessed to make a lot of new friends while learning a great deal more about Dan at the same time. So many people have contributed to this update that it would be virtually impossible to list them all. However, a special thanks goes out to the following, as this update would not have been possible without their tireless work.

Mr. Matt Umanov. When you think about it, you can't ask for a better resource than the man who actually created the prototype acrylic instruments. Not only did Matt build them, but Dan turned to him on nearly every aspect of their design. Here he has brought forth a wealth of information as he recounts his experiences working with Dan building the prototypes and includes some rarely seen photographs and drawings from those years. Last, but certainly not least, Matt was instrumental in providing me with a great deal of contact information.

Mr. Bill Richardson. When it comes to the original Dan Armstrong · Ampeg production instruments, nobody on the planet knows as much as Bill. As a luthier, he studied under Dan and learned many of his trade secrets. I thought I was fairly knowledgeable about the original acrylic models until I met Bill. Nothing escapes him, and it was Bill that eventually led me to Matt Umanov. Here he recounts his many chats and experiences with Dan, while providing rare photos, brochures, and even a hand written letter by Dan.

Cynthia Armstrong's Niece. Is another person I am greatly indebted to for providing early photos of Dan Armstrong and his wife Cynthia. At my request she was also kind enough to author all of the photo's she provided, which seems appropriate to me being her parents were closely tied to Dan and Cynthia. Lastly, she and her contacts helped to add to the Dan Armstrong story and ultimately, history itself.

Mr. Kent Armstrong. None of this would have come to pass had Kent not taken the time to speak with me and provide me with his fathers contact information. Here he shares his knowledge and memories making the Dan Armstrong 'London' series instruments as well as the Dan Armstrong effects units. In addition he has also provided a great deal of information on the reissue Dan Armstrong · Ampeg instruments.

These friends, as well as others quoted within the following pages deserve the credit for this update, while any errors, or shortcomings are all my own. As one who is but a reporter, of sorts, I can safely say that it would be way beyond the scope of this site to point out everything that happened during the innovative life of Dan Armstrong. But a glimpse is certainly worth a try, for just as Russell Watson sings, I too - have "faith of the heart."