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 I personally think any arguement against it is just semantics. 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.

However, given the number of people Dan touched in his life, I do realize that even this update will not answer them all. Given the constant thirst for information about Dan, as well as his products - I have created an additional tab on the main menu called 'etc.' - aptly named for it is going to be the section to turn to if there is any new, or updated information about Dan or his products. In addition, if any questions come in that I feel are worthy of posting to share with the public I will place them in that section as well.

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. Conspiracy theorists' will no doubt have a field day here.

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. I apologize in advance for the security steps I've had to take, but with all the spam, bots, and other bad things on the Internet, I've been forced to observe a few security measures to keep my mail box from overflowing and to make certain that the one emailing me actually has a 'pulse'. You simply have to observe, then type in a few letters and click OK then my email address will be revealed. So to email me just click here. For those who prefer community discussions, I have set up a Dan Armstrong Blog which I hope will offer some good interactions among anyone interested in Dan Armstrong or any of his products. You can get there by clicking here.

You may have also noticed two blank tabs on the menu as well - and you may have already guessed why. As stated above - last time out I thought I had covered most everything, only to be shown how wrong I was. So when it came to do this update, I left a couple of tabs blank in case I need to create more sections, or chapters to the site - for since Dans passing there seems to be more questions than ever before.

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.