Dan Armstrong - Man & Guitars

At left and right, the only left handed model known to exist. Rumor has it that Dan personally handled the equipment at Ampeg and made this special lefty model just for Paul McCartney. Unfortunately I never did get around to asking Dan about it. As such, I cannot confirm, nor disprove the rumors, but given the customer - I guess it wouldn't surprise me if it turned out to be true.

At left, a zoomed-out photo of the above, while at right an interesting photo of the left-handed plexi guitar. As can be seen here, although this instrument is a left-hand model, the headstock reveals that it's fitted with a stock neck (nut not withstanding). Also notice the ST pickup, sandblasted portion of the tailpiece, and a rosewood bridge adorned with a fret across it, and we can tell it's not one of the earliest models.

At left and right, a few photos from magazine articles showing McCartney with his Dan Armstrong guitar.

At left and right, McCartney playing his Dan Armstrong in the video for Helen Wheels.

What looks to be a poster of McCartney playing his Dan Armstrong. Notice the set of headphones which would seem to suggest that this was in a recording studio, but is something that cannot be verified.

A monochrome photo of Paul McCartney singing and playing his Dan Armstrong · Ampeg guitar during the Tug Of War sessions at AIR Montserrat in 1981. Allegedly it had been a number of years since he played his plexi in the recording studio.

The Tug of War sessions were recording sessions for Paul McCartney's fourth solo album, where he collaborated with artists like Stevie Wonder, Ringo Starr and many others.

In the enlarged view, notice that he had wisely routed the guitar cable under the guitar strap and over the upper strap peg in order to keep it plugged into the instrument as well as protecting the only left handed Dan Armstrong · Ampeg scratchplate ever made. Notice too, that he had apparently taped over and down the volume and tone control knobs, apparently in an attempt to keep them from getting bumped and turned during a recording. It's been reported that this photo was most likely taken by his wife Linda.

Mike Mills, bassist of R.E.M. played a Dan Armstrong bass at times. Seen here taking to the air, Mills - along with the rest of the group adorn the cover of their Best Of The IRS Years CD-DVD.

At left, Francis Monkman is the founding member of the rock band Curved Air and another guitarist that plays a Dan Armstrong · Ampeg guitar. At right (and seen on the left in the photo) bassist - Ian Eyre can be seen playing a Dan Armstrong bass. Two Dan Armstrong instruments being played on-stage. Just the way Dan would have loved it.

As seen at left, Monkman is also a master keyboard player, though playing keys he still has the Dan Armstrong guitar slung on. At right and back on guitar he jams away on that axe.

As seen at left, in an interview when asked about the use of a Dan Armstrong · Ampeg guitar he used in Curved Air, Monkman replied "It was simply an attempt by designer Dan Armstrong to produce a solid-body electric guitar with greater rigidity and mass than an equivalent wooden one (it's extraordinarily heavy), in order to prolong string vibration."

At right, Curved Air in a music video - guitarist Francis Monkman (with a Dan Armstrong slung on) and lead vocalist Sonja Kristina can be seen behind a keyboard that Monkman is playing.

At left, Monkman does double duty as he works an EMS VCS 3 Synthesizer while still having his guitar slung on and ready to use. At right Curved Air, with Mike Wedgwood, second from left, playing a Dan Armstrong bass and Francis Monkman at far right with his Dan Armstrong guitar.

At left and right, Alanis Morissette also utilizes a Dan Armstrong · Ampeg guitar.

At left, notice a single coil pickup is used. At right, Alanis takes a lead solo.

On the left and right, Morissette singing and playing on stage. I like her song called 'Thank You'.

Apparently Morissette likes using a 'boom' type mic stand. I don't think I've ever seen a photo of her without it.

At left, it appears she is playing a re-issue model as you can see the extra 8^th screw on the scratchplate, as mentioned in the re-issue section. This additional screw is to help secure the scratchplate down more securely. At right, this particular instrument also happens to be equipped with what appears to be a factory tunable bridge.

At left, and seen better in enlarged view, one has to wonder if it is, in fact, a factory bridge or not. At right, another view of the bridge can be seen in the enlarged view, again looking like it might be original to the instrument.

At left, Morissette smiles for the camera, while at right, what was originally a confusing photo to me. After a minute or two it dawned on me that the confusing part was a portion of the Morissette's lead guitar players guitar body, as a part of a Gibson Explorer guitar body can be seen behind her on the far side of the stage.

At left and right, I can't tell if that's a tattoo or a shadow on her right arm, but based on other photos I'm thinking the latter. Over on the right, the enlarged view reveals that the bridge/tailpiece combo is original to the instrument.