Like the reissue Dan Armstrong acrylic models, these all wooden instruments were also made in Japan and incorporated the Dan Armstrong headstock, neck-joint, body & scratchplate shapes along with volume, tone, switch and output jack placements all following the Dan Armstrong design.

Above left and right, both the guitar and bass models. Production models for the guitar are made of solid mahogany with a figured maple top. There are a few prototype guitars that are made of basswood instead of mahogany but by production time it was decided to just use mahogany. Interestingly though, the bass bodies are basswood with a maple top and remained that way. These instruments sported both transparent colors as well as solid colors and as seen above the sunburst finish, as well as other transparent colors let the elegance of the maple top show through.

The guitar model has a 22 fret fingerboard allowing space for an additional pickup over the original Dan Armstrong acrylic model. As such, the guitar models employ two Seymour Duncan^® SP90-1^® pickups which are advertized as a faithful recreation of the 1946 Gibson^® single-coil 'soapbar' pickup. The bass model features 24 frets like the acrylic bass and employs a Seymour Duncan SMB-4D^® pickup as well as a mini switch for the usual series/parallel pickup coil switching.

The body is a little thicker than the Dan Armstrong acrylic model, no doubt to help accommodate not only sustain but also for the presence, and thickness of a neck pickup. The volume & tone controls are exactly where anyone that ever played an acrylic guitar would expect to find them, as is a Les Paul^® type 3-way selector switch (only it works sideways). The output jack is located directly underneath the switch - again like the acrylic models. The black scratchplate matches the black headstock veneer and truss rod cover and has the Ampeg name across the bottom of it, while the headstock featured the Ampeg 'a' emblem.

The combination bridge/tailpiece is made by Wilkinson^® and is styled after the Gibson^® 'wrap-around' design, however this unit features adjustable 'G' & 'B' string slots so you can tweak the intonation on these two key strings. Bass models feature a Gotoh^® large mass bridge which allows for precise intonation and offers one the ability to mount the strings through the rear of the bridge or through the body, which many players feel increases both sustain and string tension. The strap pegs, Gotoh-Grover^® style tuners and vintage style knobs trim out the rest of the instrument which also adds the recognizable, circular Ampeg 'a' on the headstock.

At upper left, an unusual AMG1 guitar that sports single blade type pickups that are a cross between a Dan Armstrong type pickup and a basic humbucking pickup in that it features pickup height adjustment screws on the sides. Notice how the rear pickup has a creme pickup ring around it. Also notice the metal scratchplate, as well as the lack of an output jack on the scratchplate. This guitar features the output jack located on the sides, like a Les Paul^® guitar. Last, but not least, notice the Gotoh type bridge/tailpiece that closely resembles the units on the bass models.

As seen upper right, and like the bass models, this bridge/tailpiece also features alternate ways to string up the instrument. As shown here, the 'string thru' type is seen. Notice the bevels on the guitar body and how even they correspond to the Dan Armstrong acrylic model guitars.

Upper left, the headstock of the AMG1 guitar showing the Grover type looking tuners, and the Ampeg 'a' emblem which is unusual in that it is placed on a black colored truss rod cover whereas most are located on the headstock itself and not on the cover.

At upper right, the neck set can be seen in greater detail. Four screws through a metal plate and into the maple neck hold the neck to the body in the typical Fender^® type fashion. The plate again carries the Ampeg 'a' emblem as well as the Ampeg name. What appears to be a thin sheet of black plastic resides between the finish of the guitar body and the plate itself, no doubt to help protect the finish. The neck itself is 3-piece laminated maple and the serial number is placed exactly like on the reissue acrylic model guitars, using the same numbering convention making this instrument a 2000 model, made in November of that year, and the 23^rd model produced. Lastly, and again 'Made in Japan' is inked on above the serial number.

At upper left, a Dan Armstrong acrylic bass stands alongside an Ampeg AMB1 bass guitar. Notice the addition of a washer on the output jack of the clear model. At upper right, one for the ladies perhaps? A pink speckle model with a white scratchplate and black pickup somewhat gives this instrument the look of a Musicman^® bass.

Ampeg would continue to make the AMG1 guitar and the AMB1 bass instruments over the next few years. Although they had a few twists of their own compared to their acrylic brethren, they are nevertheless a good quality, affordable alternative for anyone wishing a basic workhorse type instrument that successfully combines form and function - and, depending on the finish, the beautiful look of figured maple tops, with decent sound & playability.