Dan Armstrong - Man & Guitars

On March 7^th 2005 Loud Technologies Inc. acquired St. Louis Music, complete with all it's products and franchise names - including Ampeg and they put all of these franchises under one tent, called the MI (musical instrument) group.

Many people at Loud Tech Inc. were fans of the Dan Armstrong acrylic instruments, and not surprisingly, in fairly short order it was decided that they would once again, market the Dan Armstrong clear acrylic guitar. Again they had the rights to the instrument, but wanted to use the Dan Armstrong name. At the same time they would also need someone to manufacture the pickups for these instruments. This time they only had to see one man - Kent Armstrong who also has everything under one tent - as he and his siblings now own the Dan Armstrong name, and he was again the only renowned pickup maker that even wanted to touch these pickups. Furthermore, being he made the pickups for the 1998-2001 reissue models meant he had the experience. He was the logical choice.

Kent went on to say "I work with them [Ampeg] alot on many things, so it was not something unexpected to have them call me. This time they just made their proposal to me for the use of the name, as well as making the pickups. After hearing everything it all sounded pretty good, so I just said sure!"

From January 19^th through the 22^nd 2006 at the NAMM Convention in Anaheim, CA in Hall B, booth # 5776 the ADA6 guitar made it's debut. Like the reissue acrylic instruments before them, these new models were also made in Japan by Fujigen but unlike the earlier reissue line, only the guitar model was shown. Inside sources at Ampeg stated "we wanted to see how well the guitar model went over before we went ahead with the bass."

Above left and right, a 2006 Dan Armstrong guitar as seen from the front and back and sharp observers may have already noticed a few things different from the 1998-2001 reissue models.

On this reissue Ampeg no longer included the MD pickup, but rather went back to the original ST or Sustained Treble pickup with one important exception. The pickup now features 3 banana plug receptacles on it instead of two. Kent goes on to explain "There were a couple of good reasons for adding the third, middle receptacle. First off, if desired, it can be slid right into the bass guitar and work - giving the bass even more sounds. Secondly, if one wants to add a third banana plug to their guitar and do some custom rewiring they can have coil tapping capabilities. If the player chooses not to do anything at all and just plug it into the guitar as it is, it's no problem because as it is - it's still the ST pickup. But by using the optional middle banana plug it gives players more options should they want them."

Above left, notice how the ST pickup's center connector is not connected, and therefore not in the guitar circuitry meaning this pickup will sound in the usual way. Only by adding a middle plug to the guitar and doing custom wiring will change it. Even then, the stock sound would be available as one of the switch-able options.

Above right, another angle of the ST pickup showing the three banana plugs on the pickup. Notice the 'MADE IN JAPAN' label on the tongue of the neck seen shinning through the acrylic body.

As seen above left & right - the Rock Treble pickup is the other pickup that comes with this reissue and it is created in the same fashion as the original. Being a single coil pickup, there are no options for a third banana plug. Perhaps it's because the Dan Armstrong guitar has found its niche among rock guitarists over the years but it does seem interesting to me that neither of the Country style pickups were includrd as a stocking pickup.

Notice the plastic layer over the pickup which seems a nice touch and especially helpful in music showrooms where people pick up a guitar and try it out. The layer can somewhat help protect the pickup from dust and minor pick scratches so that the eventual owner still gets new pickups.

According to Kent the 2006 pickups, unlike the originals, as well as the 1998-2001 pickups - are now using a molded plastic cover which are made in the UK and are more durable for the top of the pickup than just using the epoxy alone. The pickups are still filled with epoxy however, and in fact, the pickups now utilize a bobbinless incarnation where the wire coil is cooked in hot wax for several hours, then suspended inside the the pickup, and finally surrounded by epoxy. In this way, even the coil itself is cradeled in the epoxy for maximum isolation from jarring, or feedback.

The stock pickups are now made in Korea at one of Kents businesses called Dong-Ho Electronics where Kent is a partner with Mr. ShiKag Yu. For custom orders or rewinds, Kent does them himself at his business in Vermont where he can make virtually any kind of pickup, even one made to your own specifications - and make it slide into a Dan Armstrong guitar or bass.