Vintage Bass Guitar – Ampeg Dan Armstrong Lucite Bass
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Ampeg is best known as a manufacturer of electric bass and guitar amplifiers. But in the 1960s they began making instruments which led to the vintage bass guitar known as the Dan Armstrong “Lucite”, “Plexi” or “See-Thru” bass… it had many names.
Dan Armstrong
Armstrong was born in Pittsburgh, PA back in 1934 but grew up in Lakewood, OH. He started playing guitar at a young age, as did many of us. At some time during the early part of the 60s he moved to Manhattan where he worked as a studio session player as well as repairing guitars.
It was around 1965 that Armstrong opened his own little repair shop on West 48th St. which was known as “Dan Armstrong’s Guitar Service.” It soon became a very popular spot for musicians, not only to drop off their instruments for repair or modifications but also as a spot to hang out and jam.
Just a few years later his shop was torn down to make way for an expansion of 30 Rock. If you’re a fan of the show you know the building. As a result of the demolition he opened a new shop in Greenwich Village. Word of mouth of his craftsmanship got around and in 1968 Ampeg approached Armstrong about revamping their guitar and bass lines.
Clear Cut Winner
Ampeg started making some quirky bass guitars in the sixties. They began in 1962 with the baby bass which was an electric upright bass that was smaller than a cello but had the same basic design. From 1966 – 1968 they produced their “horizontal” electric basses which were also called “scroll basses” because of their unusual headstock.
The horizontal basses were soon replaced by the jaw-dropping, eye-catching, ultra-cool (choose your own superlative) Dan Armstrong Lucite Bass. This beautiful vintage bass guitar was introduced in 1969 at the Chicago NAMM show and was manufactured by the Ampeg plant in Linden, NJ.
The unique material used had a broader purpose than just great looks. The body of the bass was made with clear Plexiglas. Some of the benefits of this material were that it could be cut and shaped just like wood and because it was so rigid it had superior sustain.
Here's the rear view
1970 Dan Armstrong Lucite Bass
The neck was good old maple and the 24 fret fingerboard was made from rosewood. It had a 30 ½ inch scale, a single humbucking pickup and the pickguard was made out of Formica which had a simulated wood grain finish.
In addition to the clear bass there were also 8 black Lucite basses made and some 150 fretless models were produced as well. Well known bassists like Jack Bruce and Bill Wyman both used the traditional see-thru bass for a while with Bruce preferring the fretless model.
Production of the Lucite bass only lasted until 1971 when Armstrong and Ampeg parted ways over a financial dispute. This vintage bass guitar, however, has been reissued by Ampeg on a number of different occasions and is still being offered today as a Japanese import.
Collectibility
I have a fondness for a vintage bass guitar made from the 1950s through the 1970s. I believe, along with many others, that the quality of the workmanship and the materials used during that era was better than today’s massed produced models.
But how can I possibly use that argument when it comes to Plexiglas?
In fact, today’s versions have better pickups and electronics, they come in different colors and they will put less of a strain on your wallet than the original will. But then again there is something special about putting your hands on a classic beauty.
Fortunately, a Dan Armstrong Lucite bass is not that hard to find. I found several for sale in various condition and others that have recently been sold while I was researching this article.
If you want an original Plexi bass in “excellent” condition be prepared to pay anywhere from $2,500 – $3,000. I can only wonder what an original black Plexiglas Dan Armstrong vintage bass guitar would go for.
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