A1308D
This tantalizing Dan Armstrong appeared in a number of Los Angeles Craiglist ads beginning in 2012, with the seller trying to get anywhere from $1,800 to $2,500 for it. I became interested given the unique modifications and really cool look to the guitar, but somehow I could never agree on a deal with the seller. Cell phone pics above have a nice weird quality that go with the guitar.
So the next step in this saga is that the dude in LA finally sells it to a dealer, who promptly puts it on eBay in March 2013 with an asking price of $1,995. I make an offer of $1,500 and next thing you know it's mine. Here's the dealer's description:
"Dan Armstrong AMG see through guitar!! ARMG-2 Clear lucite body bolt on maple neck 24 fret rosewood fingerboard Grover tuners Dimarzio bridge Interchangeable pickup volume and tone controls 24.5 inch scale mfg 1969-1971 Unsure of exact year. IT is either a 69, 70 or 71. Serial number is visible in photos. Guitar is in excellent condition!! Everything is original except for the modified pick guard and headstock cover piece. The original wood pick guard was replaced with a custom made silver pick guard. It is the exact specs as the original and looks very cool. Much cooler than the original in my opinion. There is also a metal silver piece on the headstock. The guitar HAS NOT been altered, these are custom parts that were made specifically for this guitar. I do not have the original pick guard. There is some minor cracking on the fingerboard as visible in photo # 3. These are stable and have not changed in many years. The bridge has also been upgraded which is excellent because you have MUCH more control over the intonation than with the original fixed bridge. I do not have the original bridge. Everything else is original. The action and intonation on the guitar is perfect and it sounds awesome! Thanks for looking and please email with any questions."
"Dan Armstrong AMG see through guitar!! ARMG-2 Clear lucite body bolt on maple neck 24 fret rosewood fingerboard Grover tuners Dimarzio bridge Interchangeable pickup volume and tone controls 24.5 inch scale mfg 1969-1971 Unsure of exact year. IT is either a 69, 70 or 71. Serial number is visible in photos. Guitar is in excellent condition!! Everything is original except for the modified pick guard and headstock cover piece. The original wood pick guard was replaced with a custom made silver pick guard. It is the exact specs as the original and looks very cool. Much cooler than the original in my opinion. There is also a metal silver piece on the headstock. The guitar HAS NOT been altered, these are custom parts that were made specifically for this guitar. I do not have the original pick guard. There is some minor cracking on the fingerboard as visible in photo # 3. These are stable and have not changed in many years. The bridge has also been upgraded which is excellent because you have MUCH more control over the intonation than with the original fixed bridge. I do not have the original bridge. Everything else is original. The action and intonation on the guitar is perfect and it sounds awesome! Thanks for looking and please email with any questions."
After owning it for about a month I decided I wasn't happy with the setup and decided to let it go to someone else rather than spend a lot of time trying to make it work. Sold for $1,000 in May 2013, which was a bit of a loss but sometimes it's better just to move on to the next one. Incredibly, the next owner then spends $150 fixing a hairline crack around one of the tuner screws. Not $150 on a setup, not $150 to fix the pots, not $ to replace the broken tuner, a hairline crack in hard rock maple. Go figure.
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"Up for sale is a modified Dan Armstrong guitar, circa 1970, with a single Rock Treble (RT) pickup and no case. Bridge has been changed out to a DiMarzio strat-style bridge, and the scratch plate and headstock facing have been changed out as well. Nut looks like it's been replaced with aluminum, but cut and shaped to look very similar to an original DA nut. Electronics have been modified as well - new pots, knobs, and no mystery switch. Volume control doesn't attenuate very much, but I just run everything wide open anyway. The original RT pickup is in excellent shape with almost no chipping."
"Guitar has been played quite a bit over its life, with lots of the usual finish scratches but no major gouges or dents in the body. Neck has similar wear. At one point, someone moved the upper strap button to the other horn, then back again. Thanks! Frets still have a decent amount of life in them, but have probably been leveled at some time on the last 40 years. Fingerboard is in nice shape, looks like it's been dyed ebony, but not to worry this is an original neck and one of the chunkier early ones. Serial A1308D is very visible on the side of the neck. Very tight neck/body joint, don't think this was ever taken apart. Tuners are original Grovers and you will notice the back has popped off of one of them - works fine though." "In sum, this is a vintage player-grade Dan Armstrong and is being priced accordingly." |