Dan Armstrong Guitar Registry

Black Fretless I

This rare fretless bass came up on Ebay for the second time in November 2019 at $3,995. Please see both listings for the full story.
Up for sale is an ALL ORIGINAL AMPEG 1969/1970 Dan Armstrong Lucite (Black Beauty) FRETLESS Bass Guitar.

Dan Armstrong loved this guitar so much, that he nicknamed it: "The BLACK BEAUTY". This Black Beauty FRETLESS Bass Guitar was Dan Armstrong's favorite, with the Black Ebony Fingerboard, the Black Pick guard and the Black Head stock! I read in Dan Armstrong's web site that he loaned his Black Beauty Fretless Bass Guitar to a friend for a while and it was never returned to him. Who Knows: this guitar may be his lost Black Beauty Fretless Bass guitar because my father purchased it from a Pawn Shop in Manhattan, NY back in 1978.

In total, AMPEG produces 140 Fretless Bass Guitars, and only two or three of them were the Black Beauty models! Therefore, this AMPEG Dan Armstrong Black Beauty Bass Guitar is extremely rare! I was told that this guitar was the first Black Beauty produced, and was considered the Prototype model for the Black Beauty Fretless Bass guitar series.

I am selling this guitar for my father who is the second owner and purchased it in 1978. He has had this guitar in his position for the last 41 years. The guitar comes complete with the original Hard Case (see last posted picture). He still has the original Sales Receipt for this guitar as well! Again, this guitar is ALL ORIGINAL and in excellent working condition. It is all original up to and including all of the special pick guard mounting screws, the truss rod cover mounting screws, and the small pickup mounting thumb screw located on the back of the guitar body, which is used to secure the pickup to the guitar body. Many Dan Armstrong guitars wind up losing this pickup mounting thumb screw because it is easily loosened and lost due to the vibrations created from playing the guitar for extended periods of time.

This guitar has the upgraded TONE SWITCH, which was not available on the first lot of AMPEG Dan Armstrong Bass Guitars. I was told that AMPEG sold a complete Tone Toggle Switch upgrade kit, which came with a schematic drawing and mounting instructions, so that this tone toggle switch can be added to all bass guitars that did not have this switch installed when it left the factory.
This is a rare vintage highly sought after AMPEG Dan Armstrong Lucite Black Beauty Fretless Bass Guitar and it is sold As-Is and with No-Returns, so please check all the posted pictures and ask all questions prior to purchasing.
This fretless DA bass with black appointments came up for auction on Ebay in June 2015 with a buy-it-now price of $6,495.  According to the seller, this might have been a one-off bass produced specifically for Dan Armstrong.  While we'll never know if that's a true story, the thumb rest was set at the factory in a slightly different position, suggesting that this was indeed a custom order for someone.  In addition, the pickguard material does not seem to be the matte black Formica that Ampeg used toward the end of the bass production, but attractive black/white laminated PVC that would have been widely available and less prone to cracking.

The seller also noted that there is no serial number stamped on the side of the neck, which again implies the bass might have been a "special " model for either an Ampeg employee or perhaps even Dan Armstrong himself.  That said, it does seem to be completely factory, with correct wiring for 1971, and very much in line with the other run of black-appointed basses that Ampeg produced towards the end of 1971, although it's certainly possible that it could have been produced in late 1970 based on the potentiometer codes.
I am selling this EXTREMELY RARE Bass guitar which is an all original AMPEG Dan Armstrong 1969-1970 Vintage Clear Acrylic Lucite FRETLESS EBONY Prototype Bass Guitar.  I purchase this guitar way back in 1978 at a Pawn Shop on 8th Avenue in New York City for $250 which was  expensive for a used guitar at that time!   When I purchased it, I was told that it was a prototype guitar and that I was the second owner!  This guitar was my personal Bass Guitar that I used with my band and I have taken very good care of it.  I still have the original receipt for this guitar.

This extremely RARE, 1969-1970 AMPEG Dan Armstrong Vintage ACRYLIC FRETLESS Bass Guitar is known by Dan Armstrong as the "BLACK BEAUTY"!   It was is his favorite Bass guitar because it had an EBONY FRETLESS Fingerboard, a BLACK Pickguard, and a BLACK Headstock and Thumb-rest!

The original manufacture date for this guitar is 1969-1970  and can be verified and proven by the coded date stamped on both of the POTS, the VOLUME POT, and the TONE POT, which are stamped: "1377038" (see last picture).  This coded date stamp is interpreted as follows: "137" is the manufacturer code (ie. CTS), the "70" is the year of production (ie. 1970), and the "38" means the this POT was produced in the 38th week of 1970.   When I purchased this guitar I was told it was a 1969 AMPEG Fretless Bass Guitar so the production of this guitar was probably started toward the end of 1969 and completed sometime in 1970.

The following paragraph which is detailed below in RED  print was extracted from Dan Armstrong's website.  It specifies his love for the "BLACK BEAUTY" Fretless ACRYLIC Bass Guitar, specifically with the Fretless EBONY Fingerboard, along with the BLACK Pick-Guard, Headstock and Thumb-Rest:

"In my first interview with Dan, back in 1999 I recall that Dan was almost chuckling as he told me the story about one of his clear acrylic basses saying "one year on my birthday I was surprised with the gift of a Dan Armstrong fretless bass that was specially made just for me. Someone found out that I loved fretless ebony fingerboards and that's what this bass had. I was in the process of moving so I left the bass with a friend. A few months after my move I checked back in with my friend only to find out that he pawned it, or sold it. The next time I saw that bass it was being played by none other than bassist Jack Bruce."  

It's funny, but I purchased this AMPEG BLACK BEAUTY FRETLESS Bass Guitar in 1978 from a pawn shop on 8th Avenue in New York City! I can not be sure but this guitar may be Dan Armstrong's personal  BLACK BEAUTY Fretless Bass guitar!  The Black Beauty guitar that was specifically made for him and presented to him as a surprise on his birthday and later, pawned by his best friend.  Who Knows!!!

A Dan Armstrong clear Lucite bass guitar was also made famous by Bill Wyman, the bass player for The Rolling Stones Rock Band!

I was told that this guitar was a PROTOTYPE  guitar for the AMPEG line of Dan Armstrong's Clear Lucite Fretless Bass Guitars.   AMPEG manufactured only 150 Fretless BASS GUITARS, but it is said that only about 2 or 3 were the BLACK BEAUTY Model.   

Also posted on Dan Armstrong web site is that the "Black Beauty" Fretless Bass Guitar with the Ebony Fingerboard was listed as a special order instrument and was much more expensive to purchase.  That is why almost all of the 150 Fretless bass guitars produced by AMPEG, were the common standard units that have the brown wood grain pickguard, the brown wood grain  headstock, and the standard  light brown Fretless fingerboard. 

It is a known fact that all of the Dan Armstrong Fretless Bass Guitars have very low action.  Dan states: "On such a bass guitar with no frets, you can lower the action to the point where it would rival the action of most six-string guitars".

This guitar has been thoroughly inspected and found to be in excellent condition.   In addition, it was found to be 100% original and with no modifications at all.    The lucite body is in great condition with no cracks, large scratches or scrapes, and no non original extra holes were drilled anywhere on the body, even under the pickguard.  

The neck is in excellent condition as well!  It is straight with no twists or warps!  The frets are all of the original frets and they are in very good condition.  The truss rod has been checked and is in good working condition with lots of adjustment left for future use if ever needed. Lastly, the neck has the original tuners, nut, truss rod cover, and the original factory finish.  

This guitar is being sold with the original Ampeg Dan Armstrong Fretless Bass form fitted hard case, which is in very good condition for a 55 year old guitar. 

I tested and checked everything on this guitar and there are no problems whatsoever!

I truly believe that this guitar will continue to dramatically increase in value throughout the years.  I also believe that this guitar is currently worth a lot more than the $6,495 asking price, but since i am in need of cash, I priced it for a quick sale.

Please see my 100% POSITIVE FEEDBACK to gain confidence in the accuracy of the description and condition of  this guitar.

I normally accept a 14 day return period on all necks, bodies, and guitar parts I sell, but on expensive Vintage guitars, I do not accept returns!  

I will not accept returns on this guitar because the new owner will have a great deal of time to play it, and even take it out to live performances which may cause damage to this rare vintage instrument.   If the guitar is abused, misused and mishandled, it may get damaged or scratched before it is returned.  In that case, I will not be able to sell it with the same current condition description any longer so I will have to sell it at a much lower price.      

Please check all the pictures, and ask all questions before you purchase this guitar.   This was my personal guitar and I have played and recorded with this guitar for the past 40 years so I know this instrument in and out! I assure you, you will not be disappointed!