How many Dan Armstrong basses were produced?
Updated October 2023.
The general methodology for estimating Ampeg Dan Armstrong bass production is the same as for the guitars (please see the guitar production FAQ page for more detail). Bass production likely started at serial number D101A and seems to have ended with basses in the low 2600's. The earliest bass we've seen so far is D103A and the latest is D2622A.
Similar to the Dan Armstrong guitars, there was a large block of serial numbers that were "skipped" when the wiring spec changed in 1971, and Ampeg simply jumped ahead to serial number D2000A after making the production change. However, now that we have catalogued basses D1607A and D1643A, it seems likely that the block of skipped numbers is only 350 phantom instruments, not 400 as previously thought. So taking this information into account, our current estimate is that Ampeg produced approximately 2,175 basses between 1969 and 1971.
The general methodology for estimating Ampeg Dan Armstrong bass production is the same as for the guitars (please see the guitar production FAQ page for more detail). Bass production likely started at serial number D101A and seems to have ended with basses in the low 2600's. The earliest bass we've seen so far is D103A and the latest is D2622A.
Similar to the Dan Armstrong guitars, there was a large block of serial numbers that were "skipped" when the wiring spec changed in 1971, and Ampeg simply jumped ahead to serial number D2000A after making the production change. However, now that we have catalogued basses D1607A and D1643A, it seems likely that the block of skipped numbers is only 350 phantom instruments, not 400 as previously thought. So taking this information into account, our current estimate is that Ampeg produced approximately 2,175 basses between 1969 and 1971.
Dan Armstrong Bass Production 1969 - 1971
|