I stop buying basses now for a while.
As a '70s Faces and Stones fan I always fancied a see through Dan Armstrong bass. Real ones are around 3000 euros/dollars (Euro and Dollar are 1:1 at the moment) plus shipping, VAT, etc. A friend bought a copy at the NAMM, installed a Nordstrand and he loves it, so I went looking for one,
I bought this one on Aliexpress recently. The bass + shipping + taxes + i port duties were € 260 ($ 260) in total. A steal. It's very well made, I have to work on the action. It doesn't sound that good, the neck isn't that nice, but hey: who cares? :mrgreen: Maybe I'll look out for a decent MM pickup, but I see it more as a bass for pics, videos, etc. I don't want to spend too much moneys on it.
(https://myalbum.com/photo/4gSTpdrJDttf/360.jpg)
Hard to go wrong at that price. Standard pickup shape gives you lots of options.
I had a Chinese Dan Armstrong copy for a week or so. I struggled with it. It had one or two fatal flaws sadly.
I just took delivery of one of these and I have to say it's beautifully made. Great neck, excellent fret work and the body is a piece of machined acrylic art. Plays great. The pickup is a little lack luster but my DOD pre amp pedal gives it a good boost. For $299 I couldn't be happier. I've played a original one more than one occasion and this beats them hands down.
Very nice, congrats!
I was looking at those recently as I had heard several recent reviews that raved about the overall quality. People were simply amazed at the price and service. They were quite prepared for an absolute POS to arrive , and quite happy with what arrived. I was all set until I realized these were not short scales like the originals.
And when I heard the godofthunder was looking too , my curiosity has been up.
I might still ask about a smaller shortscale model.
I'm also looking at a UniVox High-Flier , I seem to be in a weird cheap bass mode.
The Univox Hi-Flyers and their clones have a great look, are light and easy on the shoulder, and are fun basses to play. And a Good Univox isn't cheap any more!
I have a line on the second version , reasonable price. So raised headstock logo , black pickups. I understand there were four versions. I have a surprising number of friends that owned one around fifty years ago. Some simply hated them , and some love them. I found it interesting to learn that Roger Rossmeisl was a mentor to a young Semie Moseley. He worked at Rickenbacker.
So I've been down that rabbit hole , I've got far too much stuff as it is , but I'm fascinated. Herself is ok with me cluttering up the house with basses. I wouldn't be surprised to see one arrive.
And I'm still curious to see if there's a shortscale lucite somewhere in China ...
A Merry Christmas to all. A short video of my Armstrong copy. https://youtu.be/qAKzFQ1OrZs
I wish it was a short scale.
The latest from Scott.
https://youtu.be/SOehyoF8hNQ
I took the Armstrong to my Sabbath/Ozzy tribute and I was more than impressed with it in a band situation. It's Big sound but cuts right through. It's tone has a very unique shimmering sustain that didn't show itself through small amp at home. I was able to get the action super low and it plays effortlessly. Easily one of the best sounding basses I own.
There seems to be inconstant product coming out , And I'm thankful you got a beauty , Scott. Most of the recent reviews I've seen are glowing.
My UniVox arrived about four days after it was promised , but I know the mail can be iffy up here in the dead of winter (however here on the coast it's been milder than usual)
I'm quite liking it. Someone asked me for a video so here's a minute of mindless noodling. It's just recorded with the iPad mic , I was playing at a very low volume.
Took it out to a rehearsal yesterday , the band loved it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EABfLXWY9QQ
Sounds good!
Hoowee ... I was going through marketplace recently and came across an ad that was about six months old , for an original Dan Armstrong for only $450. I immediately tried to contact the seller. No luck. I also found a local sale that was more recent for about ten times the price. Looking carefully at the pics , they were not the same bass.
I wish I had immediately seen the original ad , I would have scooped that instantly. An old friend that lives in LA picked up a Chinese copy some years ago and asked me if I'd like the copy. It's a gift. And it's on the way.
I'm completely gobsmacked.
And really looking forward to trying this. Me inner Keith Richards is coming out again , I should probably grow out a mullet and start wearing scarves.
Quote from: morrow on April 23, 2025, 10:45:44 AMHoowee ... I was going through marketplace recently and came across an ad that was about six months old , for an original Dan Armstrong for only $450. I immediately tried to contact the seller. No luck. I also found a local sale that was more recent for about ten times the price. Looking carefully at the pics , they were not the same bass.
I wish I had immediately seen the original ad , I would have scooped that instantly. An old friend that lives in LA picked up a Chinese copy some years ago and asked me if I'd like the copy. It's a gift. And it's on the way.
I'm completely gobsmacked.
And really looking forward to trying this. Me inner Keith Richards is coming out again , I should probably grow out a mullet and start wearing scarves.
There is a ton of the copies on eBay. Even left-handed ones.
Really cool! Enjoy it
(https://i.postimg.cc/rprSbhRB/IMG_1277.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
This arrived yesterday morning , and I love it. It has some heft , but is not as heavy as I thought it might be. The neck is substantial , I'm fine with that. I'm accustomed to playing various necks , and with a little time seem to adapt to anything. The tone lacks character , but isn't bad. It's clean. I'll be playing around with various amps today. I managed to find an old set of flats on a bass I don't pick up too often and put them on. Liking the flats more than the rounds that were there. It's now set for my playing preferences.
I'm truly thankful for this gift! I really had no idea this was going to happen. I'm going to have to do something similar for somebody.
Very nice! I did enjoy briefly the one someone has in our practice space, and it's even lefty. If you don't find a happy place with the tone, I guess that's a standard MM pickup?
Have to dig my copy up and play it! Enjoy your bass!
Quote from: Ken on April 29, 2025, 08:14:59 AMVery nice! I did enjoy briefly the one someone has in our practice space, and it's even lefty. If you don't find a happy place with the tone, I guess that's a standard MM pickup?
It looks like one , but it's passive.
Quote from: morrow on April 30, 2025, 08:35:25 AMIt looks like one , but it's passive.
I bet plenty of lots of pickup makers make MM style ones in passive.
All MM pickups are passive, the electronics in a MM are active. Of course some brands make active MM style pickups
When the batteries in the preamp in a MM go , everything goes quiet. Unlike some other active basses.
Quote from: Chris P. on April 30, 2025, 04:34:26 PMAll MM pickups are passive, the electronics in a MM are active. Of course some brands make active MM style pickups
EMGs are active, I'm not aware of any others.
Quote from: morrow on May 01, 2025, 06:21:15 AMWhen the batteries in the preamp in a MM go , everything goes quiet. Unlike some other active basses.
Easy enough to install a bypass switch. I've had adequate warning that the battery is going. though.
Genuine MM pickups are low output, they're designed to work with a preamp. There are higher output MM style pickups on the market.
Quote from: morrow on April 30, 2025, 08:35:25 AMIt looks like one , but it's passive.
Pickups are always passive, high impedance in Stingrays.
The Dan Armstrong copy probably sounds a bit blah as the pickup will be wired with the coils in series and with quite powerful ceramic magnets, so it is a hot loud vanilla nothingberg of a pickup. No character just loud.
Quote from: Alanko on May 01, 2025, 02:35:21 PMPickups are always passive, high impedance in Stingrays.
The Dan Armstrong copy probably sounds a bit blah as the pickup will be wired with the coils in series and with quite powerful ceramic magnets, so it is a hot loud vanilla nothingberg of a pickup. No character just loud.
:mrgreen:
Quote from: Dave W on May 01, 2025, 08:29:25 AMEMGs are active, I'm not aware of any others.
Easy enough to install a bypass switch. I've had adequate warning that the battery is going. though.
Genuine MM pickups are low output, they're designed to work with a preamp. There are higher output MM style pickups on the market.
Yeah, I mean all the original pickups are passive. EMG makes active ones and Warwick/MEC too.
Quote from: Alanko on May 01, 2025, 02:35:21 PMPickups are always passive, high impedance in Stingrays.
The Dan Armstrong copy probably sounds a bit blah as the pickup will be wired with the coils in series and with quite powerful ceramic magnets, so it is a hot loud vanilla nothingberg of a pickup. No character just loud.
Exactly. I might well be replacing it. Sounds ok , but no character.
I owned a MusicMan Stingray and I took the pre-amp out because I didn't like the lack of dynamics.
The bass had a normal output after I took the pre-amp out.
Quote from: morrow on May 02, 2025, 05:38:43 AMExactly. I might well be replacing it. Sounds ok , but no character.
I've had quite good luck with Kent Armstrong's import MM pickup. Wired in parallel it had all the right bite for a Stingray. It just isn't my voice on bass!
Quote from: Chris P. on May 01, 2025, 04:07:42 PMYeah, I mean all the original pickups are passive. EMG makes active ones and Warwick/MEC too.
The MEC MMs are passive.
I'm just going to play it for now , but might well try another pickup later.
Quote from: Dave W on May 03, 2025, 03:18:14 AMThe MEC MMs are passive.
MEC has closed active ones too.
Quote from: Chris P. on May 03, 2025, 02:00:19 PMMEC has closed active ones too.
We're getting way off topic here, but all the MM style on MEC's website are passive. If they make active ones, they're hiding them from me.
Quote from: Dave W on May 06, 2025, 08:14:34 AMWe're getting way off topic here, but all the MM style on MEC's website are passive. If they make active ones, they're hiding them from me.
We sure are. I just was on the MEC website and you're totally right. All passive. I did review some basses with active MEC MM style pickups. I'm sure. I guess they are discontinued.