Ampeg Dan Armstrong copy

Ken · April 23, 2025, 01:08:42 PM

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.

Chris P. · April 23, 2025, 04:02:19 PM

Really cool! Enjoy it

morrow · April 29, 2025, 08:02:05 AM

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.

Ken · April 29, 2025, 08:14:59 AM

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?

Chris P. · April 29, 2025, 11:17:30 AM

Have to dig my copy up and play it! Enjoy your bass!

morrow · April 30, 2025, 08:35:25 AM

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.

Ken · April 30, 2025, 12:11:09 PM

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.

Chris P. · April 30, 2025, 04:34:26 PM

All MM pickups are passive, the electronics in a MM are active. Of course some brands make active MM style pickups

morrow · May 01, 2025, 06:21:15 AM

When the batteries in the preamp in a MM go , everything goes quiet. Unlike some other active basses.

Dave W · May 01, 2025, 08:29:25 AM

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.

Alanko · May 01, 2025, 02:35:21 PM

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.

Chris P. · May 01, 2025, 04:05:35 PM

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.

Chris P. · May 01, 2025, 04:07:42 PM

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.

morrow · May 02, 2025, 05:38:43 AM

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.

Basvarken · May 02, 2025, 09:11:10 AM

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.