I've seen pics of Keith using this on tour, and I thought I saw Bill use the bass live. On which recorded songs, if any, were these peculiar looking axes used? I used to own a bass, but I can't remember which popular bass player I was trying to copy! Was it Felix Pappalardi (sp?) of Mountain possibly?

right, now let's see if i've learned anything from all the fine patient learned & goodlookin Keith Guitar Connoisseurs around here! :E
yes, Keith very famously used an Ampeg Dan Armstrong from 69 to 71. it was among the guitars stolen from Nellcote in 71,
and although he then acquired a replacement or two, which he used briefly on the 72 tour,
he apparently didn't like the replacements as well as his original (which i believe was a prototype model).

and indeed Bill played an Ampeg bass for a while there - for example on the 72 tour - but i haven't kept much track of the details.

if you read this very educational thread here: [iorr.org]
both Keith and Bill may have used their Ampegs on the studio version of Brown Sugar
(among other studio tracks, of course - but leave me not speculate. some of the fine experts will have a lot more to say, i hope!)
and of course you can see/hear Keith with his Ampeg Dan Armstrong in the film Gimme Shelter and the 71 Marquee Club footage.
(he also has it on the 1969 Sullivan show, and more than one of the 69/70 Top of the Pops appearances, but those are playback situations.)


- 1970, by Chris Walter



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2006-03-08 09:26 by with sssoul.

I think he used a kind of a see through dan armstrong guitar for gimme shelter (keith that is)

Gimmie Shelter is indeed among the numbers presented on the 69 Sullivan show and Top of the Pops, but since those are playback situations
i don't know if that means much about what he used on the studio track or in concert.

the only guitar i've ever heard Keith mention using to record Gimmie Shelter was that Maton that the neck fell off of
(but of course that doesn't mean it was the only guitar he used on it); i'm sure someone here knows what he played GS on in concert in 69 - 71 ...


"What do you want - what?!"
- Keith



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-03-08 09:44 by with sssoul.

Thats a great pic of Keith, can you say what, where and when?

(I thought at first he was standing next to his washing machine, then I realised;
a) It was a gold disc.
b)Keith wouldn't know how to use and probably didn't own a washing machine).


Do you have anymore pics like this?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-03-08 10:15 by turd.

>> Thats a great pic of Keith, can you say what, where and when? <<

the Chris Walter shot is from the Netherlands, october 1970 - apparently it was taken on or around the day of that gig where Stephen Stills joined them.
and yeah, there are more ... but first i wanted to post this very intriguing recent shot of Keith with (apparently!) a new Dan Armstrong.
it looks like the september 13th 2005 MSG show, and i would dearly love to know what number Keith used that guitar for,
and whether anyone's got any clearer shots of it (ahem, no pun intended!) or seen it at any other shows this tour:


- apparently sep 13th 2005; maybe by Kevin Mazur; courtesy of Rocks Off for sure







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-03-08 10:25 by with sssoul.

a few more of those Chris Walter shots from the Netherlands, october 1970:

The Stones went to the US to mix Let it Bleed in October 1969, and according to Dan Armstrong himself, it was at the house in LA that Keith and Mick had rented he gave Keith 2 Ampeg Dan Armstrong guitars. He did not have the bass version at that moment. The guitars were still prototypes, wich is most clear if you take a look at the humbucking pickup, wich is an aluminium housing instead of the later used epoxy raisin. I can only identify ONE Armstrong guitar in 1969, but from 1970 on there's clearly two: on with the aluminium pickup, mostly tuned to standard tuning, and one tuned to open G, and this one has a Rock Treble single coil pickup. Keith used the extensevily through 1969 and 1970, but on the 1971 tour he seemed to favour the Gibson Les Paul Custom over the Ampegs. He still uses them, but not as extensevily anymore. In the Exile book Keith can be seen on many pictures with the guitar, so he must have used it on Exile. In July most of his guitars were stolen, and he had them replaced with a bunch of encredible Les Pauls and Telecasters, most of them bough through Ted Newman Jones at George Gruhn's in Memphis. For the '72 tour, he used the Ampeg DA for the first couple of shows, but according to himself they were nowhere near the quality of the handmade prototypes. He didn't use one until MSG last year, where he played Bitch on a new Japanese made Ampeg DA.

It's very hard to hear on which album cut he used the Ampeg. I am quite sure the main rythm part of I Got the Blues is on a DA, as is Rocks Off on Exile, but I have no clue on other tracks.

Ampegs were quite hard to find the last ten years, but never were really expensive (say $1500). The main reason is that they are quite hard to play (high action, high string tension), and they keep going out of tune due to the perspex shrinking at a different rate than the neck. So, taking a cold guitar on stage will leave you tuning up for the rest of the gig (this is why so many '69 gigs have Keith out of tune -check out Carol on the MSG DVD). The new Armstrongs are excellent guitars with bridges that can be intonated. They still are hard to keep in tune, but over-all they are excellent made as most Japanese guitars. You can't beat an Armstrong for open E slide!

Mathijs
ps check out [www.danarmstrong.org]

ohh thank you Mathijs!

>> from 1970 on there's clearly two <<

sure enough:


- october 1970, by Chris Walter