{"product_id":"ampeg-amub-1-previously-owned-by-steve-knight-of-mountain-electric-bass-guitar-1968-10361","title":"Ampeg AMUB-1, Previously Owned by Steve Knight of Mountain Electric Bass Guitar (1968)","description":"Ampeg AMUB-1, Previously Owned by Steve Knight of Mountain Model Electric Bass Guitar (1968), made in Linden NJ, serial # 000574C, red\/black sunburst finish, laminated maple body, maple neck with ebony fingerboard, black gig bag case. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis Ampeg Fretless Bass is a relatively rare instrument with a very interesting provenance. It is an Ampeg AMUB-1 (Ampeg Magnetic Unfretted Bass #1) given to Steve Knight of Mountain in late 1970, and used by him as a gigging instrument for years after the breakup of that seminal New York band. Knight played keyboards in Mountain, but had worked with frontman\/bassist\/producer Felix Pappalardi as early in 1966-7 while in a band called The Devil's Anvil. Pappalardi produced and played on their lone Columbia album in 1967, with Knight playing bass and guitar. The two apparently enjoyed working together, as when Pappalardi put Mountain together around Leslie West and himself he tapped Knight to fill out the band's sound on keys. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis bass was presented to Knight while he was a member of Mountain; he fastidiously kept the owner's warranty papers with the instrument detailing exactly when and where it was received. He filled our Ampeg's \"Owner's History Card\" by hand detailing his address on Thompson Street in New York's Greenwich Village; under date purchased he wrote \"? (Gift-unsealed November 10\" and noted the dealer as \"Mannys\". That 48th street store is famous for name players acquiring instruments there, and acted as a dealer go-between for most of the era's top bands. Further documentation is provided by the typed Ampeg warranty card, with Knight's name and address filled in and a registry date of November 11, 1970. The original instruction manual and service center paperwork is included, along with some additional Ampeg promo one-sheets for other products. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile Steve Knight is remembered primarily as Mountain's keyboardist, he was a multi-instrumentalist and electric bass was one of his primary specialties. He was occasionally pictured playing bass at Mountain rehearsals, even though the band was led by a very well-regarded bassist. After Mountain's initial breakup in 1972, Knight primarily played in more jazz-oriented situations, where this fretless bass would have been very useful. According to his family this Ampeg was his primary gigging instrument for many years. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe bass itself is the second version of the first production fretless bass guitar. The specifications of the 1968 second series Ampeg models are rather different from the first 1966 versions. The bridge and pickup were redesigned to make the instrument more practical for the high-volume music of the late 1960s. The originals were aimed more at players weaned on the upright bass.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAmpeg basses of the 1960s were the product of company founder Everett Hull's personal distaste for the Fender bass guitar...he considered upright bass to be the only legitimate low end instrument! The 1966 Ampeg \"Horizontal Bass\" was designed to utilize the same vibration-activated \"Mystery Pickup\" (located under the bridge) as the upright Baby Bass, allowing the use of gut strings as well as steel-core for more traditional bass sounds. It was initially offered in fretted and fretless models designated the AEB-1 and AUB-1. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the higher-volume playing environments of the late 1960s, this design proved impractical as the pickup was somewhat inefficient and rather microphonic. After Hull sold the company to Unimusic in 1967, the instrument was re-designed with a magnetic pickup, located in the center of the body. This pickup is an interesting and unusual design, with four separate coils set inside a block of epoxy resin. This makes it fully humbucking with a nice dark and growly tone, very effective on a fretless instrument.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe bridge was also redesigned into a single integrated unit, which did not require the extra long strings of the original model. It is fully adjustable for height and intonation, with an additional tension bar behind the saddles that can vary the string angle. The almost-solid body is carved from solid blocks of maple, which is another improvement from the multi-laminated bodies of the earlier models. The unique scroll-head neck is also maple, with a heavy ebony fingerboard. This is an extremely high quality, professional grade instrument in all aspects.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe AMUB-1 abounds with original and thoughtful design touches, from the carved-through f-holes that can be used as handles to the pull-for-off volume pot. This was the first fretless electric bass offered commercially but the production run was under two years and relatively few were made. The AMUB-1 with the fretless neck with the superior 1968 body and pickup design is perhaps the greatest of the Ampeg basses...it is certainly the most useful to serious players and remains absolutely distinctive in both look and sound 50+ years on.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSteve Knight used this bass as a gigging instrument for some years through the 1970s and beyond. Other well known users include The Band's Rick Danko (the AMUB is most associated with him) and Boz Burrell of Bad Company. The AMUB-1 is simply one of those sadly underappreciated classics, a far better instrument than its relative obscurity would suggest.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eOverall length is 47 in. (119.4 cm.), 14 1\/2 in. (36.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1\/4 in. (3.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 34 1\/2 in. (876 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5\/8 in. (41 mm.). \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis imposing Ampeg remains in played but mostly original condition, showing some general wear and a number of quirky but minor modifications done by Steve Knight over the years. He obviously tinkered with the bass over the years but there are only minor alterations, mostly reversible if desired. We have elected to leave the instrument as he last played it; it was obviously gigged but also well cared for over several decades. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe body finish on these basses is notoriously fragile -- this one has survived better than many but shows small chips, dings, and rubbed spots on the edges but none of the wholesale flaking many have suffered. The back and lower edge have the heaviest wear; The center of the back has what looks like flamenco guitar tap-plate material (a clear plastic film) added as an overlay to help prevent belt buckle rash.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe finish on the back of the neck is mostly intact, it is rubbed down just very slightly along the spine. The ebony fingerboard has very little wear, with none of the divoting sometimes seen on old fretless basses. A couple of extra strap buttons have been added, one behind the headstock and one on the face of the body above the bridge. There is a small inexplicable screw hole in the pickguard under the G string. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn extra fifth screw has been added to the neck heel to further stabilize the neck attachment, and \"Steve Knight\" neatly etched there in script; both of these are hidden under the plastic neckplate which has one relocated screw hole. It looks like some putty (or similar) was added to any gaps around the neck joint. The bridge shows two odd but easily reversible modifications; there are pieces of wire inserted on the front edge (possibly to hold some sort of mute pads) and there is green fabric neatly glued on the tension bar and base of the bridge in front of it. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eApart form these small modifications the bass remains original and complete. The tailpiece coverplate and the knurled bolts that secure it are still intact, it seems that Knight removed it immediately but kept the pieces, as it shows hardly any wear. Playability is excellent and the sound is most unique, even among other fretless basses. While Steve Knight is not primarily remembered as a bassist, he played this instrument for years and took excellent care of it, even with the small modifications. Steve Knight passed away in 2013 and this bass comes directly from family; the original paperwork is still included and a letter of provenance is available. It is housed in a later high-grade gig bag. Overall Excellent - Condition.","brand":"Ampeg","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46853402460300,"sku":"10361","price":7950.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0672\/8702\/3756\/files\/01_47c3b5d7-b576-4d47-937b-1086f01998ae.jpg?v=1774337594","url":"https:\/\/retrofret.com\/products\/ampeg-amub-1-previously-owned-by-steve-knight-of-mountain-electric-bass-guitar-1968-10361","provider":"RetroFret","version":"1.0","type":"link"}