(older) MSA string gauges

[Steve English]

I have owned various MSA guitars since 1974. I had always used the string gauges listed in the MSA booklet, typically buying Ernie Ball strings individually and making up my own sets when necessary, and keeping a dozen or so of the skinny ones on hand. Playing 5-7 nights a week, I could easily predict when and what strings would need replacing before they broke on stage.

In days of old, the local music store would run specials on E.B. strings several times a year and would let me assemble 6 strings of any gauge to make up a “set” for $1.95/set. Great deals!…..I played a D-12 at the time. Keep in mind that we didn’t have the internet and the type of outlets to buy packaged “factory” or “endorsed” string sets efficiently.

Here’s the MSA gauges that are listed in the owner’s handbook in comparison to the last Fessy I owned:

MSA..............Fessy
F#.....013........012
Eb......017........015
Ab.....010........011
E........013........014
B........017........018
Ab......024w......022p
F#......026........026w
E........030........030
D........036........034
B........038........038

Fast forward 30 years…….about 2 years ago, after reading a relative post on the Forum, I decide to get bold and try an .011 instead of the .010 on the 3rd string. After a little tweaking and a couple of nights playing, I was happy with the results, even feeling a little spunky with my newly acquired cutting-edge mentality.

Then a buddy of mine comes over one day and sees my old MSA manual, and while looking at the string gauges, raises an eyebrow as to why they are such unusual (to him) gauges…not only in reference to themselves, but to the packaged set gauges available today.

My question is this: Are their any other MSA owners that stuck with the original factory string recommendations, or have you been using the more typical Jagwire gauges?

Are the newer MSA’s coming setup with different gauges than the older ones?

What got me thinking about all of this is I have been given a set of stainless steel strings to try and have been avoiding putting them on because I know I’ll be tweaking the pulls to accommodate the differences in size. And, if I don’t like them, then it’s the whole process in reverse to get back to where I started. I’m confident with my mechanical abilities and have completely rebuilt MSA guitars in the past. I don’t play out much anymore, so I have the freedom to experiment without a deadline.

Any comments??

[Darvin Willhoite]

I use the same string gauges on all my steels, which is identical to your Fessenden list, except for my Emmons P/P, where I use a .012 third string instead of an .011. Due to size tolerances, new strings usually need to be tweaked slightly anyway.

[Neil Getz]

I use the Jagwire Lloyd Green set on my mica MSA S-10 Classic with no problems and very little breakage. They are stainless with gauges (p-plain, w-wound):

F#.013p
Eb.015p
Ab.0115p
E.014p
B.017p
Ab.022w
F#.026w
E.030w
D.034w
B.038w

I tweaked my way through a number of different sets before arriving at these. It's a worthwhile investment of time when you consider that once you've settled on a set you will probably use the same composition and gauges for years.

[Ernie Pollock]

Steve: I bailed out on those MSA Listed guages a long time ago, that 24wound 6th string was just too much for me, I have used a 22 plain then a 20 plain for that one. The MSA I have is probably a 72/73 Universal 12 with some little thing'es add to a couple of the changer fingers to give me triple raises where I need them. I am using
.012
.015
.011 1/2
.014
.018
.020
.026w
.030
.036
.042
.054
.070

They are working good for me.

Ernie Pollock
MSA S-12, GFI S-10, Marlen S-10
Fender Steel King, Evans SE-150, Peavey Nashville 400

[Bo Borland]

I used the factory specified gauges on my MSA from new in 1974-2006 for a couple reasons.
1. Bud Carter knew more than me then & still does!
2. Never had a problem breaking strings as long as I changed them regularly ( approx. 20 hours of playing for the plains) I always replaced all the wounds if the low B crapped out.
3. I did not want to adjust the nylon tuners except to fine tune.
With my new Derby, as long as change the strings regularly, only minor fine tuning is necessary.

[Steve English]

Thanks for the responses.

I see a couple of you guys use a plain string on the 6th string.

The MSA gauges were convenient in that the .013 and .017 were each used on two different strings.

My bud, Roy Brown, who is one of Tucson's finest steel players, gave me a set of George L's "Nashville" SS sets to try. This set also has the plain .020 6th string.

It's raining here this weekend and I'm trapped inside, so looks like I'll go for it and see how they sound.

Bo, I agree! My MSA has treated me right for many years. I've also had several Sho-Buds, and a ZB years ago , but can't remember what the string gauges were. My mica S-10 is the only one I've never let go of over the years.

[Danny Hullihen]

Steve, look here: http://www.jagwirestrings.biz/catalog/i84.html

These are the current O.E.M E-9th sets as used by MSA on all new guitars from the factory. They are available in both Nickel and Stainless.

Hope this helps.

[Brad Issendorf]

When I started playing in the early 90's, I bought a used 75 Classic D10 w/ lacquer that had been in storage. When I broke my first string, I sent away to Scotty's and got a set for the E9, not giving thought to guages and the results of changing them. It didn't come with an owners manual, so as the years went by and as I encountered more players and swapped ideas, I finally settled on guages that I have used on it for the last 10+ years that it was my main guitar. A year and a half ago I got my new Legend and it is set up with different guages. It is set up with enough changes that I will always use these on it as not to raise havoc with half stops and etc. My E9 guages are like this:

Classic: Legend:
F# .013 .013
Eb .015 .015
G# .012 .011
E .014 .014
B .017 .017
G# .020 .022
F# .026w .026w
E .030w .030w
D .034w .034w
B .036w .036w

[Steve English]

Thanks for the link Danny!

I made the change this afternoon and all went well. Had to tweak a couple of pulls to sync the B-C# because of the smaller gauge low B, and of course the low G# which is now a .020p. I didn't know if I would like the plain instead of a wound #6, but it sounds real nice and doesn't bother me a bit...

Plus, got to do a fluff 'n buff on the neck/tuners and hit the fingers with some Mothers

Now......what do I do with the 10" high pile of spare strings in my pac-seat?