MSA Classic

Brad Issendorf · Post by **Brad Issendorf** » 27 Feb 2009 6:31 am

I still own and play my 75 Classic D 10 lacquer that was my first guitar. I bought it used when I was in my early twenties. The previous owner had installed heavy duty handles at each end of the case, so he could have people help him load it in and out at jobs. I turn 40 today and what I thought was a silly idea at the time now seems more and more appealing.

Larry Bressington · Post by **Larry Bressington** » 27 Feb 2009 8:09 am

I agree brad, if we can just except the bit of extra weight, we have a great machine for life, you know it will never break. How many MSA'S have you seen on the side of the road with broken off knee levers?
Anyhow,my wife never complains carrying mine, bless her little heart!

David Anderson · Post by **David Anderson** » 27 Feb 2009 11:03 am

I'm not the owner of this guitar, but the current care taker I guess. It was loaned to me a couple of years ago to learn on. Great steel! I hate to see it go away, but the owner has asked for it back. It's the one in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbfllWye ... annel_page

Keith Murrow · Post by **Keith Murrow** » 27 Feb 2009 11:07 am

Brian Rung wrote:'73 Semi-Classic 3/4, Has my fretboard been changed?

Did the semi-classics not have the chess piece inlays?

Brian, the Semi-Classic I started on in 1980 had a fretboard just like the one in your picture - rectangles, no chess pieces. As far as I know, mine was all original.

Brenda Scarborough · Post by **Brenda Scarborough** » 1 Mar 2009 5:28 am

My dad's '73 Classic has the chess pieces on the inlay.

Brian Herder · Post by **Brian Herder** » 20 Mar 2009 7:53 am

posted in the wrong thread.. oops.

James Cann · Post by **James Cann** » 21 Mar 2009 7:53 am

My dad's '73 Classic has the chess pieces on the inlay.

As did my da--er, my guitar, that is. My dad couldn't carry a tune in a bag, bless his heart.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 21 Mar 2009 8:15 am

David Anderson wrote:I'm not the owner of this guitar, but the current care taker I guess. It was loaned to me a couple of years ago to learn on. Great steel! I hate to see it go away, but the owner has asked for it back. It's the one in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbfllWye ... annel_page

The guitar in the video is one of the later maple/lacquer guitars with the silk screened fretboard and logos. I'm guessing it was made between '77 and '80.

You can see the difference between it and the one in Keith's picture if you look at the area by the pickup well.

Robert C. McKee · Post by **Robert C. McKee** » 21 Mar 2009 5:05 pm

Okay, so it's not a Classic, it's a 1979 Vintage XL. I'm the second owner, as of the past 14 months. Bob

Robert C. McKee · Post by **Robert C. McKee** » 22 Mar 2009 4:57 am

Mr. Mike Perlowin has been so kind as to point out that the Vintage XL pictured above is in fact a 1979, NOT a 1974 as previously stated. Thank you, Mike. I apologize to all. Hey, I'm over 50..I'm entitled to few mental snafu's. Besides, being married for 37 yrs to the same woman, (bless her), I'm used to being wrong. lol Perhaps the mod should delete the post entirely as it really doesn't belong with the 'classic' postings.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 22 Mar 2009 12:50 pm

Guys, take a look at how the neck on Keith's guitar wraps around the pickup, and compare it to where the neck meets the aluminum surrounding the pickup on Bob's guitar.

This is what I was talking about earlier.

I believe the design change occurred in 1976, but I am not absolutely positive about that. The change in design occurred at the same time the company switched from Mica to Lacquer finishes.

If the neck wraps around the pickup like Keith's, the guitar is from 1975 or earlier and has a Mica finish, and if it has an aluminum block like Bob's, it's later than '77 and is finished with lacquer.

Either way, they're great guitars that still hold up after all these years. I have one of each (as well as a Milly) and I love them all. (I feel like I have 2 older wives and a hot young girlfriend.)

Once again, Thank you Reece for building the best steel guitars in the world. Then and now.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 22 Mar 2009 12:55 pm

P.S. As far as I know, the only difference between the later Maple/lacquer classics and the Vintage XLs is the changer. The classics, both mica and lacquer, have a double raise double lower changer and the vintage XL is triple raise and lower.

There may be other differences I'm unaware of.

Robert C. McKee · Post by **Robert C. McKee** » 22 Mar 2009 3:12 pm

Geez Mike, Thanks again. I've learned more about my guitar from you in a few hrs than I've managed to teach myself the entire time I've owned it.

Truth is, what time I do get to spend on the steel, I spend learning to play. ONCE in a while, I actually get time to learn a little about their mechanics, but not often. This forum is just ever so amazing for me. Bob

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