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Topic: MSA Techs: What are these things and their purpose? |
Allan Jirik
From:
Wichita Falls TX
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Posted 22 May 2010 5:30 pm |
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I'll describe this the best I can: Two very thin pieces of metal, one between the 4th and 5th changer fingers and the other between the 8th and 9th fingers. Attached to each is a chunky piece of plastic that's screwed down in the cutout area next to the pickup. What's the purpose of these things? The guitar is an older MSA S-12 Classic. See photo. Thanks!
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Mike Wheeler
From:
Delaware, Ohio, USA
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Posted 22 May 2010 6:18 pm
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Allan, they are intended to reinforce the shaft that the changer fingers ride on.
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Best regards,
Mike |
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Bobby D. Jones
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 22 May 2010 7:11 pm MSA Rod Supports
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Allen
Yes these stiffen the rod that runs through the changer. my S10 and D10 have a single one between the 5th and 6th. Did you remove the screws???
I hope you have the 2 screws for each one. If you bought this guitar second hand and they were not in there. You will have to replace them or the rood will bend and you won't be able to tune it.
GOOD LUCK |
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Allan Jirik
From:
Wichita Falls TX
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Posted 23 May 2010 5:14 am
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Thanks for your help, guys. Yes, I have the screws. I took them out before I realized they had nothing to do with the pickup. I've ordered a Wallace TT-12 for it.
Allan |
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John Groover McDuffie
From:
LA California, USA
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Posted 23 May 2010 1:17 pm
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If it is a standard Truetone 12 you will probably have to rout the neck pocket to get the pickup to fit, unfortunately. The pickups on this vintage MSA (I have one) are much narrower than the sizes that have become standardized since these MSAs were built. That is one of my two gripes with that guitar, the weight being the other.
I love the sound of the stock pickup, it is just noisy since it is a single coil. Hopefully the TT, although a single coil, will be somewhat quieter. |
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Allan Jirik
From:
Wichita Falls TX
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Posted 23 May 2010 7:39 pm
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| Jerry Wallace has asked for many measurements, I think he's got the old S-12 thing down. I hope so, don't want to do any routing... |
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John Groover McDuffie
From:
LA California, USA
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Posted 23 May 2010 8:11 pm
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| Wow, I'd love to know if he now has a pickup that will fit. He said when I talked to him that he could only rewind mine, couldn't make me a new pickup that would fit. |
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Allan Jirik
From:
Wichita Falls TX
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Posted 23 May 2010 8:17 pm
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| John, Jerry said he was going to "trim" the pickup to fit. Also, since the PU attached to the guitar from the bottom, he was including a plate that I could glue to the pickup and fasten to the bottom of the guitar. |
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John Groover McDuffie
From:
LA California, USA
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Posted 23 May 2010 8:45 pm
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| Ask him to take notes of his measurements, because if he can fit one of his pickups to the early MSA size I'd be a customer and I'm probably not the only one. |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 24 May 2010 6:09 am
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"the rod will bend and you won't be able to tune it."
Bobby D., what's the diameter of the changer axle? I have a kinda hard time thinking a 1/2" steel rod, only a bit over 3" long would bend due to the forces involved. There's another thread on the same subject, where those braces were removed and extra shim washers were added. Seems most guitars today don't use them. Just curious! |
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Martin Weenick
From:
Lecanto, FL, USA
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Posted 25 May 2010 8:17 am Axel Shaft
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A center support is absolutely worthless on any stainless or alloy aluminum shaft that is 3/8 inch or larger in diameter. You are not going to flex that shaft I dont care how many strings you pull at once. Not even 1/10,000 of an inch. If you have a drop in tuneing when pedals are pressed then you best start looking at all the parts involved in that pull especially the ones that are screwed into the wood cabinate, connectors, linkages etc. Rule OUT the axle shaft, Martin.
_________________
Several custom steels. NV-112 Boss DD-7 |
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Larry Bressington
From:
Nebraska
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Posted 26 May 2010 5:01 pm
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My M.S.A has a centre support for the crossrods right down the middle of the body, I took out the nylon bushings because it played much smoother and less contact with another bushing, i agree with 'Martin' on that theory.
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A.K.A Chappy. |
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Allan Jirik
From:
Wichita Falls TX
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Posted 26 May 2010 7:41 pm TT-12 Pickup
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I received the TT-12 pickup today, and just like Jerry Wallace said, it fits perfectly into the cutout. He supplied a plastic base with mounting hardware which is supposed to be glued to the bottom of the pickup and screwed to the underside of the guitar. I can't wait to try it but I'm (with help from other threads) doing a 36-year cleaning, lube and polish. By request I'm attaching a couple pics.
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