The Steel Guitar Forum Store 

Post new topic How old is my new MSA?
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  How old is my new MSA?
Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 9 Oct 2011 2:18 pm    
Reply with quote

New to me, anyway. 2C278
Heavy as an ex-wife but sounds great
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger

Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 12 Oct 2011 6:10 pm     Reese? might I have an incomplete Serial?
Reply with quote

Looking at the other threads like this, the other guitars all have six characters in the serial number. I doublechecked Monday and I appear to have only five. I suppose that pretty black might have filled in a number, but I'm loath to chip it away to investigate.
did y'all ever offer such a treatment?
This weekend I'll take pics of the serial number
PS: those with larger pics (or the rest of you it you wanna be nice to B0b's server), you can it the pics up on photobucket and link them
The other shot of that pretty black work:
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger

Todd Brown


From:
W. Columbia , South Carolina
Post  Posted 12 Oct 2011 6:47 pm    
Reply with quote

Lane, that black all over the parts that would normally be polished aluminum is most likely powdercoating. Chances are it was done by Tom Bradshaw in California. He's restored alot of old MSA's, and he's known to powdercoat alot of parts.

As for the serial #, I can tell you mine is a '76, and has 6 characters. I do believe some of the older ones have only 5 characters. I wouldn't scratch any of the coating off!
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 12 Oct 2011 6:57 pm    
Reply with quote

I do know it's of the double raise, double lower vintage.
I certainly plays nice and smooth
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger

Todd Brown


From:
W. Columbia , South Carolina
Post  Posted 12 Oct 2011 7:08 pm    
Reply with quote

Yeah, mine is a double/double also, all the Classic's had that setup. Judging by the tuning keys, and the serial #, yours is probably around a '73. Shoot Reece an email if he doesn't see this thread in a day or so. He'll be glad to talk to you about it. I'd get in touch with Tom Bradshaw about the coating, he might remember that one, and have some history on it also.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Richard Sinkler


From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
Post  Posted 12 Oct 2011 7:18 pm    
Reply with quote

Quote:
Heavy as an ex-wife but sounds great


I just saw my ex a few weeks ago, and that guitar doesn't come close to what she now weighs.

I'm not a real MSA fan, but that is a beautiful guitar. Love the black aluminum parts.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Bobby D. Jones

 

From:
West Virginia, USA
Post  Posted 12 Oct 2011 7:40 pm     How old is my new MSA
Reply with quote

From the pictures it looks like it may be anodized, It has a shine that resembles anodized Alumnium. There is a place in Pittsburg that will Anidize Red. Gold, or Black and I am sure they are other plants that will do it. It sure is a neat MSA. Happy Steelin
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 12 Oct 2011 8:12 pm    
Reply with quote

Anodizing is usually more translucent, isn't it?
You cannot tell this from an auto finish or the ABS Western Electric made telephones from (back in the days of real phones).
You can't see aluminum, all you see is shiny and black, like James Brown's shoes.

I didn't know anodizing came that way.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger

Richard Sinkler


From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
Post  Posted 12 Oct 2011 9:35 pm    
Reply with quote

I used to work for an anodizing company, and maybe if theypolished to a mirror finish and did an R5 brite dip prior to anodizing, they might be able to get that finish. I have seen parts that were anodized that looked like that. But, I would doubt that is the case here. Probably powder coat.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Reece Anderson

 

From:
Keller Texas USA, R.I.P.
Post  Posted 13 Oct 2011 5:35 am    
Reply with quote

The guitar in the picture has black anodized aluminum. We didn't make many like the one pictured.
View user's profile Send private message

Reece Anderson

 

From:
Keller Texas USA, R.I.P.
Post  Posted 13 Oct 2011 5:46 am    
Reply with quote

The guitar in the picture has black anodized aluminum. We didn't make many like the one pictured.
View user's profile Send private message

Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 13 Oct 2011 5:46 am    
Reply with quote

Well, I'm glad you did, sir. It looks as pretty as it sounds.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger

Mike Perlowin


From:
Los Angeles CA
Post  Posted 13 Oct 2011 5:48 am    
Reply with quote

That guitar was made between 1970 and '76 That's approximately when MSA changed their design and went from Mica to lacquer.

On your guitar, the neck extends all the way to the pickup well. The later MSAs have the pickup surrounded on all 4 sides by an aluminum housing. If you look at all the lacquer guitars on the "Show us" thread, you can see this.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Kevin Mincke


From:
Farmington, MN (Twin Cities-South Metro) USA
Post  Posted 13 Oct 2011 8:30 am    
Reply with quote

I had the single neck version of this (sandlewood? white soft woodgrain) bought new in the late 70's. My uncle bought the double neck version at the time. Wish I still had it.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Richard Sinkler


From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
Post  Posted 13 Oct 2011 11:25 am    
Reply with quote

Well, I think Reece answered the question of whether it was anodized or not.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 13 Oct 2011 11:33 am    
Reply with quote

Yup. I'll take his word any day.
Now just waiting to hear how old.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger

Reece Anderson

 

From:
Keller Texas USA, R.I.P.
Post  Posted 14 Oct 2011 4:03 am    
Reply with quote

Lane.....MSA records show your guitar was originally sent to Bruce Armstrong's Harmony Ranch Music in Canada. It left the factory with 8 pedals and 2 knee levers. Although we were keeping good records at that time of production, we didn't start entering completion dates until later.

Having said that, based only on our production code sequence, I would say your guitar was produced in early 1974.

I appreciate your playing and MSA and your interest in the history of your guitar. I trust it will continue to serve you well.
View user's profile Send private message

Elton Smith


From:
Texas, USA
Post  Posted 14 Oct 2011 4:41 pm    
Reply with quote

I would say thats right.I own a single neck 12 string of the same guitar. Serial # 1c228 .Reese dated it for me some time back.Only mine has aluninum trim.She seems to be a lot smarter than I am.
_________________
Gibson Les Paul
Reverend Avenger
Paul Reed Smith
Fender Telecaster
MSA S10 Classic
ShoBud
Old Peavy Amps
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 14 Oct 2011 5:05 pm    
Reply with quote

Thank you, Reese. I like the guitar already, and can't wait til I hang the rest of the knees I ordered. It has been sufficiently well taken care of that the Harmony Ranch sticker is still untattered. It's almost like the guitar never left a basement.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger

Mike Wheeler


From:
Delaware, Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 15 Oct 2011 10:29 am    
Reply with quote

That mica color was called White Tidewood. I had a 12 string Uni just like it back around '72.
_________________
Best regards,
Mike
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Danny Spinks

 

From:
Hendersonville, TN, USA
Post  Posted 16 Oct 2011 12:10 pm    
Reply with quote

I have 2C460. I bought it in June 1973.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail


All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  

Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction,
steel guitars & accessories

www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

Please review our Forum Rules and Policies

Steel Guitar Forum LLC
PO Box 237
Mount Horeb, WI 53572 USA


Click Here to Send a Donation

Email admin@steelguitarforum.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for
Band-in-a-Box

by Jim Baron
HTTP