Newbie, friends say MSA sux

Cliff Oliver · Post by **Cliff Oliver** » 17 Nov 2003 6:34 am

Hi Ned,
Thanks for you reply. I was hoping to be buying my last pedal steel, as I am an older student, 51. I have played music since I was 13 and the lap steel for the last year and it was time to move on, just was hoping not to have to end up trading and buying around.
Thanks for your advice,
Cliff

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 17 Nov 2003 6:46 am

I was hoping to be buying my last pedal steel

Famous last words....hardly ever happens.

Everything is relative. 51?, you're a kid!

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 17 Nov 2003 7:51 am

I am 64 and bought a guitar I just had to have 3 weeks ago. I hope it's not my last!
Jerry

Cliff Oliver · Post by **Cliff Oliver** » 17 Nov 2003 8:10 am

Hi Donny,
I am going to check out those recorded MSA sounds. Thanks.

Cliff

Cliff Oliver · Post by **Cliff Oliver** » 17 Nov 2003 8:12 am

From Donny
"Play several other brands of steel made during the same period and I think you'll find your so-called knowledgeable friends did you a disservice"

It seems the consensus is that perhaps I did not make a mistake.

Cliff Oliver · Post by **Cliff Oliver** » 17 Nov 2003 8:14 am

From Jerry,
"Cliff, you need to find some new friends if you are going to take advise from your friends. They know not what they are talking about"
I cherish my friends and respect their opinions, as I respect yours. Do you play an MSA?

Cliff Oliver · Post by **Cliff Oliver** » 17 Nov 2003 8:15 am

From David, "Play several other brands of steel made during the same period and I think you'll find your so-called knowledgeable friends did you a disservice"

Hi David, do you play or own an MSA?

Cliff Oliver · Post by **Cliff Oliver** » 17 Nov 2003 8:19 am

From Duzne,
"Cliff, as for my opinion, MSA's are great. I owned and played one for 2 or 3 years back in the late 1970's and loved it. Mine was a single neck 5 pedals 4 knees. What is yours??? "
Mine is a 3/4 S-10, dont know the year yet, maple with green stain (fading). Do you still play the MSA?

Cliff Oliver · Post by **Cliff Oliver** » 17 Nov 2003 8:22 am

From David Higgingbottom
"I have found the MSA Classic SS that I have is the best playing and sounding guitar for me. If you are comfortable playing on the guitar, disregard what your friends say."

Hi David. Welcome to SA. Hope we dont get gambling here like you guys have in Lake Charles and other places in Lousianna. I am glad to hear you are still active with your MSA>

Cliff Oliver · Post by **Cliff Oliver** » 17 Nov 2003 8:25 am

From Bob Blair
"But MSA made professional level instruments too - lots of them, and most people think they still represent a good buy for someone starting out. And a lot of them are still being played professionally. Leonard Zinn, Susan Alcorn, Mike Perlowin - hey, if an istrument is good enough for those folks you ought not to let anyone make you feel bad for playing one."
Thanks, that gives me confidence.
Do you play an MSA or own one?

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 17 Nov 2003 8:27 am

msa set the standard for modern steel mechanics....even today, an msa in the hands of a proficient player is capable of beautiful music, and still high above many other lesser steels.

Cliff Oliver · Post by **Cliff Oliver** » 17 Nov 2003 8:39 am

Hi Chris,
This is good stuff. The tone is just different on the MSA. Just as in fashion, that sound may not be in now. The tele sound is hot now, but I have heard many great sounds from mellower guitars.
This clears things for me. As I can make a PRS sound bright and clean, it will not be a tele, but still good.
I feel better and am looking forward to eventually getting it. Should be this week.

David Deratany · Post by **David Deratany** » 17 Nov 2003 8:43 am

Cliff,

Yes I own and play a 1982 S12 U, purchased new. Later, I bought a second one, used, so I could have one set up in the home for practice, and one in the case. It was even older, and just as good. I never considered another brand. I sold it when I wanted to raise money to buy an SS amp.

I just bought a new MSA Millennium. If I had had a bad experience with my MSAs I wouldn't have gone back for more.

With MSA you will have a solid, reliable instrument that you won't have to fuss with all week to be able to play for an hour. I would suggest you stay with what you have until YOU know what you want to move up to. Steel bashing is a popular pasttime; try not to fall into the same trap.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 17 Nov 2003 9:09 am

When I was first checking out steels by lisening to different players around town I heard a guy playing an MSA D10. It really sounded noticably worse that any other steel I had ever heard. It had a thin and unfocused sound to my ear. The player was great but the guitar did sound sorta crappy. Years later I saw Reece playing in Texas and heard some of the best steel playing I have ever heard. In a way I find Reece to be the real father of modern pedalsteel playing. But once the band started to play all of the notes he played from the 9th string down to the 12th just turned into indistinguishable mud.

It seems goofy that now that we have the internet we are supposed to act like the old MSA's sounded good.

Remember now this is just my personal opinion and all you guys that play old MSA's have my full respect.

They work fine and are good instruments but to my ear they just don't sound very good.

I am looking forward to checking out a new MSA though.

Bob[This message was edited by Bob Hoffnar on 17 November 2003 at 09:12 AM.]

Cliff Oliver · Post by **Cliff Oliver** » 17 Nov 2003 9:11 am

David Deratamy wrote:

"With MSA you will have a solid, reliable instrument that you won't have to fuss with all week to be able to play for an hour. I would suggest you stay with what you have until YOU know what you want to move up to. Steel bashing is a popular pasttime; try not to fall into the same trap."

You mean the my guitar is better'n your guitar discussions? I would say 90% is in the head and hands of the player and another 5% is in the heart. I am just worrying about the 5% left over, ha,ha..

Cliff Oliver · Post by **Cliff Oliver** » 17 Nov 2003 9:14 am

Thanks to all for your help and wisdom. Not a better group of folks exist in the world and thanks to B-Zero-B for maintaining this wonderful medium of information exchange.
I am going to shut this thread down, if I can figure out how.

Love you guys,
Cliff

Bob Carlson · Post by **Bob Carlson** » 17 Nov 2003 9:14 am

This disertation over MSA steel guitars shows the class of the members of this Forum. I can remember a time when this would have been a small war. But everyone gave ol Cliff some good background about MSA.

Proud to be a member.

Bob

Cliff Oliver · Post by **Cliff Oliver** » 17 Nov 2003 9:15 am

I did not hear one gun shot during this entire discussion.

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 17 Nov 2003 10:02 am

I played MSAs for about 15 of my 30+ years on the steel guitar and they were and are fine instruments.They tended to have a darker sound than other guitars but that issue was addressable starting around 1980 when aftermarket pickups started to come on the scene. The guitar you have - if it is a laquer guitar,is one of the later ones and w/the right pickup should be able to play and sound as good as anything out there today. I'd put a Jerry Wallace TrueTone single coil pickup on there,get me a Peavey amp and be done with it. -MJ-

Joerg Hennig · Post by **Joerg Hennig** » 17 Nov 2003 10:17 am

I am led to believe that not many play the older MSAs anymore. Wooden knecks, no sustain, adjustment problems and that almost any reputable steel is better than the MSA.

What the #*§& is wrong with wooden necks?

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 17 Nov 2003 10:47 am

I had an uncle once that had a wooden neck. He also had a wooden leg. Shot off in the war, I think. Which was as good a place as any! I also had an uncle with a triple neck. He looked pretty funny! He had to pay triple price when he went to a ball game where they were charging by the head.
bobbeseymour

Gary Walker · Post by **Gary Walker** » 17 Nov 2003 11:13 am

In '91 I bought a new Mullen D-11 and made a huge mistake by selling my '75 MSA Classic D-12 to someone in the LA area. It was a real work horse. Stayed in tune, sounded huge and never gave a problem. I rarely transported it in the case. It just went into the trunk by removing the rear legs.
We do stupid things in life and that was a major boner on my part.

Post by **Joey Ace** » 17 Nov 2003 11:17 am

"I am going to shut this thread down, if I can figure out how."

As the one that started the thread you can request it be closed.

You can not close it, you have to ask.
Usually a post asking is all that's needed.
If that goes unnoticed for a day or so send the moderator a request by email.