MSA pickups

[Bobby Burns]

Why do the ‘70s MSA single coils not have the same full, bright sound as other single coils? I’ve been told that it’s not because the guitar is plywood, but the pickup is the reason I don’t like the sound. Is it because of how many turns of wire? The strength/type of magnets?

[Bob Carlucci]

MSA single coils were awful.. had several and they just sounded bad to my ears.. Their SS humbuckers were powerful and sustained better, but were too dark and thick.. That and those plywood /mica bodies on the first Classics made for less than optimum tone.
When they went to maple/lacquer later on, the guitars sounded better and sustained better, but still had those dark SS humbuckers.. The MSA lacquer guitars really woke up when the SS humbucker was replaced by a single coil, or brighter humbucker..
In my opinion, the MSA Classic guitars despite how many they sold, which was a LOT, just were never that sweet sounding as other brands, especially the mica bodies..This is coming from an MSA lover.. I played them because they were bulletproof, and always in tune, just NEVER wore anything out or broke any parts... bob

[Bobby Burns]

Has anyone had good luck rewinding an MSA single coil? Is there some reason that with the right wire and number of turns it couldn’t be made to sound as good as any other similar sized single coil?

[Bob Carlucci]

Never tried that, but let me put it this way,, It could only get better.
. What I DID do, many ,many years ago when the mica MSA guitars were still new, was had a very good luthier hand rewind the MSA SS Humbucker.All he reused from the MSA pickup was the plastic case. He made it into a coil isolating/ select deal.. Either front or back coil alone, or both coils full humbucker. 3 distinct and very usable sounds. it transformed that mica . At that time, back in the 70's I think I had the only one on the block in that configuration, unless the GeorgeL 10-5 was around at that time, not sure... bob

[Bobby Burns]

So Bob, your rewind didn’t use the original magnets?

[Darvin Willhoite]

I liked the old MSA single coils much better than the later Supersustain pickups. Here's my old '75 Classic with single coils.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW7o6GH ... l=DOUBLE10

[Bob Carlucci]

So Bob, your rewind didn’t use the original magnets?

You know, it was so long ago, I am not sure.. It is possible he used the existing magnets.. All I know for sure was that he rewound the pickup so that I could isolate each coil, and still have the humbucker as well, all on a 3 way switch..This was back around 1979 or thereabout.....

[Donny Hinson]

Somewhere back in the '60s or '70s, someone made the decision to put more wire on pickups. Maybe this was to get more output or a fatter sound. Or maybe it was to lessen the affect of pot pedals. In reality, it hurt more than it helped.

[Michael Brebes]

I had an S10 with the single coil and didn't like it. After routing out the body, I installed an L710 which gave me the tone but it didn't help the lack of sustain from the plywood body. I later got an MSA D10 formica with a solid maple body and Super Sustain pickups, which were very muddy, but it did have sustain because of the solid maple body. Installed L710's in it and have good tone and sustain.

[Mike Perlowin]

I replaced the pickup on the green guitar shown in my avatar with a George L 5-1. I had my former white mica guitar retrofitted with the Sierra modular system. I had a George L single coils which positively SANG, but also produced that 50 cycle hum. I also had some sort of humbucker, which was quiet but sounded dull and lifeless.

[Bobby Burns]

I have thought about having the original pickup rewound, but don’t want to bother if the magnets or something else could be a problem.

[Mike Holder]

Darvin ; sounds great! You even have the original MSA knee lever placement on that beast! I had a73 D-10 classic I loved, played it for 8 years then swapped the pups to BL-705’s and played it for another 8…Bobby there’s a guy in Nashville playing one through a twin with JBL’s and he put in an Emmons pickup and sounds excellent! Might be worth considering!

[Darvin Willhoite]

Mike Holder, I don't know about the original kneel lever placement, I have 8 KLs on this one. Down through the years I added KL changes wherever I had the room to do it, I had no idea what other players were doing. I lower the E's on my RKR and raise them with the LKR, the rest of the levers have changes I thought I needed.

[Mike Holder]

You fooled me by the RKR.. when they came with 8&4 the RKR lowered the E’s, RKL raised them, LKR lowered 2&9 & KKL raised 1&7

[Larry Dering]

Darvin, good sounds from that old MSA. Makes me want to try improving ny 74 Classic D10 8x2.

[Paul Wade]

Darvin ; sounds great! You even have the original MSA knee lever placement on that beast! I had a73 D-10 classic I loved, played it for 8 years then swapped the pups to BL-705’s and played it for another 8…Bobby there’s a guy in Nashville playing one through a twin with JBL’s and he put in an Emmons pickup and sounds excellent! Might be worth considering!

Ha mike would you know the guy in Nashville playing a MSA D-10 thru a twin would love to here that combo
Paul Wade

[Mike Holder]

Paul; it was over a year ago I saw him play and never knew his name but I did compliment him on his playing and tone and he mentioned swapping out the pickups,

[Ken Byng]

I always felt that Curly Chalker got great tone from whatever MSA guitar that he played. He was loaned a number of MSA guitars (mainly mica bodies) before the company went bust and asked him to return his loan guitar.