Just bought a 1975 MSA D10 with an interesting history

[Daniel Paugh]

After struggling through a couple unsuccessful repairs on the first pedal steel I’ve owned, purchased last year, and learning that it was essentially a parts guitar with an unconventional setup, I decided to try and search again for a more well-known brand.

Almost unbelievably, I found a Craigslist ad an hour away from me listing an MSA D10 with 9 pedals and 6 knee levers and I sprung for it. Everything feels so much smoother than my previous steel, I’m really excited to start figuring out what all these extra pedals and levers do. From the little bit I was able to play in my hotel last night, it seems like the normal Emmons ABC starts on the second pedal, and one of my right knee levers is what raises my E strings. Super interesting.

The story behind it is very cool too- the person selling it was selling it for a Houston musician who came to the Texas jamboree a couple weeks ago and wasn’t able to sell it. According to that Houston musician, this steel was owned by a player named Maurice Anderson. I went and looked him up last night, and it seems he was a beloved member of the forum and a pedal steep legend. I’ve no idea if it's true, perhaps someone here could tell me, but in any case I’m excited to get pickin.

[Jerry Erickson]

Maurice is the "A" in MSA.It is possible that it was his guitar. I would imagine at some point in his career, he would have played a double neck guitar. Iwould also imagine that your guitar would play well having been refurbished by Tom Bradshaw.

[Jerry Overstreet]

There's a Tom Bradshaw badge on there. He's a member here. I would contact him for the history he may remember on this guitar.

Reese Anderson [RIP] was the head of MSA guitars and yes, he is a legend. Especially known for his jazz interpretations on the pedal steel. Everything I know about him from the late 70s on, he played a Universal Bb6 12 string guitar.

That doesn't mean he didn't play a D10 at some time. I guess he played a lot of them when he was building them.

Anyway, contact Tom....see if he's got any history.

Congratulations and good luck with yer new axe.

[Christopher Woitach]

Maurice was my friend and mentor. He is best known for his S12 Bb6 work, particularly jazz and swing, but he often played D10’s, especially when they were new and he was demonstrating them. He could sit down at any steel guitar and make it sound like him.

I am sure he owned D10’s over the years, but David Wright or Tom Bradshaw or the MSA company could verify this.

Please - don’t neglect the C6 neck, learn it right away along with your E9. In many ways it’s easier, and would be a shame to use as an arm rest…

Good luck!

[David Wright]

June 4, 1973... it was most likely re done by Tom in 75.....I really doubt it ever was a personal guitar of Maurices...