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Topic: Late 70's MSA |
Jerry Malvern
From:
Menifee, California, USA
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Posted 14 Feb 2007 9:41 am |
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| I happened upon a late 70's MSA and dont know much about them. This guitar is a maple body laquer finish, about as close to mint as I have seen. Super sustain pickups, d10 8 and 4. Any opinions, pro or con? Asking price, $1850 |
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James Sission
From:
Sugar Land,Texas USA
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 14 Feb 2007 10:34 am MO...
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Probably a real nice axe, either an SS or an XL from the sound of it. Price is very subjective, but I'd say that's probably at the high end of the scale for an old MSA.
Of course...finding something better, even at that price, would be quite a challenge. |
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Carl Williams
From:
Oklahoma
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Posted 14 Feb 2007 10:35 am
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Jerry,
I'll jump in with James on Danny's MSA and I believe it just sold on Ebay for $1,350 +/-. |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 14 Feb 2007 11:22 am
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I say go for it. Those late 70s maple MSAs are wonderful guitars. I'm keeping mine, even though I have a millennium.
You might consider changing the pickups though. I have a George L 5 position in mine and I think it's an improvement over the stock one.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 15 Feb 2007 4:04 am
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I sure like mine. Something about solid maple....
I like the Super Sustain, but would like to try a Geo L 5 just for fun.
_________________
Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons |
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Tommy White
From:
Nashville
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Posted 15 Feb 2007 5:15 am
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| Donny's post makes sense to me. I have a 1973 MSA Classic with 8 & 6 equipped with the original pick ups. I would hate to try and replace it for less than 2 grand. Great old guitars and I like the tone of the stock original pick ups. |
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Jeremy Steele
From:
Princeton, NJ USA
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Posted 15 Feb 2007 5:23 am
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| I had a Classic of that vintage for a while but sold it due to the realization that I would never be able to achieve any sort of comptency on the C6th neck. It was a great guitar, I replaced the original pickups with Lawrence 710s and thought the sound brightened up considerably. I think the asking price is a bit high though, I paid less than $1000 for mine. |
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Jerry Malvern
From:
Menifee, California, USA
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Posted 15 Feb 2007 9:23 am
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| Thanks for the info guys. How's changing the copendant and who do I see for parts? |
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Chris Allen Burke
From:
Signal Hill, CA
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Posted 15 Feb 2007 10:45 am
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Great sounding guitar. Fairly easy to work on. (I can help you that). As Mike said, change the pick-ups first. Those SS ones are crap and most likely microphonic by now. Which means they pick up everything with very little distinction between strings. Also consider weight. They are heavy!
Chris |
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 15 Feb 2007 11:26 am
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My Classic SS in my signature picture is around a '77 vintage and it is only slightly heavier than my Legend, and both have 8 and 8. I changed the pickups to Lawrence 710's and the guitar sounds and plays fantastic. It doesn't play quite as good as my Legend and Millenium, but it's close, and it is 30 years old. I'm sure the XL guitars would be somewhat heavier as the body is larger. My SS is in almost perfect condition and it would take a good bit more than $1850 to get me to part with it. Thanks again Herb.
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Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, a restored MSA Classic SS, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Also a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored Rose S10, named the "Blue Bird". Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also have a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks, and a showroom condition Sho-Bud Super Pro. |
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Ulf Edlund
From:
Umeå, Sweden
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Posted 19 Feb 2007 6:41 am
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I've had my 1982 Classic SS fo a couple of years.
A while ago i got an offer to buy forum member Peter Ivansson's Franklin d-10 for a fair price.
We were going to make trade but as he sat down at my MSA, played it for about an hour and said: "I don't think you should ever sell this guitar".
He was right. So now i've got two fine guitars.
Conclution: Franklin guitars have their good reputation for a reason, no doubt, but my MSA is as good instrument in every aspect. They sound different, but both sound very good.
The Classic SS invites me to play it like no other instrument i've owned. I'll keep it forever.
Uffe
Last edited by Ulf Edlund on 19 Feb 2007 1:21 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 19 Feb 2007 7:19 am
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That $1850 is somewhat high really, but you have to keep your eye on truly mint MSA guitars.. Guys say, "Oh I bought one in mint cond for $400".. That WAS true at one time but, those days are long gone..
The stigma that was attached to old MSA guitars is no longer valid.. The maple MSA guitars have beautiful tone with any good aftermarket pickup, and MANY guys even like the SS humbucker pickup[not me,they ARE too dark for my taste!!]
Personally I find a big difference in tone and sustain from the ply body MSA guitar and all maple body.. The maple body MSA is a GREAT sounding platform either lacquer or mica covered...not so much the plywood guitars,,, I had a maple body mica covered MSA that was bright and resonant, but my mica /ply body was not near as lively, and did not have good sustain... My lacquer/maple MSA's both sounded warm and wonderful with outstanding sustain and resonance in the body... nothing new here I guess..
Vintage MSA's are certainly one of the best built pedal steel guitars of all time,and today folks realize it...I have seen a big jump in price in all MSA steels over the last few years, but it is most dramatic in the maple guitars.. Micas still go fairly reasonably, but are no longer "cheap"... I keep a close eye on ebay and the SGF at prices, and now feel that really clean MSA maples with good finishes are now competitive in price with any other well known pedal steel frrom the same era...
Lets put it this way, I have sold 4 Buds in the last 5 years,,,3 S10's and a ProIII....$1200/ $1300/$1200/$1050/...thats what you can buy a decent S10 Bud for here or on
ebay...
[except the LDG which is somewhat higher]... The MSA S10 I am picking up this week is costing me $1100,and I am happy to get it for that,and probably would sell it for more if and when I decide to..[probably NOT!!!].. As you can see, this is all ballpark stuff ..no huge price disparity...
The vintage MSA steel is no longer a pariah because they sound "muddy".. They now take a place of honor among the very best steels ever built, and I think the prices they fetch are somewhat reflective of this fact...
Danny's D 10 was nicely priced IMHO, and someone got a BARGAIN!!!!bob |
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Bo Borland
From:
South Jersey -
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Posted 19 Feb 2007 7:56 pm
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I agree with Bob C completely. I still have my 74 Classic S10 5 x4. I tried to sell it a month ago but it was a hassle to try to ship overseas. I still like the tone I get from it, it's different, but still pedal steel. A solid, easy to tune, sweet sounding steel.
I was told a while back that I would never get a professional tone out of it, the same guy told me I would not get a pro sound from my new Derby ...don't believe it.
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Bo Borland
Rittenberry SD10 , Derby D-10, Quilter TT12, Peavey Session 400 w/ JBL, NV112, Fender Blues Jr. , 1974 Dobro 60N squareneck, Rickenbacher NS lapsteel, 1973 Telecaster Thinline, 1979 blonde/black Frankenstrat
Currently picking with
Mason Dixon Band masondixonband.net |
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