The Steel Guitar Forum

OK.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jeff Peterson on 17 December 2002 at 04:34 AM.]</p></FONT>

Bobbe
Pat Burns lives about 5 miles from me.He very
seldom if any,looks at the Forum any more.
He spends much of his free time practicing and enjoying his family.His job keeps him busy as well.

Perhaps he is writing some new material
I'll give him a holler for ya.

He may be on to something that I overlooked.
Maybe his life is like an "Orchard" and you remember what Carl Smith sang about "Orchids"

These guys dont go back that far. I'll tell him you were asking for him.

OK for you Jeff , now you've done it! There goes your steel guitar endorsment from this company! I think they have your endorsment over in the corner, right beside mine! Gathering dust!
Remember, as a car salesman told me once,"there is a butt for every seat", just like , there is a buyer for every guitar, somewhere.
Now Jeff, what were you saying about Lloyd and Tommy's video? (just kidding).

Jody, tell Pat WE MISS HIM!! He was the funniest guy on the forum, with intelligence.
(where do I send your strings?)

And at this point of the Millennium post we hear the beginning of the "William Tell Overture". (and NO, I don't mean "The Lone Ranger" for crying out loud! I'm speaking of the tranquil part...)<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Rex Thomas on 16 December 2002 at 10:31 PM.]</p></FONT>

Is this guitar still in hiding? Seems like the same few guys keep hawking, over and over. I'd still love to see an unbiased evaluation by someone that can give one and not someone with something to gain by hyping it. I think Donny has come as close as anyone has so far, but all he has ever owned is MSA, so , I'm still waiting for a credible source, Johnny Cox? I don't think so if he's going to be a dealer like he says. (How much better is it than a Zum Johnny?) I'm not saying that these folks aren't trying to be truthful, I'm just stateing that it's easy to have your views colored if you have a monitary reason to do so. Naturally the guy selling them is going to say how great they are. How about a true unbiased evaluation , comparison, by a group of pros that have nothing to gain by saying anything, one way or the other? I feel we all would like this, we just haven't seen it yet. Who knows, It might be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I want to either hear the guitar myself or have a true opinion of it's actual performance. Can anyone find fault with a mind that just wants facts? <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 16 December 2002 at 08:47 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 17 December 2002 at 08:25 AM.]</p></FONT>

Thanks Donny!

Sorry, Donny. I'm outa here.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Rex Thomas on 16 December 2002 at 10:32 PM.]</p></FONT>

Good Rex,(you don't get any free stuff, well possibly a CD,) now let's all get back to the MSA Millinium, looks good to me! I love the fit and finish. Lot better than most! <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 16 December 2002 at 09:21 PM.]</p></FONT>

:

Bobbe!!

Donny Played this guitar at my jam a few weeks ago and i must say I was impressed!! the dang thing had tone comparable to ANY guitar i have heard in my measly 26 yrs of playing . i have never cared much for or ever owned an msa (always been an emmons guy) but Mullen turned that around!! but thats another thread. but donny had the best tone and clear sound of anyone at the jam IMHO!! im not knocking anybody who attended they were all great. but be it the room the guitar or just donny's hands i dont know maby the combonation of the three but it was SWEET !! now im not giving up my mullen for one But I encourage other players who are looking at new guitars to take a look at this one as well ..
Just my two cents!!
BOO

Thanks Boo! I just wish I could play all the stuff that you, Curry, and Gary Lee can! Y'all were great. Me?...nervous, first jam, new guitar, out of practice...I walked away wishing I'd done better. Oh well, maybe you'll invite me next time, too!

Anyhow, someone asked "what makes it worth 6 grand?" I'm certainly no expert, but I do know that titanium and molded carbon-fiber composites are very expensive! Just go out and price a good carbon-fiber fishing rod (which is little more than a "stick" of this material), and you'll likely pay a couple hundred dollars. Look at a titanium-head driver (golf club), and you'll pay even more. These are "space-age" materials, and though they're not that new, they're still <u>very</u> expensive. As a matter of fact (aside from the avionics), they're one of the main reasons that the F-117 stealth fighter plane costs 44 million dollars. The fighter's structure is almost completely titanium and carbon fiber.

Sure, 6 grand is a lot of cash, but I don't buy a steel every few years...like some players do. There's a lot of work, and parts, in a steel, and when you make it from exotic materials...well, the price has to go up accordingly. I have a nephew that has an $8000 toolbox...and that didn't include any tools, either! Nothing "exotic", it's just sheet metal and paint, with a couple aluminum extrusions added here and there, and 4 wheels. He got what he wanted...good for him!

If anyone out there thinks this guitar's not worth it, well...that's okay with me. I thought it was, so I bought one...and it's paid for, thank God. I just knew I didn't want to be sitting around somewhere in 5 or 10 years saying "Gee, I should'a bought one!"
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 17 December 2002 at 10:10 AM.]</p></FONT>

Mr. Seymour, I am sorry that you are questioning my credibility as a player. But I think most people would recognize my credibility without having to question it. As far as your statement that I am going to be an MSA dealer, this is untrue, as there are no MSA dealers. I am a customer service representative, and with your many years of experience in the steel guitar retail business, I would think you would know the difference between a dealer and a customer service representative. As far as my opinion of the guitar, I gave my honest opinion. It would be the same if I were involved with the company or not. As far as your question, "Is it better than the Zum?" the truthful answer to that question is as follows: In my opinion, the Zumsteel is and always will be the best traditionally built steel guitar that one can purchase. The MSA Millennium is not, however, a traditionally built steel guitar. It is a state of the art instrument that will truly take steel guitar into the future.
Johnny Cox

One thing for certain is it will go from one airport to another without overweight charges. IMO this one of the major selling points for MSA! If some annointed steel player of the future cant book fly dates because they havnt made it big enough to afford their own jet, how can they spread the good news to the whole world?

At 56 pounds in the case, a new MSA D-10 is still over the new weight limit of 50 pounds for American Airlines.

When all the Emmons fans jump up and doubt any other guitar could sound like an Emmons,exactly what are they referring to ?
The only Emmons that sounds like an Emmons to me is the one Mr.Emmons is playing.I have ownen enough steels to sink a small boat.I currently have a LeGrande 111.Does it sound like an Emmons ? Not with me or anyone I knoe playing it.I also have a MCI which Mr Emmons made sound like a million dollars. But myself and a lot of other pickers have played it and I can only say it sounds good .My good friend plays a Mullen, and plays it quite well.Does it sound like Hughey ...no .But it sounds good.Last week I heard a push pull that squeeked and squawked and at times sounded like the loser in a cock fight.
Then there was a beautiful steel with so many effects on it it sounded like a pipe organ or something.If some of us could only play the melody...I get tired of folks trying to play way over their head.I worked with a guy who spent thity minutes running thru every fast lick he could thik of.When it came show time I didn't even know what song he was playing.It's in the hands and heart guys...Didn't mean to ramble on so long.
Bud

..<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jeff Peterson on 18 December 2002 at 05:26 AM.]</p></FONT>

Jim Smith mentioned the MSA Weighed 56 lbs. Is that correct,?

It has been published that a D10 weighed 28 Lbs.out of the case, and mentioned many times. Is that true or not?

Does the case then Weigh 28 lbs? I have a MSA case for my "Universal" and it weighs 16 Lbs, and my single 12 with 8/5 weighs 39 lbs. I am just curious.....al

I said it was 56 pounds in the case, and was repeating what Donny Hinson said in his first post.

<SMALL>Total carrying weight in the impressive Dell (flight-style) custom case is about 56 pounds.</SMALL>

As has been posted before, this MSA web page: http://www.msapedalsteels.com/html/features.html states "The all new MSA Millennium Carbon-Composite D10 weighing in around 32 pounds (depending on configuration)"<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jim Smith on 17 December 2002 at 09:42 PM.]</p></FONT>

Flight cases are quite heavy. I had one that weighed 35 lbs empty. Given how indestructible carbon fiber is, if I had a Millennium, I'd consider putting it in a Sierra Wheel-EZE case, which is MUCH lighter and still gives very good protection, then it'd be well under the weight limit.

THAT'S a great idea, having both successfully & unsuccessfully dealt with airline - weight limits issue.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Rex Thomas on 18 December 2002 at 09:00 AM.]</p></FONT>

If I would try to board the plane with my `74 Classic MSA I think they would arrest me for attempting terrorist act.I`m thinking about buying a forklift so I can transport it from my living room to the car.

I gave a guy a lesson once that had an MSA D-12. It took both of us to carry it out of my studio and lift it into his truck! Very stable guitar though!
JE:-)>

Wimp! I remember the days of carrying my D-12 MSA in one hand and a Session 500 in the other hand for balance. Come to think of it, maybe that's why I'm having so much neck and shoulder problems now.

I sat and played next to Donny for the last hour of the Sat Maryland jam. His playing and his guitar sounded great.

He was kind enough to let me try the new Millenium out afterward. Seeing as all my steels are 2"s higher than normal, I could not fit my legs under it. Also, his pedals and knee levers are totally opposite of mine. I had to put the volume pedal to an acceptable level and use the knee levers with the tips of my knees.

In spite of all these difficulties, I could tell that the guitar played very comfortably and sounded great. I would have preferred a little warmer tone, but did not want to mess with Donny's amp tone controls. Even just using my knee tips to work the knee levers, I could tell that their contoured shape was really comfortable.

The tone was really smooth, the highs were great.

I made a few bloopers because of the backward pedal and knee lever set up, etc., but all in all, I thought it was a good guitar.

Thanks Donny for letting me try it out.

I was supprised when he had it upside down in the case to break it down. I grabbed the cabinet and was amazed that it was only about a 1/4 of an inch thick, 3/8's tops.

If I have a good year in 2003, I could see getting one. Wonder what the 2" height difference would cost me? Are they even prepared to accomodate that?

Regards,
HH