The Steel Guitar Forum

Love those single-12s, Dave in Florida, Jim E., and Gary!

And thanks for the N 112 knob protector Jim! Received it last week.

Chris

I bought this guitar in 1999 used it is a white wood grain formica. It is a like 1 1/2 body S10, it has 4 and 4 set up. I added the pad, cut the bar hole and added a metal clip that holds the tuner case. The pad is attached with 3 strips of Industrial Velcro so non holes was put in the body.

TTT

This S20 was designed by Julian Tharpe. It is an engineering marvel - and plays very loudly without amplification. Eleven pedals and four knee levers. Very fun and much at your disposal at any given instant!

I don't have pix of my '75 White Tidewood D-12 9 & 5. I sold it in '91 to a player in SoCal and wish I still had it. C6 on the front and #9 in back. I miss it.

delete

Here's my Uni.

1974 D-10 Classic 8x5

Gary Skelton wrote:I just want to share a couple of really good looking and sounding MSA guitars.
www.garyskelton.com

I had a Vintage XL in emerald green. I kind of wish I still had it, but my bad back would protest with a vengeance! One of the best sounding MSA's ever built in the 70's.

Although I haven't played MSA for a long time, I started out my first ten years on steel faithfully playing MSA guitars and really loved them. I've had three MSA guitars and, when working with Jim Boen, built a guitar that was (for all practical purposes) a clone of an MSA from the mid 1970s.

I couldn't resist joining in and adding photos of them.

My first guitar was a little MSA Red Baron (a 1975 model). Bought it in March 1976 when I started playing steel ...




In August of 1976 I bought my first double neck, a 1976 MSA Classic with 8 & 4 ...




My next MSA was a 1977 MSA Classic XL that was 10 strings on E9th and 12 on C6th ... it had 10 floor pedals and 7 knee levers (I soon added 3 more knee levers to make it 10 & 10, but eventually returned it to 10 & 7). This was the guitar brand new ...




When I went to work for Jim Boen, just as he was about to sell the name "Pedalmaster", one of the first things I did was to convert my MSA Classic XL to metal necks ...




Shortly afterward, I built my first steel with Jim Boen and, despite the metal necks and triple raise, triple lower mechanism (and the new name which is another story for another time), the guitar was basically in every other respect a mid-70s type MSA Classic for all practical purposes:




Although I haven't played MSA in years, I always look back on my guitars with fond memories and wish I still had them.

Mike Perlowin wrote:

Bill Ford wrote:Hey Mike, Is this the one?

Yup. That's the one. What's its story? When was it made? Was it before Bud Carter came on board?

The undercarriage on these reminds me of a ZB. How was the pedal action on these first-gen MSA's?

Chris Johnson wrote:My beautiful 80's walnut SD-12 "The Universal". The guitar that all others are compared to in my book. The deepest biggest tone of any guitar I've played. This one fills the room up. It would be awesome if we could post the serial #'s of these great guitars also. I'll start "1C-6965"

If I would carry around a double neck body with one neck strung, it would be one of these.

Dallas Cheked,
It's been so long that I've forgotten. Must have been OK, I played it for a long time, made a lot of $$$$, kept it for about 30 years, sold it for what I give for it. Sorta wish I still had it.

Bill

Have had this a while. It keeps me working and out of trouble.

This is mine!

That's right purty, Niels.

Thanks, It is probably going to drive me nuts, but I am enjoying the trip. It actually has been touched up since that picture, it is awesome under stage lights. Highly recommend color and finish.

If I refinish mine, which lacks the striping, will go to that color on the body, but probably a glossy black neck.

Thanks for the complement Dallas. She sounds beter than she looks. Heavier too

Here's my 1981 Vintage XL.

Purdy Chuck,
I usually don't like green but this one is superb,

Early 74.? Classic D12. SN 2C2518. Needs a good cleaning and lube job.

This Classic SS, serial number 2C7096, left the factory in late '82 or early '83. It was one of the last three SS double 10 guitars ever made. It has two Lawrence 710 pickups installed.

Thanks to Darvin Willhoite for maintaining such a beautiful guitar. It is in near mint condition for being 30 years old.

Thanks to David Wright for setting it up for me and Reece for making such great guitars.

I've got a lot of learning to do with all those levers and pedals!