MSA Classic

Larry Bressington · Post by **Larry Bressington** » 5 Oct 2008 11:16 am

How many MSA classic owners are there here?
How many can still walk straight?

Paul Norman · Post by **Paul Norman** » 5 Oct 2008 12:06 pm

Here is a 1974 MSA Classic.
Kind of heavy, but solid.

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 5 Oct 2008 12:09 pm

I have two, a '74 D10, and a '75 S12. The S12 is being rebuilt right now, but the D10 is playable, if fact I played it with our church Praise Band this morning. It looks and plays like brand new. I built a set of split flight cases for it, which makes it much easier to transport. The guitar and both cases weigh right at 100 lbs.

I also have a '77 Classic SS if that counts.

Larry Bressington · Post by **Larry Bressington** » 5 Oct 2008 12:11 pm

Thats a beautiful looking steel dave!

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 5 Oct 2008 2:56 pm

I still have my '73 D10 Classic ( 8+8 ), but don't use it much since I've got a newer, far lighter, model. One of these days, I'll tear it down, make a new body, and rebuild it (yeah, one of these days

).

My latest "itchs" are a Fender 400 and a Multi-Kord. I'm interested to see just how well (or poorly) I can do on each, now that I know a little more about playing than I did forty-odd years ago.

Junior Knight · Post by **Junior Knight** » 5 Oct 2008 3:48 pm

Here's my 74 S-12 Bb Uni.

Larry Bressington · Post by **Larry Bressington** » 5 Oct 2008 4:49 pm

Junior, i'll bet that sounds sweet! Of course though, you were smart enough to go Uni!

How do you see those guitars as far as todays guitars, politics aside!

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 5 Oct 2008 5:00 pm

Darvin,my 74 is just like the one in your photo,same color,I to had my case cut down,about the only way I can handle her,After all these years she's still SOLID as a rock.DYKBC.

Andy Jones · Post by **Andy Jones** » 5 Oct 2008 7:13 pm

I've got a black '74 D-10 with 8X4.She's solid and stays in tune,very seldom breaks a string.This guitar is not for women and children.

Andy

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 5 Oct 2008 7:32 pm

Andy,you are right about string breakage,I have owned some great guitars,Buds,Emmons,Zums,Derbys,etc,But my MSA classic is the best guitar I've had as far as string breakage,It's very rare to break a third string.DYKBC.

Larry Bressington · Post by **Larry Bressington** » 5 Oct 2008 8:09 pm

Mine is the same way, i think it has something to do with the length of the string from hook to finger, the longer it is, the stronger, to a certain exstent, i may be wrong, but i thought i read that somewhere. Killer stage tone, clear lows and cut through highs, Brilliant guitars!!

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 5 Oct 2008 11:14 pm

Here are my 2

And of course, the Milly

I feel like I’ve got 2 old wives and a hot young girlfriend.

Ernie Pollock · Post by **Ernie Pollock** » 6 Oct 2008 4:40 am

Heres my MSA S-12 Universal that I have been using, a great old guitar with a few 'extra' raises on a couple of strings.

I think Don Hinson told me this was a '72 or '73 model Classic. It still has the original MSA single coil p/u & I have an extra MSA pickup in case it would happen to go bad. I have been playing it through a Steel King, or SE-150 Evans, or my old Nashville with LeMay Mods. I like the Nashville best, but the boys in the band like the Steel King.
These old MSA's are tough to wear out!! Hope this one lasts me till I wrap it up.

Ernie

Junior Knight · Post by **Junior Knight** » 6 Oct 2008 6:20 am

Larry,
This ole guitar plays smooth..short action,good tone...it has a 5 position GL P/up in it that I am gonna change out. The only thing it needs is a little more sustain above the 12th fret. It takes me back to 1972 when I first went to a Bb setup.
But I play my Rains on the gig..SD 10 with 4 & 5!!
The guitars today are far better than the old ones as far as mechanics goes...unless you have an old MSA! JMHO..

Paul Wade · Post by **Paul Wade** » 6 Oct 2008 6:57 am

here is some of mine that i had thru the years
great guitars...
p.w

Brenda Scarborough · Post by **Brenda Scarborough** » 15 Jan 2009 4:35 pm

My dad has a 1973 MSA Classic he wants to sell but I have no idea what the ballpark price should be. It's a 12 (can be 10) string with 5 pedals, 3 knee levers. One owner, EX condition with hard case.
Any help out there?
Thanks,
Brenda

Rich Peterson · Post by **Rich Peterson** » 16 Jan 2009 5:50 pm

Mine is a late 70's S-10 Classic Super Sustain II, red lacquer. Solid, heavy. I put wheels at the right end of the case and a solid handle at the other.

Wish I could afford the D-12 in the for sale section, but it would just sit at home. Don't think I could carry it to the car.

A friend, Mars Case, had a D-10. I could lift it out of the case, but couldn't lift it into the car trunk for him. He tuned the back neck down to A6, and it sounded absolutely huge.

Ken Fox · Post by **Ken Fox** » 17 Jan 2009 6:26 am

Got mine in the late 70's and still going strong. Put a BL705 on it (when Buddy Emmons and Bill Lawrence were first building steel pickups). Recently added a 4th Franklin pedal and an X-lever.

I have a low G# on 10 and the B is on the 9th position with a knee lever to pull it to up to D

Bryan Knox · Post by **Bryan Knox** » 18 Jan 2009 2:37 pm

Mmmm, mmmm, good.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 18 Jan 2009 2:53 pm

My only guitar is a 74 MSA d-10 classic,the most dependable guitar I'v ever had,LOVE HER,DYKBC.

Brian Rung · Post by **Brian Rung** » 19 Jan 2009 8:42 am

'73 Semi-Classic 3/4, Has my fretboard been changed?

Did the semi-classics not have the chess piece inlays?

Roual Ranes · Post by **Roual Ranes** » 19 Jan 2009 4:42 pm

I picked up a guitar from Bud Carter today. If you need anything done to those MSA's give Bud a call. 903-778-2051

Glen Derksen · Post by **Glen Derksen** » 19 Jan 2009 5:29 pm

My Canadian Linkon D10 is pretty much an MSA copy. Mostly (if not all) MSA parts and technology...and it's probably as heavy as one, too.

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Brian McGaughey · Post by **Brian McGaughey** » 20 Jan 2009 12:32 pm

Brian Rung wrote:Did the semi-classics not have the chess piece inlays?

Don't know about all but my semi-classic has the chess pieces.

Larry Bressington · Post by **Larry Bressington** » 26 Feb 2009 6:48 pm

Thanks gents, that is some beautiful history there of one of the finest and heaviest guitars ever built.
The last time i got caught carrying mine into a honkytonk, the crowd did this!

I said; If you think this is funny, wait till you hear me play it!

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