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MSA, Who started this company?

Posted: 30 Dec 2008 9:12 am
by Dwight Lewis
I got a question for my own intel, who started the MSA company...who who?
Thanks

Posted: 30 Dec 2008 9:14 am
by James Collett
If I remember correctly, MSA stands for
Morrell- Tom Morrell
Shields- Danny Shields
Anderson- Reece Anderson

Msa

Posted: 30 Dec 2008 9:33 am
by Dwight Lewis
Thankyou very much. I have a friend that says Bobby Seymour and Buddy Emmons started it.

Dwight

Posted: 30 Dec 2008 9:45 am
by b0b
Disclaimer first: I wasn't there. This is only what I've heard over the years.

Bobbe Seymour was to be the original S in MSA, but he bailed before the company really got off the ground.

Danny Shields was a very innovative pickup designer. He also designed pickups for Sierra.

As far as I know, Buddy Emmons was not involved in the creation of MSA.

Msa

Posted: 30 Dec 2008 9:56 am
by Tracy Sheehan
James Collett wrote:If I remember correctly, MSA stands for
Morrell- Tom Morrell
Shields- Danny Shields
Anderson- Reece Anderson
You are correct.I worked at MSA in the early 70s.

Msa

Posted: 30 Dec 2008 10:04 am
by Dwight Lewis
That's part of the story I got. Thanks

Posted: 30 Dec 2008 10:26 am
by Tony Prior
No Seymour ?

I thought it was

M.. Moe
S.. Seymour
@
A.. Abbott


That would explain a lot of things to me.

tp

Posted: 30 Dec 2008 11:57 am
by Stu Schulman
When I lived in Dallas Tom Morrell told me that he was the "M",Danny Shields was the "S" and Reece was The "A".

Posted: 30 Dec 2008 3:00 pm
by Ken Byng
Dwight. Just do a search. This subject has been well covered and documented on the Forum.

KB

Posted: 30 Dec 2008 3:05 pm
by Donny Hinson
My Spine Aches? :lol:

Posted: 30 Dec 2008 3:57 pm
by Jeff Waller
good one donny you are absolutely right the msa guitars are great but heavy. i had a 67 d-12 that weighed probably 90 lbs lol.. downgraded to s-10 that's about 60 lbs.. little lighter :lol: :lol:

Posted: 30 Dec 2008 4:01 pm
by Richard Gonzales
Someone perform magic as I have a S12 MSA Millenium that weighs in at 19lbs.

Msa

Posted: 31 Dec 2008 2:10 am
by Dwight Lewis
Come on people, who wouldn't want an instrument that's built to go to war and back, that can take an M109 howitzer round in stride while still twanging a B Chord. In my opinion these are one of the greatest ever to be twanged..... come on Bruno just 10 more curls then you too will be able to snatch the MSA D12 from the floor. :lol:

Thanks Dwight

Posted: 31 Dec 2008 2:46 am
by Mike Perlowin
Magnificent

Stupendous

Awesome

The Rolls Royce of pedal steel guitars, both back in the 70s, and today. What with my 2 "classics" and the Milly, I feel like I've got 2 old wives and a hot young girlfriend. :)

I also heard that the S originally stood for Seymour, but Bobbe left the company very early on.

Posted: 31 Dec 2008 7:09 am
by Chris Johnson
My Spine Aches?
Aint that the truth :lol:

Watch your feet when one of those D-12's are comin' around :lol:

Posted: 31 Dec 2008 7:25 am
by Barry Blackwood
The Rolls Royce of pedal steel guitars, both back in the 70s, and today.
Mike, not to disparage your choice(s), but isn't Anapeg generally considered by most to be the RR of steels? :eek:

Posted: 31 Dec 2008 8:05 am
by Donny Hinson
Barry Blackwood wrote: Mike, not to disparage your choice(s), but isn't Anapeg generally considered by most to be the RR of steels? :eek:
Well, I must admit I've never played one. But other than a rather unique changer and their use of rare woods, they seem pretty ordinary...except for the price.

Posted: 31 Dec 2008 8:23 am
by Bent Romnes
When I bought my 1976 MSA Classic wood, it was common knowledge that MSA stood for
Morrell
Shields
Anderson

They were heavy but indestructible. Mine weighed 89 lbs in the case.
I wish I had it today :-(

Posted: 31 Dec 2008 1:58 pm
by Tony Prior
I had a D-12, I needed two scales to weigh it. It was probably an early 70's'ish Steel, my wife told me it looked like it had never been on a gig.

Ya think !

I told her it was lucky it left the factory !

it as a fine instrument though, high quality well built and played very well.

MSA Homage

Posted: 31 Dec 2008 3:03 pm
by Dwight Lewis
Well I guess I will be the first to show honor and due glory to the MSA. This because you guys started this. :lol:
Image And I sold this one. WHYYYY? :(
Image But I still got this one.
Image

Posted: 31 Dec 2008 7:53 pm
by Al Marcus
Dwight-Why? I wonder too! The one you sold with the aluminum pocket for the pickup was the one you should have kept, only 39 Lbs out of the case. I have had a few maple wood ones and the old plywood ones.That S12 looks like it has been refinished, must have sounded good, black, you know...Happy New Year...al.:):)

Posted: 31 Dec 2008 11:54 pm
by Ric Epperle
Two things will survive a nuclear holocaust. A cockroach and an MSA... :)

Msa

Posted: 1 Jan 2009 12:47 am
by Dwight Lewis
Al, I still have footprint on my rear end from kicking myself for selling the black one. The white one fits me better with the double frame. I had an all wood SS SD-10 and sold it and yep, another footprint was added to the old back side. I just got this extended e9th S-12. Love it. I got a project for one of these and I wont unveil it just yet.
Image
Image

Posted: 1 Jan 2009 8:06 am
by Darvin Willhoite
Well, it's been a while since I posted pictures of some of my MSA's, so here they are again. What do I think of MSA's, I've bought four new one's in the last four years, does that tell you anything? I also have a few older one's. Maurice says I have an MSA Museum. LOL

Image

Image

Image

Image

MSA's

Posted: 1 Jan 2009 8:27 am
by Al Marcus
Darvin-Wow! Beautiful collection of MSA guitars. I'll bet you can't decided which one to play each day. Right? Which one do you play the most? Studio Pro?.Happy New year....al.:):) 8) 8)