The Steel Guitar Forum

I'm begging someone to please post a sound clip of a millennium. I can only find c6 on youtibe. If you could please also just describe their tone as best as possible. I know about all of the features but how much difference does the carbon fiber make for better or worse. I know people say "they have a tone of their own" but are they really that much different in tonechan a wood body is? Call all me at 770-598-5111 asap or pm me or just post a message on thread. Thanks
Scott

I've played the one Bob Simons bought from David Wright.
I sound like me. It's very uniform, crisp without being shrill. I've got no video or audio of it.

PM sent

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSmZBjXvoz8

I think that's one at about 1:20 in that clip. I am not an MSA guy so I could be wrong by maybe it will help.

I hope Jim doesnt mind--mighty fine playing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00WWBZ_Vh6s

and one more Reece Anderson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znQDn7xoFvw

Scott, I'd say they sound pretty good...but I think you should keep in mind that how well a player plays (as well as the amp and how it's set) makes far more difference in the sound than what the guitar body is made of. When I ordered mine, I had never even heard one, since they hadn't sold any yet. (The main reason I bought it was for the CFC body and the titanium pull rods.) Nevertheless, I was confident that I could get "my sound", or just about any other sound, from the guitar.

There weren't a lot of Millenniums made (and they're no longer being made) so there's few good quality sound files on the 'net. But if you want to hear different sounds and tones from the same guitar, all you have to do is listen. Go to YouTube and punch in Emmons Legrande, and you'll discover that every single player will be getting a distinctly different sound and tone...from the same make and model guitar!

I wonder why they quit making the Millennium?

Wayne Ledbetter wrote:I wonder why they quit making the Millennium?

As I understand it, it was because the price of carbon fiber skyrocketed and the supply became erratic too, being all bought up by the airplane manufacturers. I think the minimum purchase requirements for the material also became overly burdensome. But David Wright or maybe Johnny Cox could give a more authoritative answer.

Bill Lowe wrote:I hope Jim doesnt mind--mighty fine playing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00WWBZ_Vh6s

Thanks, Bill. I don't mind, but I think Scott is particularly looking for some E9 on the Millennium. I looked around and came up with this informal video from my home studio. Might give some idea of what the E9 might sound like (though obviously depends on the player, amp settings, other gear, etc.) YMMV.

https://youtu.be/_v0GwYmdryc

Jim that's just absolutely gorgeous. Thanks so much. Exactly what I was looking for. What's your amp and rig setup? Any effects on that tune? Are you still playing your millennium? Do you notice any difference between them and the legend that they're building now? Thanks so much
Scott

Thank you, Scott. I'm not positive, but I think I was probably playing through a Roland 80XL with a 15" Eminence extension speaker. I often use that at home for practicing. The only effect on it would have been the built-in reverb on the amp. And I usually use a L'il Izzy too, but I see from the video that I didn't have it plugged in that day.

Yes, I do still play the Millennium.

I have never played a Legend so I really couldn't compare them for you. Perhaps David Wright or Johnny Cox (or Kyle Bennett) could describe their similarities and differences for you.

Best,
Jim

I was told that carbon fiber has become so expensive that a new guitar would have to cost $10,000.

I love my 2 Millies. They are wonderful guitars. They sound great, they play really well, and they weigh less than most, if not all, other steels.

One of the best places up to about a year ago to hear a Millennium in action was the Youtube channel for the Grand Ole Opry, listening to performances from around 07-a few years ago, as Tommy White played his burgandy M3 on many songs. Unfortunately, it seems most of the ones I found about a year ago seem to be gone. There are others that might be his Millie, but no shots of the steeler, or maybe a distant one where I recognize Tommy, but can't tell if it is his Millie or not, like this one:

https://youtu.be/-xHKobJSgOE

The color looks right, but that's all I can tell (only shot is in the corner of the screen at about 4 minutes).

If you want, I can upload the ones I saved to my G-drive that are DEFINITELY Tommy and the M3, and you can download them.

In my experience, all guitars sound great when Tommy White plays them, but they all sound much worse when I play them. I can hear tone differences between the different guitars I've played, but way less than many might think, and none sounded "bad". Even different pickups seem to make less difference than I would have thought. I think two things do more for what little tone I get than anything else:

1) Amp. There are definitely different tones with different amps. And the best I've gotten is from an older Stereo Steel I bought here on the forum.

2) Li'l Izzy. It makes every guitar and every amp I've tried it with sound better! (Craig, I expect a thank you email from heaven for plugging your little magic box again).

So I would say there are great reasons to buy a Millie, such as extremely light weight, extremely stable body despite great range of temperature and humidity levels, the many other superb engineering solutions MSA incorporated in the Millie and later designs, like the pedal height adjustment while seated, and so on. Want a particular tone? Try a different amp.

Thank y'all a million. Really appreciate the input. I have one more question.....what is the difference in the M3 and the ones that just say Millenium on the front?

To be honest, I don't really know - and not all M3's have that sticker. The Burgundy M3 that Tommy use to play has fewer carbon fiber items: the knee levers and pedal board are alloy. An M2 build about a year before that I know has the carbon versions of those parts. As far as I know, those are the only distinctions, but David Wright or Kyle Bennett could tell you more than I.

One difference is that the titanium rods on the original Millies were replaced with aluminum on the later ones. Reece told me the titanium rods tended to bind.

BTW, the M3 was the 3rd generation of Millenniums. There was a second. I was told that the 2nd generation Millies could be upgraded to M3 specs but the 1st generation one could not.

One more thing, some of the 3rd generation Millies said M3, and some said Millennium III.

The changer and bellcranks on the M3 are upgraded from the earlier models, I have early model ( built by Johnny Cox) and two years ago had it upgraded to the latest standard by Kyle Bennet and Mitchell Smithy at MSA.Same undercarriage as the current Legend. I changed my pedal bar from carbon to metal, only other difference that I know of is early ones have open headstock , later ones closed.As far as tonal difference goes I have tried Milly and Legend at Dallas show, both sounded like me (unfortunately) . I have Alumitone on it, but also have Truetone, virtually no difference in tone but Alumitone is better in noisy stages, where stage light interference etc is a problem. Milly was my choice because of weight but I do love some of those Legends with the Mark Giles cabinets, my favourite is the Caribbean Blue one on MSA web site.

Mike Perlowin wrote:One difference is that the titanium rods on the original Millies were replaced with aluminum on the later ones. Reece told me the titanium rods tended to bind.

Mike, are you sure the pull rods are now aluminum? I ask because from an engineering standpoint, that's a rather poor choice (due its high rate of thermal expansion).

Donny, I thought Reece said aluminum. Maybe he said they were stainless steel. I could be mistaken. But he definitely said that they stopped using titanium to make the rods on the 2nd and 3rd generations of the Millennium.

FWIW, I'll mention that my Millennium was formerly owned by Tommy White, and that MSA upgraded it from M2 to M3 (although it does not have an M3 badge).

Jim Cohen, wonderful arrangement and excellent playing. Nice use of thumb strums. You must be a jazz guitarist or pianist as well, that was a great counterpoint you threw in towards the end.
John

Thank you, John. My jazz guitar playing is coming along but hasn't really caught up to my steel playing yet. Appreciate the compliment, though.

Scott McRee wrote:I'm begging someone to please post a sound clip of a millennium. I can only find c6 on youtibe. If you could please also just describe their tone as best as possible. I know about all of the features but how much difference does the carbon fiber make for better or worse. I know people say "they have a tone of their own" but are they really that much different in tonechan a wood body is? Call all me at 770-598-5111 asap or pm me or just post a message on thread. Thanks
Scott

Hello Scott. I made some videos recently with my D-10 MSA Millennium. And also, I recorded an EP / DVD with artists with whom I play here in Brazil. Can I send links to videos from youtube. Some of these videos are on my channel on Youtube
PAULO PERIN. Here are some links: I hope that helps. Paulo

https://youtu.be/y6K619u3ejk

https://youtu.be/S0TSn19uSCg

https://youtu.be/Ly34gVwVjnk

https://youtu.be/4GuOJzbBXhQ

https://youtu.be/LUZe0BcLkFI

I have two. One is probably the third one made, purchased at the 2000 ISGA. Upgraded to the new changer. The other is a 2nd generation, but with the newer changer. I went down to the factory to pick it up and had lunch with Reese, Johnny, and Junior Knight. They are the only guitars I will play out because they are so lightweight and stay in tune so perfectly. You can put this axe in the trunk of your car, drive through 120 degree heat or -20 cold, pull it out and set it up and it doesn't need to be tuned. What is so cool about the sound is that, like the Legends, you can swap out the pickups, so if you don't like what you're hearing, have somebody wind you something different and slide that in. I suspect you can probably get any tone you want.

Li'l Izzy. It makes every guitar and every amp I've tried it with sound better! (Craig, I expect a thank you email from heaven for plugging your little magic box again).

Many thanks to Craig Baker for the Issy plus..it made my Mullen come alive and give me the tone I want through my Peavey 1000...sometimes it is just finding the right combination..and the Issy Plus, the Mullen Steel and the Peavey 1000 is all I need..Again thanks to Craig Baker.