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Topic: Millennium- first impressions |
Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 23 Jun 2006 9:28 am |
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Man, I am so stoked over this guitar-
The first thing I noticed was the weight. Or rather the lack of it. This puppy is light!!!! As some of you know, my house is in an incline, and I have to climb about a dozen stairs to get to the street. Carrying this guitar up and down the stairs is SO MUCH easier....
Next was the way the angles of the knee levers can be altered simply by turning a thumb screw.
I had set screws installed in the knee levers on my older guitars so they can be adusted, but to do so requires the use of a hex driver, and it takes a few minutes. On the millennium, it takes seconds.
This is more critical that one might imagine because both my E-raises and lowers are on the keft knee. By carefully placing the angle of the levers, and raising my leg up so that it barely touches the vertical, I can go from one to the other, and go from the Eb to the F notes and vice versa, smoothly without the E note in between sounding. If the angles of the knee levers are not exactly right, the unwanted E note can be heard and the move sounds awkward and clumsey.
I spent all of 2 minutes tweaking the angles to get them right.
Next is the pedal hight adjustment. Reece told me he frequently adjusts the pedal height to compensate for the room. I can see this if one has to play on a carpet, but I'm more of a set it and forget it kind of guy.
So I spent about 4 or 5 minutes adjuting the pedals the way I like them. I couldn't believe how simple and easy it was.
Finally, Last night I took the guitar to a club where my friend Al Vescovo was playing, and he played it for a set so I could really listen to it. Now bear in mind that Al and I both prefer a darker less twangy tone, like Reece's or Curly Chalkers. I got a pickup (a George L 12-1) that has a darker tone, and Al had his Fender Steel King amp set to get that tone too.
Suffice to say the guitar nailed it. I'm sure that for those of you who prefer a brighter Emmons like tone, the guitar would also nail it with a different pickup and different amp settings.
It seemed that every note seemed to be more distinct than on my older guitars. The only way to really tell would be to A-B them. But that was my impression.
Last, the guitar came with a wheeled flight case.
All in all, I am extemely pleased. These guitar are expesive, but I defintaely think they are worth every penny.
Don't be surprised if sometime in the future I announce that I'm getting a second one.
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My web site
[This message was edited by Mike Perlowin on 23 June 2006 at 10:31 AM.] |
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2006 9:52 am
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Congratulations Mike, I knew you would like it. I've had mine nearly a year now and it just gets better. Great guitars from a great bunch of guys. I just got my new Superslide this week, now there's a whole new ballgame. I've got my work cut out for me for the next few months learning the basics of this thing.
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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2006 11:26 am
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Mike,
It seemed that every note seemed to be more distinct than on my older guitars. The only way to really tell would be to A-B them. But that was my impression.
You're not alone in this analogy Mike !!...I too found the Millenium to have really good string to string seperation, and it had more of a "piano" like quality to the sound ..... It's funny how this steel is NOT made of wood , but surprisingly to me , it has more of a " woody" tone to it than a wooden pedal steel ...When you play a very high end acoustic guitar with really nice wood, you get a similar quality ...A very resonant tone , with a LOT of sustain and none of the notes smearing together , but rather a very distinctive tone to each string .... There are plenty of die hard fans of wooden pedal steels, but if they sat down and played a Millenium, I think they would be scratching their heads a bit !!
BTW ....Great review ..... I'm glad that you found the same as I did in the tone dept. ...Good ears flock together !!...  .....Sincerely, Jim |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 23 Jun 2006 11:58 am
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At the moment, all three on my MSA steels (maple/lacguer, dieboard/mica, and the Millennium) are lined up in a row. Tonight I'll bring in the amp, and compare the sounds of all 3.
to be continued......
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My web site
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2006 12:07 pm
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Great review and congrats on the new steel!
Greg |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 23 Jun 2006 12:55 pm
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Greg, You and I not only have the same kind of steel, we also have the same make and model guitar and mandolin.
Let me congratulate you on your fine taste in instruments. 
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My web site
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Ken Thompson
From:
Great Falls, Montana, USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2006 1:05 pm
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Congratulations Mike. I have been eyeballing that particular steel on their website every day. It is absolutely beautiful. I appreciate your review as well. I kind of like the brighter tone to a degree and use the TT pickup on my Carter. I wonder how it would sound on the Millineum?
Have a ball and keep us posted.
Ken |
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Ron Randall
From:
Dallas, Texas, USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2006 1:35 pm
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Ken,
FWIW. I love my MSA SU12 Millenium. It is so nice to be able to swap pickups quickly. The E-66 is bright. The 12-1 is darker and just right for me and this guitar. I like the TT for that single coil sound. If I could only have one all-around pickup, it would be the 12-1, because of its humbucking ability. BUT...I can change as often as I want.
Thanks MSA.
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 23 Jun 2006 6:32 pm
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| Quote: |
| I kind of like the brighter tone to a degree and use the TT pickup on my Carter. I wonder how it would sound on the Millineum? |
Ken I an going to get a TT, as well as a couple of others, so I can have a variety of sounds at my disposal for recording purposes. i will probobly keep my other 2 guitars for that reason.
I am also going to experiment with an EMG active pickup. This means there will be a small wire dangling from the pickup well to a box mounted on the leg (which I already have) that contains the battery well and active tone controls.
I have no way of knowing how this will work, but I believe it will make this excellent guitar even better that it already is.
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My web site
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Al Marcus
From:
Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)
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Posted 23 Jun 2006 8:10 pm
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Mike-Nice Impressions. I felt about the same way with mine. The nice string separation is definitely there. The 14 hole bellcranks and easy changing pulls on the M3 is a great feature too. Your back will thank you every day you move it...al
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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/
[This message was edited by Al Marcus on 23 June 2006 at 09:14 PM.] |
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Sidney Malone
From:
Buna, TX
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Posted 24 Jun 2006 4:24 am
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Congrats Mike!! Now you know why so many of us Millenium owners rave about it so much.....because it deserves it!
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MSA Millennium S-12U
Walker Stereo Steel
Hilton Pedal
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 24 Jun 2006 5:41 am
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We played at a Church convention last night in San Antonio, about 120 miles away, and I had to haul my Millenium in the back of my truck (in the case of course) with the sun beating down on it and the temperature was 99 degrees. I have a Ford Super Crew, but I had too many passengers to carry it inside the truck. I took it into the auditorium, which was very cold, set it up, and was amazed at how close the tuning still was. I just had to tweak a couple of strings and it was right on. The stability of the material, plus the lightweight for us old guys, the sound, and playing ease, make these guitars great.
I also used my Nashville 112 for the first time in a situation like this. The auditorium seats around 5000, and there was probably around 2000 people there. I used the XLR out to the main sound system, and the amp sounded great. It had plenty of power for me to hear very well, and according to some people in the audience, it sounded good through the system.
Millenium, Nashville 112, and pack-a-seat, thats all I needed. Easy to transport, quick to set up and tear down, and great sound. I'm one happy steel player.
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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 24 Jun 2006 9:35 am
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Hey Darvin, since you have both a Millennium and a Legend, if you could only have one, which would you choose?
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My web site
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 24 Jun 2006 2:53 pm
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Mike, I think I would go with a Millenium, due to the lighter weight and greater durability. I can't tell enough difference in the sound for that to influence a decision.
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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording
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David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
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Posted 24 Jun 2006 11:02 pm
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Mike I am not surprised you are VERY happy.
I have played 3 Millenums and loved them all.
Dave Derantany's,
Reece's D-10 standard tuned steel at ISGC,
and David Wright's too.
EACH WAS TIGHT AS A DRUM, AND GREAT TO PLAY. |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 25 Jun 2006 6:25 am
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| I liked Reeces D-10 as well. I bought it. Really happy with this axe, and Johnny really does great work. All the folks at MSA have been cool to deal with. |
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Fred Shannon
From:
Rocking "S" Ranch, Comancheria, Texas, R.I.P.
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Posted 25 Jun 2006 8:03 am
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Well it's obvious that this Marlin Blue serial number 0009 is going to outlast this old man. Haven't really had one minute's trouble out of this SD10, and it's been played 3 and 4 nights every week since birth. Stays in tune, broken only 3 strings since it came to me, only one third, and it is light enough to carry under one arm (if you've got a long arm). To confirm, the guys at MSA are super and really care about the reputation of a manufacturer. Thanks everyone for all your help.
Phred
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"From Truth, Justice is Born"--Quanah Parker-1904
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john buffington
From:
Owasso OK - USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2006 5:12 am
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My "Mill" is about a year old and I am totally satisified with it - couldn't be happier. It is everything I was told it would be, the weight factor and stability are an added plus. You can get any tone out of them you want, sustain for days, string separation is excellent, pedal action and the finger tip pedal height adjustment is icing on the cake. To this day I have never broke a 3rd string and only one 5th string, that says a lot when on my other guitars I bought 3rd strings by the dozen, literally! The more I play it the better I like it! Expensive yes, no doubt, but after looking at one very closely and sitting down to it and playing for a while, if I had it do to all over again . . . . for me I would do it again, without hesitation. I'm sold on MSA!
John Buffington |
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