MSA Chess Piece Fret Markers?

Tom Thompson · Post by **Tom Thompson** » 16 Nov 2023 5:24 pm

I was just playing my 1973 MSA Classic and am wondering if anyone knows the story behind the Chess piece fret markers?

Thanks,

Tom

Wayne Brown · Post by **Wayne Brown** » 17 Nov 2023 4:05 am

A direct quote from Reese Anderson. It was quite easy to find.

"Tom Morrell and Danny Shields, who were originally the M & S in MSA, were building a guitar in the very early 1960's called the Morrell Shields Custom. They had selected chess pieces for fret markers before I became involved and the MSA company was formed.
I wanted to continue to use the symbols even on the new MSA Millennium because my feelings have always been, "the chess pieces provide the perception of a dignified and intellectual connotation".

I of course cannot speak for Tom or Danny as to the reasons behind their decision to use them originally!"
thanks
wayne

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 17 Nov 2023 7:45 am

Just a guess.
This is why I use it, Not because I carry a gun but liked the show. ^_^

pal·a·din
noun HISTORICAL
The twelve peers of Charlemagne's court, of whom the Count Palatine was the chief.

a knight renowned for heroism and chivalry.

Tom Thompson · Post by **Tom Thompson** » 17 Nov 2023 8:29 am

Interesting, Thanks Wayne!

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 18 Nov 2023 2:38 am

To me playing Jazz-Improvisation with other improvisers is like playing chess but on a 12 by 12 board littered with with land mines.

Maurice played steel guitar like a chess player-strategically! But as he himself admitted, the figures wasn't his idea.

I had a long discussion with him on the positioning of the chess pieces on the fretboard and even the "MSA" engraving at the pickup end of the fret board... to me it's all upside-down. To me the key head is at the top and the tail pice is... well, at the TAIL end.
Buddy Emmons' Christmas album shows an EMCI setup against the wall next to a fireplace... key head up, changer on the bottom. I don't think the fine folks at MSA would ever have exclaimed "that axe is upside-down!"... and I told Maurice that and we had a good laughter and I got one point (which I traded against the 1000's he had).

I have 2 MSA's an old and a new one... and it irritates the heck out of me every time I look at the fret board... so I try to use that to do what BE did when he learned to play... turn the lights off and play blind!

... J-D.