The Steel Guitar Forum

I play a 1976 MSA S12,and im gonna attempt to
install a George L E-66.Have any of you MSA
players done this?If so is there anything i
should know before i attempt this?I have never changed a pickup,dont want to screw it
up.
Thanks in advance for any help.

Wayne

Slick I have not changed my pickup. But make sure you get a pickup with the mounting holes on the bottom of the pickup.

I've got a '76 Classic 12. I've had a George L in this guitar pretty much since I bought it. If your guitar has the short aluminum changer housing, it's no big deal to swap out for the '66.

I bought a GeoL E-66 from a forumite a couple years ago and managed to get it installed in my 75 MSA S-12. It replaced the stock Super Sustain.I'm going from memory now because the guitar is not set up in front of me, but as I recall, I had to snap the mounting tab(s) off one side of the new pickup. The original had an aluminum frame of sorts that mounted to the bottom of the pickup with 2 screws. the frame had the tabs that mounted to the guitar. 2 tabs on the changer side, 1 tab on the fingerboard side. I had to somehow make the original frame hold the pickup and being as how the screw holes in the bottom of the pickup didn't line up, I had to affix it by snapping off the plastic tabs on the GeoL. To secure the frame to it, I used black elecrician tape and wound it several times. Seems to me I also used a thin layer of foam padding to insulate it from the frame and also to make it fit snuggly. It works fine and sounds great but it was not just a simple replacment.

BD

I installed a George L 10-5 in my old super sustain Msa last week. It was very easy to install and this model of George L had the two stud screw on the bottom of the pickup to mount to the supersustain perfectly. I just cut the extra mounting ears off and it went like a breeze. Email me; hparrisal@aol.com if you get hung up installing it.

If you have an old MSA Classic with the skinney/narrow pickup, and do not have the aluminum changer mounting, the newer pickups, nor the MSA Supersustain WILL NOT fit. I recently mounted a George L E-66 in my MSA Classic. The neck had to be routed out so the pickup would fit. I found a local guitar shop that installs tremelo's,etc. that reguired routing. He made a template and did a clean job of routing. Just make sure you have the new pickup with you. I was only charged $65, and he would have installed it (wiring and all) for another $25. My MSA is a 73.

Hope this helped.

------------------
"STRINGBUSTER"
MSA S-12 (2)both B6/E9
Ray Beale Rosenberg,Tx

Hi, slick.

I have an MSA U-12 which is, I believe, about a 1974-75 model Classic. It came (new) with 5 + 4. I wanted to add a LKV lever and the E-66 George-L pickup. So, I called Bud Carter, who designed the MSA and had it shipped to him. Bud did a great job, as he always does. The E-66 really livened up the guitar, but it still keeps that special MSA tone, which I really like.

Good luck.

oj hicks

I made that same change on a D-10 MSA years ago and if you REALLY want to liven up the guitar,DON'T isolate the pickup from the frame or body.As I recall,I mounted the E-66 on a plastic plate left over from when I had Bill Lawrence pickups on it - and it in turn was suspended in the aluminum cavity on springs w/thin bolts going thru them - the way pickups are mounted in standard electric guitars.That sounded ok but when I replaced the springs with solid spacers cut out of brass tubing and snubbed them down real tight,the guitar really started to bark - especially in the upper mids and the low strings took on a treble edge without the high strings sounding shrill.The low end mushiness often associated with MSAs was history.That's hard to get with just EQ.It made me think about my old ZB's tone and the way its pickups were also screwed down tight. Try it. -MJ-

Thanks to everyone for you input on the E-66
Raymond i do have the skinny pickup,and you are right the E-66 aint gonna drop right in
the ole MSA.I have a friend in Birmingham
Alabama who is gonna install it.Hey oj you
might know him,his name is Joe Kaloc.If you
are talkin MSA he be the man in Birmingham.
Man you on guys on this forum are GREAT!!!!!!
Thanks

Wayne