Question for Reese Anderson about my MSA D12...

Rich Currier · From: Woodland Park, CO USA

Mr. Anderson,
I just picked up a blonde D12 Classic a couple of days ago at a local pawn shop. It looked like it had sat out in the open for 20 years (real dusty). The serial number is 2C5279. It has 10 pedals & 4 knees & that new fangled fuzz circuit. I'm almost finished cleaning & oiling it. I was wondering if you had any further info on this guitar. It looks like a '75 to me. I appreciate the help.

By the way...
- Does anybody sell string sets for the D12's..?
- Is there a source for the hex tuning wrench that normally comes with it..?
- The SuperSustain pickups sounded real nice when I tried it out. The pawn shop owner only wanted $450 for it. I can imagine what he paid. Such a great deal, I couldn't pass it up.

Thanks again,

Rich Currier

Reece Anderson · From: Keller Texas USA, R.I.P.

Rich....Thank you for rescuing an MSA and giving it a home. I have no doubt it will reward your doing so by serving you well for many years.

Serial number 2C-5279 shows to be a gold colored double 12 which left the factory with 10 pedals and 4 knee levers. It's original destination was Ralph Hanzel's Music in West Allis Wisconsin.

Ralph is no longer with us, but he was a dear friend, steel player/teacher, promoter of steel guitar, and quite possibly the biggest volume MSA dealer in our history.

Production records show the guitar was made in September of 1976.

You might find a tuning wrench at your local quality hardware store. Ask for an AceLite P6 3/16 hex enclosed wrench.

I recommend you consider Jagwire strings. I prefer the nickel wound, but there are also those who prefer the stainless.

MSA welcomes you to what we consider to be our ever growing family.

Rich Currier · From: Woodland Park, CO USA

Mr. Anderson,

Thanks for the reply. As always, you are a fount of knowledge concerning all things steel (and MSA's in particular)...

All cleaned up now, restrung & it sounds real nice through a small Marshall tube amp... And, except for some mild finish checking and a couple of bar dings, it looks good too...

Rich Currier

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

You made a real "score" there, Rich! You could strip that guitar down and make more than $450 just selling parts!

As for the pawn-shop's profit, they'll typically give you no more than 15%-20% of an item's value. So, if we assume it's "street worth" is somewhere between $900 and $1100, he still probably doubled his money.

Rich Currier · From: Woodland Park, CO USA

Donny,

I think you're right about the shop's profit. They will traditionally look for double what they paid out. He told me he was looking at Ebay & saw them selling for around $600, so he priced it lower because to him it looked like a basket case.

I'm going to have to post a couple of pictures, it just looks so purty now...

Rich Currier

Rich Currier · From: Woodland Park, CO USA

For anyone who might be interested...

I took a half dozen pictures of this guitar after the cleanup & posted them on my band website. If you're inclined, take a look & let me know what you think...
http://www.baddogsmusic.com/pedalsteel.shtml

Thanks,

Rich Currier

Jimmie Martin · From: Ohio, USA

how much are you going to sell it for ?

Rich Currier · From: Woodland Park, CO USA

Robert,

I only bought it because I just sold my Sho~Bud Professional D10. It's already competing with my Lloyd Green for floor space.

I hadn't even thought about selling it. I'm enjoying the quest for C6th proficiency. It's a cinch I won't be taking any restoration business away from Ricky Davis any time soon, either....

Having said that..... Are you prepared to make an offer...?

Rich Currier

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Way to go, Rich...it looks pretty fine to me!

Jimmie Martin · From: Ohio, USA

to be honest with you i don't have any idea what it is worth. i'm going to buy one in about a week. i'm learning on a msa s10 semi classic. i have only been learning about 3 months. how much harder is a 12 string to learn than a 10 string.
you did a real good clean up on it.
it may be better to get a d10 i don't know.

Rich Currier · From: Woodland Park, CO USA

Donny,

Thanks. It's my first attempt at disassembling/reassembling & fooling with the undercarriage. I should probably put a few pictures of the underside on my site too...

Robert,

I'm not real sure what they're going for these days either. They aren't really much different than the standard D10. The E9th neck has an additional 2 strings on the lower end (an 'A' & an 'E). The C6th neck has an additional 2 strings on the higher end (an 'F#' & an 'A')... I am finding it more difficult to locate strings, though. I think I'm going to have to go with the standard E9th/C6th sets & order the extra strings individually. The D10's are more common, so the price would probably be somewhat lower. I think I'm going to hang on to this one for a while and play it out some...

Rich Currier

Jimmie Martin · From: Ohio, USA

thanks for the info. it sure does look nice though. is there much difference in msa and carter since mr. carter built msa and builds carters? like sound and playability? i sure can ask quwestions huh?

Rich Currier · From: Woodland Park, CO USA

Robert,

As far as comparing Carter to MSA, I'm certainly not the expert. I have yet to play a Carter, but I have seen Rusty Young playing one. He had two legs tilted up at a crazy angle while he played. Sounded, good though. My bandmate was in a band with Rusty before he joined Poco & said he was good playing Sho~Buds too, so it probably doesn't mean a whole lot...

This is the first MSA I've played (I've previously owned only Sho~Buds). The tonal characteristics and qualities are on a par with my Lloyd Green... It sounds good to my ears. I don't know if the SuperSustain pickups have anything to do with it or not, but those big C6th swing chords seem to last forever...

The one hurdle the MSA has always had to jump... The weight. The D12 weighs even more than the D10. I'm thinking of dubbing it the 'Panzer'...

Rich Currier

Rich Currier · From: Woodland Park, CO USA

Guyz,

One last post to say I took a few more photos of the undercarriage of my D12 & put them up on my site. Have a gander if you so desire...
http://www.baddogsmusic.com/pedalsteel.shtml

Rich Currier

Rex Thomas · From: Thompson's Station, TN

Man, that's one pretty gtr, Rich.
I'll get into this a little. This one reminds me a LOT of the D-10 Classic I had, a pleasant trip down memory lane if you will, same pin striping, to me yours looks better because I like the decal logo, fretboard, detalis thing better. Didn't care for the plastic details. Sorry Reece & others

but Rich's gtr. is a fine example of this era IMHO.
And again, this is just me, but what I did like about the Carters was that to my hands they had that MSA feel that I did like & was used to at a time.
Although heavy as stated above, looks like a babe to me. And again IMHO, the fuzz & tone circuit was a good as any. I could definitely get it to work for me.
I always liked the playability of those Classics.
Enjoy!

Doug Ferguson · From: Burnet, Texas, USA

I've also got a class d12 76 model. Walnut colored and very pretty. I'll have to post some photos sometime.
That is a very pretty steel! What a deal. I don't know what pickups mine has on it. Just black, no logos. Sounds great though. Especially through my just refurbished, modified Session 500! Thanks Mike Brown, and thanks Maurice Anderson!

------------------
Fergy, MSA Classic D12

Gary Walker · From: Morro Bay, CA

Wow, what a buy and I am jealous because I got rid of my MSA D-12 9 & 5 and it was a real trooper.

Rich Currier · From: Woodland Park, CO USA

Yowza...

There are a bunch more D12's out there than I thought. We probably need to all get together... Course, that would mean we'd have to actually move them... Fergit it, too much trouble.

I just mapped out the current copedent on this gitbox & it's a lot different than I'm used to. Raising & lowering the E's are both on one knee, but it's the right knee. I'm used to the raise on LKL & the lower on RKL. The 'B' pedal raises strings 4 & 5, but string 5 gets an extra half step up. I'm not sure that's going to work. Doesn't look to tough to change, just a little strange is all.

Rich Currier

[This message was edited by Rich Currier on 10 August 2004 at 11:55 AM.]

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