| Author |
Topic: MSA Cable Guitar |
Aaron Jennings
From:
Montana, USA
|
Posted 28 Jan 2017 11:42 am |
|
Howdy everyone.
Just won an online auction for an odd guitar, I've only got a few bad pictures but will add more when it arrives.
Some forum digging seems to indicate the first MSA guitars were cable pulls. Does anybody know more?
 |
|
|
 |
Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
|
Posted 28 Jan 2017 12:15 pm
|
|
The earliest MSA I ever saw came into my shop for an evaluation as to what it was and could anything be done with it. The top deck of the guitar was entirely wood; the tailpiece, neck, and a wooden peghead that had Kluson Deluxe tuners. It had probably been "refinished" sometime ago by brushpainting. The only thing that said MSA was at the bottom of the fretboard, and it looked like paper underneath plexiglass. It didn't have an undercarriage, legs, or rods.
Sadly, I can't find the photos I took of it. But I called Reece that afternoon and he said "Wow! One of the earliest." Unfortunately, almost all of the people that I'm aware of that were around for that period of time and were connected with MSA have passed away. Reece, Morrell, Danny Shields, Bobbe Seymour, Bobby Bowman, Billy Braddy are gone. AFAIK, Albert Talley is the one who might know most about very early MSA guitars. Jr. Knight was about 12 years old at the time.
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.
Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? |
|
|
|
Aaron Jennings
From:
Montana, USA
|
Posted 10 Feb 2017 2:30 pm
|
|
Herb, Thanks for the help. I also really appreciated you taking some time to chat with me at the Phoenix show, and have been diving into your instructional material. Perfect for my needs right now.
The guitar arrived. Beautiful wood, and the changer is a serious piece of machining! This guitar has obviously been ridden hard and put away wet (literally, there is some mildew).
The only indicators that is indeed an early MSA (to me) are the Super Sustain Pickups (huge!), the well-made changer I have not seen before, and the plexiglass/paper fretboard matches your description. The initials 'RD' have been carved into the underside.
Here's some pictures. Looking forward to getting this up and running some day.
 |
|
|
|
Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
|
Posted 10 Feb 2017 4:22 pm
|
|
| The first MSA I ever saw was in early '66, and it looked nothing like this. (The pictures remind me more of a Miller Custom than anything else.) Whatever it is (or was), it's certainly been hacked a time or two, and those pickups are definitely not original to the guitar. In addition, the necks don't match to the pickup housing, and the fretboards are plainly laid out improperly, so I'd say those aren't original either. |
|
|
|
Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
|
Posted 10 Feb 2017 8:34 pm
|
|
What Donny said. Supersustain pickups didn't show up until the late '70s or early '80s, and this guitar is WAY older than that. I think the only thing MSA on the guitar is the pickups.
_________________
Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, a restored MSA Classic SS, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Also a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored Rose S10, named the "Blue Bird". Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also have a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks, and a showroom condition Sho-Bud Super Pro. |
|
|
|
