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Topic: Msa Classic |
Thomas Withrow
From:
Ashland Kentucky, USA
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Posted 2 Mar 2020 1:10 pm |
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| Can someone please help me date my MSA CLASSIC serial number 2C2878 thanks.. |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 2 Mar 2020 2:29 pm
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| I'd guess mid 1974, probably the end of June or first week of July. |
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Thomas Withrow
From:
Ashland Kentucky, USA
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Posted 3 Mar 2020 9:08 am
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 3 Mar 2020 4:01 pm
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| miss the times here when you could just ask reese and he would send you an email with whatever info he had on your guitar. i looked in the case of a msa single 12 i have that needs a total rebuild and i found the email from reese telling me when it was made and who was the first owner or store it went to. |
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Dave Hopping
From:
Aurora, Colorado
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Posted 4 Mar 2020 12:39 pm
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Bill,Reece did the same for me,and the printout is in the case.It's stored away so I can't get to it to see what the S/N is,but I'll do that as soon as I get the chance.Aside from being a D-10 to SD-10 conversion,Thomas' MSA looks a great deal like mine,which is a '70.
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 4 Mar 2020 2:12 pm
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Look at how the neck on Dave's extends all the way out to the pickup well. Compare that the the aluminum block on Thomas's guitar that surrounds the pickup.
This design change occurred around 1975 or 6, right around the same time they changes from dieboard and mica to maple and lacquer.
They used the name Classic on both the mica and lacquer models.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 4 Mar 2020 5:21 pm
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Dave, the guitar in your photo can't be a 1970 model, I suspect it's closer to a '73.
Mike, I believe the aluminum "neck stub" (which some refer to as an aluminum pickup pocket) was added around 1974. The earliest solid wood (lacquer) models still used the "Classic" name, but it was soon changed and became the "Classic XL", which had an improved changer and no center support on the double-neck models for the crossrods. |
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Jim Pitman
From:
Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA
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Posted 5 Mar 2020 9:05 am
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Pics of MSA Classics bring back memories of browsing through Tom Bradshaw's yellow steel guitar catalog. As a young guy then I fantasized about owning one.
Ya'll recall that catalog? |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 5 Mar 2020 11:50 am
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This picture of the steel the cover of my Firebird Suite CD was taken from Tom's catalog. I don't know if it was the one I eventually bought, or a different green MSA U-12.
The rest of the artwork was the picture on the cover of the program at the premier of the Firebird ballet in Paris, around 100 years ago. In the original picture, the prince is holding a bird cage. We retouched the picture so that the prince was serenading the firebird with a (my?) steel guitar.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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Dave Hopping
From:
Aurora, Colorado
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Posted 5 Mar 2020 12:03 pm
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Thomas (and Donnie)-- I looked up my MSA's serial number;it's 2C166.When I bought it used from Don Edwards Guitar City in late '79,Don told me it was a '70,and Reece said the build date wasn't entered into the record,but was pretty close to what I'd been told.It's a great guitar,built like a Sherman tank-and weighs like one too!  |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 5 Mar 2020 1:34 pm
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Dave, your guitar is obviously an "MSA Micro" guitar, and I can tell without even looking at the bottom that it has the round crossrods. A 1970 MSA would have had the flat drawbars instead, and also a different pickup, changer, and headstock.
In late 1971, the (then) principals at MSA were introduced to Stan Bennett, of Micro Machining. Shortly thereafter, they entered into an agreement to build pedal steels under the "MSA Micro" name at the MM facility. If you doubt me, you can research all this right here on the forum, or probably ask David Wright to verify it.  |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Thomas Withrow
From:
Ashland Kentucky, USA
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Posted 5 Mar 2020 3:45 pm
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| I knew it was mid 70's was just curious of the exact year. and i will have to agree with dave these guitars are a tank mine is a sd10 conversion and i have all the mechanics from the back neck and i plan to build another guitar with those parts.. mind as of now weighs 81 pounds in the case.. |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 5 Mar 2020 4:29 pm
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| Mike Perlowin wrote: |
Donny, when dud MSA go to the round cross rods? Was that Bud Carter's innovation?
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Round crossrods had been around years before MSA even started building guitars (in 1963). |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 5 Mar 2020 7:35 pm
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| Mike Perlowin wrote: |
| Next question: Did Bud Carter invent square square rods? and if so when? |
I don't really know, but I wouldn't think that he did. I seem to remember them in GFI, Derby, Zumsteel and Emmons guitars before MSA used them.
Maybe someone else knows who was first. Maybe Linkon? |
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Dave Hopping
From:
Aurora, Colorado
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Posted 5 Mar 2020 8:58 pm
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| Bud signed my Classic. |
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Thomas Withrow
From:
Ashland Kentucky, USA
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Posted 6 Mar 2020 12:29 pm
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| Mike no mine is not signed by bud carter mine says that final inspection was done by wally whoever that is lol and actually if someone was interested in all the c6th parts from my guitar i am not beyond selling them at the right price |
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Larry Bressington
From:
Nebraska
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Posted 6 Mar 2020 1:23 pm
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Mine was identical to that and was also signed by wally, dated dec 1973 by Maurice in a conversation we had.
_________________
A.K.A Chappy. |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 7 Mar 2020 3:09 am
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I am under the impression the Bud Carter invented square cross rods when he made MCI steels. I'm not at all certain of this.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 8 Mar 2020 7:12 pm
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| Like I said Mike, I really don't know. But I'm pretty sure Wayne Link was using them in the early '70s on his guitars. I don't know who else might have been using them back that far? |
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David Wright
From:
Pilot Point ,Tx USA.
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Posted 9 Mar 2020 6:20 am
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| June 28, 1974 |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 10 Mar 2020 1:31 pm
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MCI?
` |
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