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Topic: A few sound clips of my MSA./badly played,poorly recorded! |
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 23 Mar 2007 2:18 pm |
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This is my MSA Classic...Maple/Red Lacquer.. got 5 and 4 on it now, another pedal on the way from Wayne Link.. I still have an 18 K Trutone rewind on it, that is going back to Jerry for a triple tap setup.. Its a bit thick for my taste.. I wonder what you guys think,, help me out..
Its bright on these clips, but this is about maxed out.. Bright switch on, treble on 6, bass on about 5... If i go much higher on the treble, it will get screechy and nasty..
I was going to go 8-12-15 K on the coils, but am wondering now about 9-13-16.5 K or thereabouts.. The playing is not great thats for sure, about par for me I guess....
, Its just me, the MSA, a 68 Bandmaster head,Peavey 115E cab w/15'Weber California and a Holy Grail verb.. playing in a dirty old room next to the 5 cat litterbox that smells and looks like a head on collison between an ammonia tanker and a septic pumper... 
what do you think of the MSA's tone??.. be as brutal as you want to.. It will help me in my pickup selection... bob
http://freefilehosting.net/download/MTQ3NDgx
http://freefilehosting.net/download/MTQ3NDgz
http://freefilehosting.net/download/MTQ3NDg4
http://freefilehosting.net/download/MTQ3NDg1
Last edited by Bob Carlucci on 23 Mar 2007 3:39 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Russ Tkac
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Posted 23 Mar 2007 3:00 pm
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Sounds nice bob, but you need that sixth pedal... 
Russ |
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Larry Strawn
From:
Golden Valley, Arizona, R.I.P.
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Posted 23 Mar 2007 3:39 pm
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Sounds good Bob, but for "me" maybe a little more bottom end.
Larry |
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Russ Tkac
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Posted 23 Mar 2007 6:05 pm
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I think bob's a TOP man. Ain't that right bob? 
I like it and the playin' sounds nice. Cool steel. I like the 3 tap on my ZB. It should work great for the MSA.
Russ |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 23 Mar 2007 6:20 pm
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Right Russ. I really am a very top endy kind of player.. Thats why I have a weakness for the old steels.. Fender,ZB, certain old Buds etc .. they have that bright sound without nasty piercing treble, which is important to me..
The clips DID sound bright, but thats using a $.99 [serious!!]microphone...no bass got through.
.There is not much "headroom " to the top end on the MSA..Its much darker than the Carter I have, which has taps at 8 and 12 K.. The MSA is thick in the mids, and any treble I get is in the amp.. if I don't use the bright switch, its not very bright sounding,,,not bad, just kind of dark....
I think it will sound very much the way I want it to with a lighter wound pickup...
btw, thanks for the kind words Russ... I was just hackin' through some cheap licks and major chords with no rhyme or reason... bob. |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 23 Mar 2007 7:59 pm
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Nice Bob. You may have your old MSA jones cured with this one.
Good playing too. |
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Henry Nagle
From:
Santa Rosa, California
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 12:49 am
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| The guitar sounds good, Bob. You sound great! |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 1:10 am
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I don't like the way the first 3 pedals sound, but pedals 4 and 5 sounded terrific (private joke between Bob and me.)
Seriously, I didn't hear anything. The clips downloaded OK, but when I went to play them, they were silent.
_________________
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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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 3:17 am
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I really like the sound of the first clip, and #4 is a nice change-up. I don't know diddly about resistance, but would you really be able to hear a difference with the higher values?
It must've been a condenser mic, no?
Great pickin'; enjoyed it.
_________________
Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 3:49 am
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Charlie.. typically, and all other things being equal, an 18 K pickup will have a thicker midrange,less highs, slightly more volume,and heavier bass response than the identical unit wound to say 13 K.. also,and VERY important, the heavier wind would send a tube amp a hotter input signal, tending to overdrive easier.
I imagine most could not hear a big difference between 18 K and 17 K, but certainly between, 18 and 15 or so.
I have a much easier time getting a sound I like from lighter windings, than trying to get the old school twang from a powerfully wound single coil, or most humbuckers.. its easier for me to thicken up a bright tone, than to thin down and brighten a dark tone..
The pickup on these shoddy clips is 18 K.. and as it sounds there, is the maximum amount of brightness it is capable of... I Like having the ability to darken or brighten the tone easily so henceforth the coil taps.. I think all steels should have them...
I don't know what kind of mic this is. Its one of those super cheap white plastic computer mics on a stick. It was recorded on the computers toy sound recorder.. not the best medium for the "big sound", but its all I have! LOL... thanks for the kind words Charlie...bob |
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Jonathan Shacklock
From:
London, UK
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 5:03 am
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Bob, I put a Truetone in my MSA classic last year (I assume an 18k as I didn't ask Jerry for a custom wind)and I recognise your description of the sound totally. Huge bass and thick mids on a guitar that needs little encouragement in those departments.
Out of interest are you bypassing the guitar's tone controls? Seems to be a common mod but I don't know whether it would give you more clear highs... |
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Chris Schlotzhauer
From:
Colleyville, Tx. USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 5:40 am
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| All I'm getting is a link to pic's of naken women. So, I love it! |
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 6:04 am
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Thanks, Bob, for the primer on windings. I grok it now.
_________________
Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 6:41 am
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| Chris - The links I get are for only half-naked women. My wife must have installed some sort of filter on this computer. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 6:42 am
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| Quote: |
| The clips DID sound bright, but thats using a $.99 [serious!!]microphone...no bass got through. |
I think that your amp is a big problem, too. The Bandmaster has very little power and tonal lattitude. Personally, I would never even use an amp that doesn't have a "Mid" control. The clips aren't "bright" at all, they're mid-rangey and slightly damp. It is, however, a typical MSA "Classic" sound. But until you start using a decent amp, you're stuck with it. |
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Howard Tate
From:
Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 8:44 am
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| I got the same thing as Mike, and when I try it again a message say file unavailable. Did you take them down, Bob? |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 10:36 am
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Donny .. my mistake.. Its 68 SHOWMAN head.. duh... I LIKE the sound actually.. I just want more clarity, less thickness in the bass and mids. There are MANY of us here that will disagree with your opinion on Fender amps for steel.. Its not a modern sound, but it is a classic one...
I will get close with the right pickup setup.... I am well aware of MSA tonality.. This is MSA # 5 for me.... 3 Maple/lacquers, 2 Mica.. I'll post a clip or two of the Truetone rewind when I get it done in a few weeks.. ... bob |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 11:24 am
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| Quote: |
| There are MANY of us here that will disagree with your opinion on Fender amps for steel.. Its not a modern sound, but it is a classic one... |
Bob, what's that all about? I used Fender tube amps exclusively for over 20 years (I still have 3 of them). Some of the best stuff ever recorded was done on Fender amps, and they're quite capable of producing great tones.
In my opinion (which, I realize, is totally meaningless - but that's what you asked for, remember?), your sound in those clips is not a typical Fender tube sound, it's dull and lifeless. I said "the clips weren't "bright" at all, they sounded mid-rangey and slightly damp." And you said...
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| I just want more clarity, less thickness in the bass and mids. |
Sounds to me like we're almost on the same page. |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 11:27 am
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Jonathan.. A "standard" modern wind like 18 or 19 K is too dark on an old MSA, unless that is the sound you like.. This is my fifth MSA and I had to really work to get them as bright as I like... I would bet a lighter wind would give you what you want, I have talked with Jerry several times about this..
Most players today want very powerful pickups.. thats ok, but in general most vintage steels were much brighter, and most used lightly wound pickups by todays standards.. its funny, I see very smart guys on this forum, all great steel players .saying how they love this old steel sound or that old steel sound, yet they put the latest 20 K dynamo pickup in their steel..
I can't for the life of me understand it.. I think over about 14 K is overkill, depending of course on wire thickness, magnets etc... My Carter has a 12K coil on its "thickest" setting and it is plenty fat and loud for me..... bob |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 1:07 pm
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btw, to my friends that could not get the clips to play.. at these type of free file sites,after a while you get "too many hits", and they slow down, only work part of the time, won't download or won't play at times,,, big pain in the butt... try again at another time and it might work, if not, take my word, you are not missing much!!!!!!
I would be very happy to email the clips to any of you guys that wants to help me nail down the right sound with this particular guitar.. It sounds pretty bright on the clips, but thats maxed.. Very bright amp, bright speaker, bright switch on... With my Peavey Classic 100 head, it is dark, dank and smoky... In my mind,I gotta lighten up the tone, but others may think I'm a lunatic,....bob |
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Dick Wood
From:
Springtown Texas, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 1:13 pm
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| Well Bob that was nice but Smokin Hot Jessica has you beat hands down. |
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Henry Nagle
From:
Santa Rosa, California
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 1:34 pm
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| I don't think they sound dull and lifeless at all. |
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erik
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 2:52 pm
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sounds fine.
_________________
-johnson
Last edited by erik on 26 Aug 2007 4:52 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Todd Kapeghian
From:
Vestal, New York, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2007 4:18 pm
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| Yo Bob! I think that old MSA sounds pretty good, once I got the darn file to play. I still miss my MSA. I put a tune up on www.myspace.com/steeltodd nothin fancy, just something different. Hey, hope all is well and talk to you soon! |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 25 Mar 2007 12:06 am
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wow,,, some guys say muddy/dull.. others say too bright!!!.. NOW what am i suppossed to do???  LOL!!! ... As far as too bright is concerned, as I stated I had the bright switch on , and on this Showman head.. bright is INDUSTRIAL bright... I should have set the pots flat at 5-5-5, and you would have heard this very dark toned steel.. actually, I guess I made it "artificially bright.. I am going with my original plan, and getting that 3 tap Truetone......
btw, those nudies weren't there when I posted these clips, they just kind of showed up soon after...
I suppose thats what you get on these free file hosting sites...Hack artist steel players and nudie wannabees,all looking for that 15 minutes .... bob
Last edited by Bob Carlucci on 25 Mar 2007 6:17 am; edited 1 time in total |
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