Replacement PU for MSA Classic

Alvin Douglas · From: Prince Edward Island

I now own a MSA Classic S-10. During web research I read that this particular guitar benefits from a PU change but I could not find any info re what PU is recommended. Is there a common choice for this upgrade? Sorry to mix topics but I noticed that the volume pot had been bypassed. The tone pot is still in service and working. I assume the use of a volume pedal makes this volume pot unnecessary. True?

Dave O'Brien · From: Florida and New Jersey

which pickup do you have? I think the SuperSustain II sounds great.
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Paul Wade · From: mundelein,ill

"I assume the use of a volume pedal makes this volume pot unnecessary. True?" yes, also i would get rid of the tone pot if, it where mine as far as pickup choices
i would recommended G.L Tommy white model or true tone
picks very good picks. and also, G.L Paul Franklin pickup. ether one you can't go wrong. just my 2 cents

p.w Smile

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Alvin, some Classics, pre-74 or so (I don't recall the date, sorry) can't take replacement pickups. They either have a generous cavity with an aluminum tray (these take wide-mounts), or a pretty narrow cavity, that pretty much requires either routing out the cavity to accept other pickups or just having the original ones rewound.
I agree with the TrueTone, I've not played too many others, I've had a bit of experience with the BL 705 and Alumitone. I have a couple of ToneAligners, but haven't gotten around to putting them in. I know that the E-66 disappoints me for what it does to the envelope (it kinda suppresses the attack and removes the soul). But it has good tone.
I've heard few bad things about the PF or TW
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Alvin Douglas · From: Prince Edward Island

The guitar was made March 1974. The pickup is likely the original and says "MSA SuperSustain" on the top. It works OK and I have no complaints about it, just continuing the research into the guitar. I likely will disconnect the tone pot and cap as suggested. Spent the last few days cleaning and adjusting and have pedals/levers in tune. The changer is a little fuzzy with lint and the like. I was going to take the air hose to it....good idea??

Dave O'Brien · From: Florida and New Jersey

That's a pretty hot pickup Alvin. You may want to adjust your amp settings and keep it. I wouldn't junk the little controls either.
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Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

If you choose to blow it out, I'd do so from the top, and then let a couple drops of oil (if you research the threads on oil, you'll find a lot of people swear by their own individual approaches and putting arguments against the ones they don't like, but given that Paul Franklin Sr. said he used fresh motor oil, I'm not sure that one has much more merit than any other) drip down from the changer, the most important part is the rivet that the raise and lower fingers pivot on, as well as the "ramp" on the aluminum finger, where the steel rides on it. Each string's finger should get a drop or two once every year or so. It's important, but needs not get soaked.
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Alvin Douglas · From: Prince Edward Island

Thanks to all who responded. The wealth of knowledge on this site and the willingness to share it is outstanding. Thanks again.
Alvin

Bob Knight · From: Bowling Green KY

Alvin,
I know that guitar. Leave it alone and learn to play it. The guitar is 40 years old, if the pick up needed changing, someone would have changed it by now.
I have played the guitar, it sounds and plays fine. All it needs is a player, enjoy!!!

Bob Smile

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Greg Johnson · From: Greencastle, Pennsylvania, USA

Alvin,
I have a 73 Classic that I just put an GL e-66 in and love the difference in sound. I was never much for the deep bluesy sound of the Super Sustain. Anyway, it was a super easy switch out. Two screws on the bottom and the plate was attached to the pickup and it all came out in one piece. As Lane suggested to me I just used a piece of velcro and it fit straight in. Just my Opinion.
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Michael Brebes · From: Northridge CA

I have an MSA D10 that came with the SuperSustain pickups. To me they were a bit too dark. I replaced them with BL710's, which I think is a great improvement.
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Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

Second on the e66's. I have them on my 1977 D10 Classic.
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Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

The Telonics pickup is pretty awesome,but you got to spend some time dialing it in
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Keith Murrow · From: Wichita, KS

Alvin, the MSA SuperSustain II pickup is a humbucker, so bear in mind that if you change to one of the single coil pickups, you will most likely have some hum. Some people are fine with this, some aren't.

I still have the original SuperSustain II pickup on my 1974 MSA and have removed both the tone and volume pots. I get a rich but clear tone from that setup. My only complaint with the stock pickup is that it is getting a bit microphonic after all these years.

Pickup selection is really a matter of personal preference, which is complicated by the fact that there are so many variables that affect the final tone (player's touch, amp, volume pedal, guitar make/model, to name a few). Although generalizations about the different replacement pickups can be made, it's hard to know if you'll really be 100% satisfied until it is mounted on the guitar.

Quentin Hickey · From: Nova Scotia, Canada

You know something, I was always a humbucker pu guy and, Never cared for the sound of a single coil let alon a 40 something year old single coil.

When I got my MSA classic before I played it I thought, "well I will eventually change it out but no hurray, I'll play it as is forn now". Well when I sat down to play it the more I loved th esound of the orignal single coil MSA's.

Than I switched to the C6 neck and it got even better!! lots of dynamics and aggressive type tone.
I have been digging through alot of old posts and reading about a heck of alot of steel players taking out theyre orignal single coil MSA pup's and firing them in the garbage. I am sooooooo glad I didnt after all! Love the tone I am getting out my guitar with the original pickups.
ANyone know roughly what the impedance rating was on the 73 era classics. I am assuming that there was a standard accross the board.

PS I have played guitars with both super sustain pups and they sounded good to me.

Dave Diehl · From: Mechanicsville, MD, USA

I have an MSA Classic and replaced them with the BL710 (recommendation of Bobbe Seymour) and it made a nice improvement but even more so when I put a Telonics 84PW in it.

Alvin Douglas · From: Prince Edward Island

I replaced the pots and cap on my guitar and have added a volume pedal. While I could have removed both the volume and tone pots, I thought there might be an advantage to having the ability to set the max volume with the volume pot on the guitar and then use the volume pedal to swing from zero to that max. I guess I could just turn the amp down but it is sure easy to adjust the max volume without turning around. I tried using a compressor to blow out the changer but it continued to be slow so I tore it down, cleaned, lubed, reassembled and replaced it. It works great now. At this time I am very pleased with my equipment. Just a side note but I will be forever grateful for the advice a received from members of this forum when I was shopping for gear. You collectively provide me with an invaluable resource. Thanks and thanks again.
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Quentin Hickey · From: Nova Scotia, Canada

Good to hear Alvin.

As I said, I don't know if they used magic or what but the original pups in my classic are awesome! They have growl and bite, anything but muddy!

In fact Brighter than my gfi with gfi2 pups and even my carter with xr-16's.
My msa will be staying original as long as ts in my hands. The only thing I am going to do is replace the cap and scratchy pots eventually.

Alvin Douglas · From: Prince Edward Island

I agree Quentin. My original reason for asking about a replacement pu was due to a very thin tone from the stock pu. Replacing the pots and cap produced the richness I was looking for. My guess is the old pots and cap were loading the pu and collapsing the signal. Since then, I have had no reason to consider changing the pu.
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Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

Alvin, sounds like you're comfortable and handy with basic electronic pparts and mechanical things...in my opinion, two important skillsets to maintaining this machine we call a guitar...

One thing that has astounded me is the great impact of cable impedence on the tone of a psg, it is far far more audibly sensitive than any six string guitar I own..

The best suggestion I can give you for getting the most out of your rig is to research the inline buffer's guys are using between their guitar and amp...I bought an active volume pedal, a telonics, which is expensive but has a great active buffer in it. There are many options: matchbox, lil izzy, sarno blackbox, etc. Keep your cable length short between the pickup and pedal, and buy the highest quality cable for that short run.

Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

I recently sold an older MSA Classic that had a Truetone pickup in it and it sounded like a million bucks.

john widgren · From: Wilton CT

Nothing wakes up a solid maple MSA like an L-710. Helps the plywood ones too but not as much, only so much a PU can do.
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