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Post new topic Grease/lubricant for MSA changer
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Author Topic:  Grease/lubricant for MSA changer
Jerry Erickson

 

From:
Atlanta,IL 61723
Post  Posted 30 Mar 2016 10:41 am    
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I'm rebuilding cleaning up an MSA Classic for someone and am wondering what type of grease MSA used on the changer.
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Henry Matthews


From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
Post  Posted 30 Mar 2016 11:31 am    
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Do not use grease unless you put a thin coat on the changer axle while its apart. I use typewriter oil and very little at that on my changer. Good gun oils work good also. Do not use WD-40.

I'll leave above post but think I misread your post, you are asking what type they used and sorry, I don't know.
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Henry Matthews

D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.
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Mike Wheeler


From:
Delaware, Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 30 Mar 2016 11:41 am    
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I always advise using TriFlow. If you do a search for Lubrication you'll find lots of discussions on the topic, and many opinions...including mine about the benefits of TriFlow.

Here's a photo of what I use...it's available at many hardware type stores, etc.


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Mike
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Rich Upright


From:
Florida, USA
Post  Posted 30 Mar 2016 12:34 pm    
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I second the Tri-flo recoomendation!
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A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag.
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Henry Matthews


From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
Post  Posted 30 Mar 2016 12:49 pm    
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This is really good stuff too. Don't even know if you can get it any more.


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Henry Matthews

D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.
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Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 30 Mar 2016 1:49 pm    
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I believe the axle gets grease.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
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Bob Carlucci

 

From:
Candor, New York, USA
Post  Posted 30 Mar 2016 4:16 pm    
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meh.. anything wet and slippery.. ATF is fine, so is light motor oil... Thats what was used for decade after decade until the dry stuff came along....
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I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!

no gear list for me.. you don't have the time......
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Dan Robinson


From:
Colorado, USA
Post  Posted 30 Mar 2016 4:25 pm    
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Henry Matthews wrote:
This is really good stuff too. Don't even know if you can get it any more.


Henry, how long until the first reply that says, "what's a typewriter?"

They really built those things.
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Jerry Erickson

 

From:
Atlanta,IL 61723
Post  Posted 30 Mar 2016 5:20 pm    
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After some closer inspection, what I thought was grease turned out to be oil and dirt, vintage. It's cleaned up now, so I'll look for some triflow or maybe some light oil......Maybe an office supply store will have some N.O.S. typewriter oil.Smile Thanks for everyone's ideas and suggestions.

As far as WD40, John Macy had a clinic of sorts with Jimmy Crawford in the 80's and Jimmy told us then to never use WD40 as he had been using it for some time. When he went to clean his guitar, he found this gunk in the changer and decided then that he would never use WD40 on any steel again. We have a can at home, but the only time it gets used is when we're trying to loosen rusted nuts off of something that's been outside.


Last edited by Jerry Erickson on 30 Mar 2016 5:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 30 Mar 2016 5:22 pm    
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A light grease (like Lubriplate) applied to the shaft is probably okay if there's some play in the parts. But if there's not a lot of wear, then a good, non-gumming grade of light oil is all you need. Sewing machine oil, gun oil, and clock oil are all good choices. Neutral
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Erv Niehaus


From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
Post  Posted 31 Mar 2016 7:24 am    
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For applications like you are considering, I've used white Moly grease.
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Jack Ritter

 

From:
Enid, Oklahoma, USA
Post  Posted 31 Mar 2016 7:38 am    
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I use Singer sewing machine oil and years back Jeff Newman used 30 wt non detergent motor oil.
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Zum D10 8x5,rev pre-amp, TC M300, Split 12, n-112, IZZY, Hilton vp, Geo L, BJS Hughey, Live Steel
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Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 31 Mar 2016 11:40 am    
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By changer, do you mean the scissors or the axle?
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
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Jerry Erickson

 

From:
Atlanta,IL 61723
Post  Posted 31 Mar 2016 8:51 pm    
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Hi Lane, might as well ask about both. I'm interested in other opinions. Hopefully it will help out others as well. My wife did let me use some of her sewing machine oil.
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 1 Apr 2016 12:44 am    
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Dan Robinson wrote:
how long until the first reply that says, "what's a typewriter?"

Dan, that's quite a thought - I'm old enough to have owned one once, but I realise that my kids (who have both turned thirty) have only ever used a word-processor. How time gets away...
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Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs
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Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 1 Apr 2016 5:56 am    
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Most makers use grease on the axle. I have begun using the DuPont equivalent of Triflow on the scissors and where pull meets bellcrank.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
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Dick Wood


From:
Springtown Texas, USA
Post  Posted 1 Apr 2016 6:23 am    
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Hey Henry, If you read this, I sent you a private message.
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Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night.
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Ned McIntosh


From:
New South Wales, Australia
Post  Posted 4 Apr 2016 8:47 pm    
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Try sextant oil (Nye Clock Oil) from Celestaire. This is a non-oxidising, non-gumming, odourless oil designed for lubrication of clocks and sextant tangent-arms and worm-screws. Check their on-line catalogue. Last price I saw was $US7.95 for 0.25 fluid ounce.

Tri Flow is good - very good.
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The steel guitar is a hard mistress. She will obsess you, bemuse and bewitch you. She will dash your hopes on what seems to be whim, only to tease you into renewing the relationship once more so she can do it to you all over again...and yet, if you somehow manage to touch her in that certain magic way, she will yield up a sound which has so much soul, raw emotion and heartfelt depth to it that she will pierce you to the very core of your being.
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Tony Prior


From:
Charlotte NC
Post  Posted 5 Apr 2016 8:10 am    
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I know some serious well known Steel guitar techs who use a light 3-n-1.

I use Gun oils.

One thing to keep in mind, many of us keep adding oil on top of old oils. All oils are not equal, sometimes you may add oil that will not penetrate the existing oil and all it will do is float on top of the old stuff.

Two recent guitars that I tore down had BLACK gooky oil on the fingers, thats from oils that do not play well together.

With oil, less is better. IF the fingers are moving freely on the rivets just a tad will do.


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Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website
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