| Author |
Topic: This old MSA Pro-Am Sidekick |
Jeffrey McFadden
From:
Missouri, USA
|
Posted 4 Jul 2018 12:01 pm |
|
Last weekend I bought an old MSA Pro-Am Sidekick for 500 bucks.
It's a slightly upgraded "starter" model, I guess, with an all-pull changer.
The "woodgrain" surface is, to be honest, vinyl contact paper. The fret markers are quick-and-dirty spray painted chessmen in either red or white. The works are as simple as a stone axe. If you wanted to change your copedent I suspect it would be a hassle. The "cross-shafts" aren't shafts at all, they're aluminum castings that perform the same function.
3 pedals, 2 knees - one left, E lower, and one right, string 2 raise.
Strangely, for all of that, it's not a bad instrument for a basic player. It's got a nice sounding single coil pickup. The changer was full of grit and grime, but after a disassemble / clean / lube / reassemble it works quite well. The strings that were on it were left over from the last century sometime, so new strings made a huge difference.
The band practices, not here, two times most weeks, and the constant hassle of breaking down my Carter D-10, hauling it, reassembling it, bringing it back home, reassembling it again - plus the Carter in its case weighs over 65 pounds, and I'm 71 and kind of rickety - and I needed something easier.
I still hope to buy a GFI Ultra Keyless in the not-too-distant future, but then I can leave the Sidekick at the practice studio set up & ready to play.
If you didn't know any better you'd think it was a decent musical instrument. I'm pleased with my purchase.
_________________
Well up into mediocrity
I don't play what I'm supposed to.
Home made guitars |
|
|
 |
Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
|
Posted 5 Jul 2018 4:16 pm
|
|
Those are fairly rare, and really pretty decent guitars!  |
|
|
|
Jeffrey McFadden
From:
Missouri, USA
|
Posted 6 Jul 2018 1:45 pm
|
|
| Donny Hinson wrote: |
| Those are fairly rare, and really pretty decent guitars! |
Your information you gave me on it helped me make the choice to buy it, and it was a good choice. Thanks again.
_________________
Well up into mediocrity
I don't play what I'm supposed to.
Home made guitars |
|
|
|
Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
|
Posted 6 Jul 2018 3:11 pm
|
|
You're quite welcome, Jerry. That model, while lacking some features like full endplates, a professional finish, and adjustable legs; does have the stepped keyheads, all-pull changer, and a raised neck. With the two standard levers, I feel it's a good starter model. And with a couple more added levers, it'd be versatile and reliable enough to play just about anywhere.  |
|
|
|
Jeffrey McFadden
From:
Missouri, USA
|
Posted 6 Jul 2018 6:29 pm
|
|
| Donny Hinson wrote: |
| You're quite welcome, Jerry. That model, while lacking some features like full endplates, a professional finish, and adjustable legs; does have the stepped keyheads, all-pull changer, and a raised neck. With the two standard levers, I feel it's a good starter model. And with a couple more added levers, it'd be versatile and reliable enough to play just about anywhere. |
I'm already having visions of a second left knee lever.
I can't use both rights yet, so I'll worry about figuring them out at home. This will suit the Lexington, MO, VFW, which is pretty much our main venue. We give the best we got, you know.
_________________
Well up into mediocrity
I don't play what I'm supposed to.
Home made guitars |
|
|
|
