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Author
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Topic: MSA 12-string "The Universal"
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Chris LeDrew
Member From: Newfoundland, Canada
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posted 31 May 2005 11:14 PM
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Does anybody own a MSA 12-string "The Universal"? Maybe someone is familiar with one? The one in which I'm interested is a 1980 S-12 7+5. Any helpful hints on this model?Thanks..... |
Paul King
Member From: Gainesville, Texas, USA
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posted 01 June 2005 04:34 AM
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Chris, I have a friend who bought one two weeks ago at a pawn shop for $600. I bought a new one in 1982 and kept it for a while. Shoot me an email or you can ask Reece about the guitar. I am sure he could answer any questions you might have. |
Chris LeDrew
Member From: Newfoundland, Canada
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posted 01 June 2005 03:32 PM
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Thanks, Paul.....do you know how to contact him? I'm still getting the steel info and lingo down, but Reece seems like a busy man. |
Jon Jaffe
Member From: Austin, Texas
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posted 01 June 2005 05:37 PM
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I think this is it. "The Universal" This is very 1980. ; ) I bought it in late '79 or '80.
It was a 7+5 but I removed the LKR. I used a George L 5 way pickup. I sold it to Todd Pertl, a Forumite, several months ago. It was a nice guitar, but I used my Kline for the most part. What kind of hints are you looking for? I remember it fondly.Jon
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Chris LeDrew
Member From: Newfoundland, Canada
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posted 04 June 2005 12:12 AM
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Hey Jon, Thanks for the reply. Just got the steel in the mail, and I've spent about two hours on it..love it! Looks like the one in the picture, only mine is burgundy laquer. Just wondering if yours had the built-in fuzz. Mine has it , but it's noisy. Is this feature notorious for trouble, or could it be something simple? The fuzz box runs on a 9-volt battery, and looks to be stock. Also, did you find this guitar dependable? Anything to watch out for? It seems super solid to me, with everything working great.Thanks |
Jon Jaffe
Member From: Austin, Texas
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posted 04 June 2005 08:16 AM
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Chris, I suspect the fuzz was an aftermarket add on. Reece would know. There was a volume and tone control that I changed when I added the 5 way pickup. I spent a fair amount of time adjusting the feel of the pedals and stops. That guitar was made with a steel changer stop. I feel this helped many of the problems that an aluminum stop had but this is controversial. Donny Hinson, a MSA expert differs with me on this. Other than this, they were designed for years of good use, and your finish should be perfect. They are easy to adjust and tinker with. Use it in the best of health and enjoy. |
Chris LeDrew
Member From: Newfoundland, Canada
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posted 04 June 2005 09:29 AM
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Thanks a lot, Jon. By the way, love the pic! I'd kill to have that shirt for the stage now.Regards, Chris MSA SU-12
Session 400
Goodrich l-120 |
Bill Llewellyn
Member From: San Jose, CA
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posted 04 June 2005 09:54 AM
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Here's mine, a 1973 model: http://www.rahul.net/thinker/images/msa3.jpg And here's the copedent: http://www.rahul.net/thinker/copedent.html ------------------
Bill, steelin' since '99 | Steel page | MSA U12 | My music | Steelers' birthdays | Over 50?
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Chris LeDrew
Member From: Newfoundland, Canada
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posted 04 June 2005 10:06 AM
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Bill,
I already saw your steel.I was staring at yours all last week, waiting for mine to arrive in the mail! I didn't have a pic of mine. I did a search and found yours...love the white. Looks like a fine machine. |
Reece Anderson
Member From: Keller Texas USA
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posted 04 June 2005 10:24 AM
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Chris L....I'll be glad to help you anytime as best I can.MSA built a lot of guitars with fuzz, volume and tone controls. Older scratchy controls can at times be contributed to dust. Simply rapidly working them back and fourth can help, or at times eliminate the problem. The fuzz tone feature was not problematic. I appreciate your providing an MSA a great home. Jon J....I would have to say the fuzz on Chris's guitar is most likely not an aftermarket add on for numerous reasons. Also I don't know why either steel or aluminum changer stops would necessarily have a mechanical advantage over the other. The aluminum may eventually indent after decades of use, but if an when that ever happens, the changer stop was designed so that it could be simply turned over, and the player could then get more decades of playing time with the same stop plate. Thank you for being an MSA owner in the past. |
Jon Jaffe
Member From: Austin, Texas
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posted 04 June 2005 10:47 AM
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Chris,if I still have the shirt in my closet it is yours! |
Al Marcus
Member From: Cedar Springs,MI USA
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posted 04 June 2005 11:48 AM
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Chris-You are a lucky guy to get that MSA Universal, with the tone , volume and fuzz tones. It was one of the top MSA models...al  ------------------
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/ |
Chris LeDrew
Member From: Newfoundland, Canada
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posted 04 June 2005 01:53 PM
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Thanks, Mr. Anderson. The rapid turning back and forth actually seemed alleviate the problem. It's still a little touchy, but usable. The guitar is awesome, I have to say. It's a precision machine, to say the least. I'm doing a small tour next week with it, and can't wait.
Jon, thanks for offer of the shirt! If you find it, we should start a little joke. It would be a hoot to send you back a pic of me playing my MSA with that same shirt....ha-ha!
Boys, I Appreciate all your replies....I'm new to this forum, and there's an amazing amount of support for newcomers here. Thank you.
I have a pic of me playing the steel if I can figure out how to put it on a post. |
Jim Hinton
Member From: Phoenix, Arizona, USA
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posted 06 June 2005 06:37 AM
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Hi Chris:I have a guitar same color and year as yours, only without the volume knobs and fuzz. I've had mine since it was new, and still play it regularly on weekends. Jim |
Keith Cordell
Member From: Atlanta
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posted 06 June 2005 07:13 AM
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I just acquired my first PSG, an MSA Classic 12 string that looks almost exactly like the one in the photo. 6+5 instead, though, and someone stuck a Jesus fish on it that I probably can't get off, but almost identical otherwise. I'm going to put a tone control on it, and would dearly love to get one of those fuzz units to install. It's a great guitar so far!------------------
Rickenbacher T-Logo Bakelite lap steel, Peavey Delta Blues, Proco Rat, Lap Dawg bar |
Chris LeDrew
Member From: Newfoundland, Canada
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posted 06 June 2005 10:24 AM
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I can't believe the sustain in this machine. I have it running through an old Session 400 and it's just howling. (Mine is 7+5, by the way.) It's taking me a while to get used to the closeness of the strings, but it's nice to have that 6th chord honk for the old-fashioned "Hank" sound.
I'd like to thank Al Brisco of "Steel Guitars of Canada" for setting up and sending me such a great pedal steel. Much appreciated, Al! |
Gene Lintner
New Member From: Hollister, MO
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posted 06 June 2005 01:32 PM
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Chris,
I have a burgundy lacquer Universal that I had built in '79, 7+5, that I still have. GREAT guitar, both looks and action. I had the fuzz installed at the factory in Dallas and I've never had trouble with it being noisy. It works just like the old 'BossTone' units. You'll love the guitar. |
Dave O'Brien
Member From: Okeechobee, FL USA
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posted 06 June 2005 05:34 PM
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Those are great guitars - I recently sold mine after 13 years just because I couldn't get over my Emmons P/P D-10 hangup and I can no longer can switch the E-Eb lever from the L to the right knee when I use a different guitar. Never had a problem with anything on it and the sustain was to die for. I had a GL 12-1 pickup Highly recommended. Enjoy it!------------------
Dave O'Brien, Okeechobee
'75 & '78 Emmons D-10's www.banjobubba.com [This message was edited by Dave O'Brien on 06 June 2005 at 05:36 PM.]
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