MSA Semi Classic

[Joshua Lee Thomas]

Howdy folks,
I recently purchased my first pedal steel. A semi classic for $900. I am loving it. It seems like a solid instrument to me but it only has 1 knee lever. Would it be easier to find another steel with 4 or add the other 3 myself?
Thanks

[Jon Light (deceased)]

For parts, check with Michael Yahl
https://www.psgparts.com/shop

and Wayne Brown
https://www.outwestcountry.ca/guitar-parts-accessories

as well as placing a WTB in....WTB.....
The answer to your question will depend on whether you can find all the parts, whether you have confidence in your mechanical chops after studying what you've got there, and whether the prospect of such a project actually turns you on or if there's some dread. A project that keeps you from actually playing for an extended time and becomes an albatross is less than desirable. A fully loaded, ready to play guitar has lots of appeal.

edited to add Barry Coker for fabrication of misc. parts if you can't find them.

[Joshua Lee Thomas]

Thanks for the link. I love to tinker so i'll be ordering one knee lever kit soon and see how it goes. Then i'll order the other two if i can handle the first.

[Bobby D. Jones]

If the knee lever now on the guitar is D Knee lever, lower 4-8 to D#. If you can add a F lever to raise 4-8 to F. Between 3 pedals and 2 knee levers, There is a lot of music and wood shedding.

Good Luck in your steel guitar journey.

[Joshua Lee Thomas]

Thanks Bobby,
That sounds like a plan. My one knee is a rkr to d# and it seems a little counter intuitive to me. Would it make more since to add the rkl to d# and rkr to f? or maybe lkr to f lkl to d#?

[Chris Brooks]

Joshua, I'd stay with your RKR pulling E up to F; and add a RKL to flat the Es to D#.

You got a great deal on a solid but basic steel. I would add stuff to it rather than spend several thousand dollars for another steel.

[Douglas Cresanta]

What Cris said.

The MSA Semi-Classic, is a fine steel guitar of Pro
quality.

Yes, you can add 2 more levers, as it is pre-drilled
to do so.

I had Billy Cooper in Virginia, add them to my Semi-
Classic.

Keep your E's raise and lower, on your Right Knee.

Now, you can add 1 more lever, to the LKR (using a
reversing linkage) to lower the 2 string. Or any
other string, desired.

With it set up with 3 knee levers, it will keep you
quite busy, for some time.

Good luck with your new acquisition

Doug C.

[Tommy Mc]

Joshua, I'd stay with your RKR pulling E up to F; and add a RKL to flat the Es to D#.

You got a great deal on a solid but basic steel. I would add stuff to it rather than spend several thousand dollars for another steel.

Another option would be to move the E→D# from RKR to LKR. That's a much more common location. You could reuse all the hardware except you'll need longer pull rods which are inexpensive and widely available. Then add a LKL to raise E→F.

[Joshua Lee Thomas]

thanks tommy. what would you recommend for the right knees?

[Pete McAvity]

Here's a good stating point. This is Buddy Emmons' set up- I play the same. There is debate on where to place the E raises/lowers, but I started here & have kept it:

https://b0b.com/wp/copedents/buddy-emmons-e9th/

The most common alternative, as far as ABC pedal order & E raise/lower placement, is Jimmy Day's set up. The chart on this copedent has placement of the the E string changes wrong, but it is addressed in comments on the page. Jimmy raised his 8th string E on RKL and lowered on (your currently non existent) RKR.

https://b0b.com/wp/copedents/buddy-emmons-e9th/

Sorry to complicate things, but there's the genesis of E change placement as far as I know. You'd be well served to have the E raise on RKL if playing Emmons & on RKR if playing Day, is the take home. Ergonomics of the ABC order dictates placement, is my understanding.

[Tommy Mc]

thanks tommy. what would you recommend for the right knees?

I got my MSA used, but I don't think the changes had been messed with.
The E raise and lowers were on LKL and LKR respectively.

RKL raised string 1 (F# → G) and lowered string 5 (B → Bb).

RKR lowered strings 2 (D# → D/C#) and 9 (D → C#) By adjusting the timing of the pulls, string 9 doesn't engage until string 2 has been lowered the first half step. The extra tension of string 9 engaging creates a poor mans "feel stop" on string 2. Very common setup.

FWIW, I ended up swapping the changes on LKR and RKL because the steel I learned on was set up that way.

[Danny Letz]

It’d be very helpful if you could get someone to send you detailed photos of a MSA underside like yours that already has the levers you want. It would help with the positioning of the new parts.