Bob Carlucci's Red MSA !!!!

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 1 Mar 2007 6:04 pm

Posting these for Bob. What a beauty! If you left click the pics you will be linked to the original huge pic with the original detail.

Greg

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 1 Mar 2007 6:08 pm

She's a thing of beauty!!!

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 1 Mar 2007 6:24 pm

Wow, Bob - that is really nice. I heard it last night over the phone - it sounds great too.

When the right U12 MSA in solid maple like this comes up - I'm gonna grab it. You know what they say - one's too many, a hundred ain't enough.

Hook Moore · Post by **Hook Moore** » 2 Mar 2007 5:28 am

Hang on to her Bob.
Hook

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 2 Mar 2007 5:58 am

NICE!!!!

You got a keeper there.

Vernon Hester · Post by **Vernon Hester** » 2 Mar 2007 7:11 am

Bob,
Nice guitar, I notice it has a BL710 makes the guitar come alive. I have a blue 77 Classic D-8 with 710's's.
Sure is a keeper!!
Vernon Hester

Bryan Knox · Post by **Bryan Knox** » 2 Mar 2007 7:59 am

PURRRRRTY!

Dennis Schell · Post by **Dennis Schell** » 2 Mar 2007 9:26 am

Beauty!

Careful of that woodstove though!

Dennis

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 2 Mar 2007 3:00 pm

Vernon.. Looks like a 710 doesn't it??.. Actually it's a Lawrence XR 16... Its getting yanked and sent of to our friend Dave Mudgett for his Le Grande...I don't like humbuckers in Pedals steel guitars, and this one is no exception... I had a 710 in my last Bud and yanked it also... Its just this weird phobia I have.. not a big humbucker fan... They don't sound
twangy and whiney enough for me... anyway...

Hey many thanks to Greg for posting these mediocre pics I sent him.. They are pretty hack,[I am too tight to get a decent camera!!] but you get the idea.. nice red lacquer on this baby!! All metal is shiny new!!...

This MSA is immaculate... I hope I can get the sound I want out of her.. Its not there with the XR 16, but I have some ideas to address the "problem"...... bob

Al Terhune · Post by **Al Terhune** » 2 Mar 2007 5:19 pm

Really beautiful, Bob. She is your keeper.

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 3 Mar 2007 7:05 am

Hey Dave,
You mean, like this? And, no it's not for sale.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 3 Mar 2007 7:59 am

Yeah, Bill - that's what I mean. Just as well, I'm "guitar poor" right now anyway.

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 3 Mar 2007 9:37 am

Nice one Bob! I like the polished package on it.
Is that the bypass, tone, volume and fuzz all built in too?

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 3 Mar 2007 10:00 am

Bo ..Yes ,that large and ominous looking cluster of knobs, switches and gizmos is the factory installed distortion w/controls, bypass, and tone and volume. LOTS of cool stuff to diddle around with..

The distortion is pretty nice!!.. Actually pretty creamy, not nasty and buzzy.. Its tiny too..circuit board is about an inch and a quarter sqauare. Its mounted under the steel.. The battery also clips on under the guitar.. SO cool..

Other MSA fans could tell you more , as I am not real sure,but I have only seen the aluminum polishing on Lacquer MSA guitars.. I have owned 3 maple/lacquers and all were polished..
My 2 mica MSA steels were not.. more of a "brushed" look..

This is a very nice old MSA Classic and I was lucky to find one in this nice a shape....the condition is just outstanding.. My thanks to forumite Larry Jamison from Walton NY for letting me know it was "on the block"... bob

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 3 Mar 2007 4:44 pm

Bob Carlucci wrote: I hope I can get the sound I want out of her.. Its not there with the XR 16,

I think that the way to get a good sound out of an MSA is to enhance it’s natural timbre, rather than trying to make it und like something it’s not.

Just as you’ll never get a hollow body jazz guitar to sound like a tele, you never going to get an MSA to sound like an Emmons. It’s a different guitar with a different voice.

My maple MSA guitar has a mellower sound with more midrange and less twang. I set the amp to emphasize that, and when I was gigging full time I frequently got complements on my tone.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 4 Mar 2007 1:11 am

Point well taken Mike... I agree, but stock MSA Classic guitars in general don't have the tone I prefer, so I usually wind up hacking pickups into them to alter the deep, rich tone of these guitars.. Its a good sound, but as kind of a west coast type player [Brumley,Moon,Klienow wannabee] I need a brighter,glassier tone..

I have had good luck replacing stock MSA pickups... I think it will be ok.. I hope...

I am not trying to turn it into a sho bud, I am aware that won't happen.. I am hoping to brighten that big midrange and bottom up some.. we'll see what happens... there's always ebay I guess

.. btw, your pedals are going right on it,as soon as they get here... bob

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 4 Mar 2007 4:26 am

Man, I wish I had all those knobs!
Bob, don't go selling this one, it might not come back.

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 4 Mar 2007 6:20 am

I wonder whos' circuit board they used..might even be boss tone.. I wonder if Reece knows.

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 4 Mar 2007 9:08 am

Bob one of those little stomp box 6 or 7 band EQ units that are made by companies like MXR and Boss might give you the tone you want. It's worth checking one out to see.

Reece Anderson · Post by **Reece Anderson** » 4 Mar 2007 9:24 am

Bo B....If memory serves correct after 30 years, back in those days we designed our own circuit boards. Thanks for asking.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 4 Mar 2007 10:31 am

Reece.. thanks for answering Bo's inquiry. That is a real nice design too... Small and unobtrusive, yet so nicely voiced. bob

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 3 Jan 2008 10:26 am

Bob-Better keep it.I had some S12 universals with the tone and volume control and the Bypass switch when you wanted direct from pickup, and sounded like the Boss fuzztone, Loved it.But wanted to try a D10 so sold it. I am always doing that. Or was. You know , of course, that a wood lacquer guitar is a lot more expensive than a Formica. So hang in there...Happy New Year...al.

:)

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 3 Jan 2008 10:34 am

Bob-I remember getting a few MSA's from Reece and loved them. Especially the Wood Models with the Aluminum pocket for the pickup. That one you have is like one of my many S12 Universals, with the tone, volume control and bypass switch when you wanted to go direct to the pickup. Smart Great Company, they built a beautiful guitar(still do),gave us a tone control, and allowed us with the by pass switch to overcome the objections of not going direct to the pickup. You must know , of course, that the Wood Lacquer guitars are more expensive than the Formica, and priced accordingly.
Good luck and Happy New year.....al.

:)