An MSA keyless double 10

[Steven Black]

I am not sure where to post this, but I came across a beautiful MSA double 10 keyless wood lacquer pedal steel guitar, did MSA make a double 10 keyless steel guitar? it is for sale and plays great, it is MSA all the way, it is built almost factory to be homemade, and would take too much time to build something like it, I am still planning on buying it because the price is good, just for a novelty to have around, even if it may not be an MSA, just looking for opinions, I do have pictures of it, if it is built by someone who had a lot of time on their hands cudos to you, I will post pictures of it.

[David Wright]

Like to see it

[Bruce Derr]

Is it perhaps a stock MSA modified with Kline tuners? (I see you're in Kline country.)

[Steven Black]

Hello Bruce, yes I like Klines too, but the undercarriage is all MSA and some of the top where the pedal changers are, it is in marketplace located in Pennsylvania, who ever built it spent a lot of time on it, even the pedal bar is MSA, and the pedals. I am at work so can't post pictures yet.

[Pete McAvity]

I believe that Johnie King has/had a guitar that was converted to keyless at one time? Hopefully he'll chime in. It wouldn't suprise me to hear that this guitar passed though his place.

[Steven Black]

[Steven Black]

[Steven Black]

[Steven Black]

[Steven Black]

By the way this guitar is for sale on Marketplace, I don't own it, but go to Marketplace and look it up. other than that close this thread.

[Dave Mudgett]

Pedal Steel is the proper place to put it, not in For Sale: Steel Guitars. Moved.

[Richard Sinkler]

That's not a Kline keyless tuner assembly.

[Jason Walston]

are we able to confirm this is an msa? im thinking of buying this steel.

[David Wright]

Can I get the Serial number.....

[Donny Hinson]

are we able to confirm this is an msa? im thinking of buying this steel.

I'd say it's mostly an MSA Classic. Pictures aren't great, but here's the things I noticed. The pillow blocks for the changer axles don't look to be MSA parts. (Someone made longer replacements.) It appears the changer is MSA, but the right endplate has been modified or repaired (welded), so I doubt the serial number is still visible, and that sorta makes me suspicious if it's not there. Someone did a TON of work on that guitar, but we don't know why? Also, the original finger stop-bars have been replaced with larger ones that someone also made. The guitar has adjustable return springs, but they were added later, by an owner. (I can tell this because the adjustment screw spacing is irregular, like they were hand-drilled.) MSA-Micro used CNC machines, so that wouldn't have happened if that was done at the factory. The endplates are from a mica "Classic", but there's no center support, which all the D10 Classics had, so that was probably removed when the keyless conversion was done. Pictures aren't clear enough to tell if that's the original body, but the plywood apron would seem to indicate that. Pickups aren't original, and neither are the long nylon tuners, which are visible through the hogged-out endplate cutouts. Lastly, I don't recall MSA ever using binding like that, even on their walnut body models.

[Bobby D. Jones]

It looks like someone took a lot of MSA parts, Built a Keyless Assembly, Someone also made new parts for the Changer section too, The pillow blocks for the changer axle looks long compared to MSA pillow blocks, There is a shoulder cut on the Changer pickup housing so the pillow blocks have a machined step to hold the stress not just the 4 bolts, Like a MSA class was constructed.

I would like to actually see the guitar, It looks like a work of art. But would takes some close inspection to determine if the guitar would play and sound good.

[Cole Bushell]

Hey guys I actually bought this guitar in June 2024 and have been playing it to this day! It’s my first steel and I’ve love it!

[John Swain]

There was a man in New Jersey who built guitars like this. Frankie K, down near Englishtown, not sure of his last name.

[Bob Carlucci]

yes, like John S, I recall a guy in NJ that used MSA parts to build his own designs.. This was in the 80's, and I knew a guy that played one in a local band. He used MSA pull parts and hardware, and the guitar I remember was not keyless, but I imagine he could have done keyless guitars as well.. The reason I recall that guitar was because the player was very proud of it, you know, custom build and all with bulletproof MSA parts.. He asked me what it sounded like and I looked him in the eye and said;"Sounds like an MSA".. He got pretty pissed off at me, but I was also playing an MSA at that time, and meant it as a half assed compliment.. You can't use an undercarriage/changer/ all pull parts including pedals and knee lever, changer block etc from one manufacturer and then expect it to NOT sound at least something like other guitars from that same manufacturer... bob

[Tom Sosbe]

I have been playing and buy and selling steel guitars a long time and I believe it's a big mistake to ever say M.S.A. (or any other builder) never made such a thing. All pedal steel guitars are more or less custom built. Which means with the right motivation you can get any builder to build almost anything.

[Bobby D. Jones]

I look at this guitar every time it comes to the top.
The back apron is metal, With the removable plate to access the cross rods. The knee lever reversers are mounted on the back apron like MSA Classic. All the bell cranks and all horizonal moved knee levers look MSA Classic. The vertical knee levers look to have MSA aluminum knee levers.
From looking at the cover plate on the cross rods. The body of the guitar looks like it was shortened on the changer end.
A new shorter cabinet was built. Instead of the 12 string head, A keyless tuning head.
The long nylon tuning nuts are different, No long aluminum sleeves on the pull rods behind the changer levers, Except looks like there is a long sleeve and short nylon tuner nut on the front neck 8 string lower. The guitar sure has its own personality.