pickup change on 1974 msa D-10 classic

Lee Dassow · Post by **Lee Dassow** » 9 Jan 2013 3:18 pm

HI Everybody,
I'm Thinking of changing my E9th neck pickup.
I want to get that old MSA sound out of a new one.
It has a george L pickup that I dont much like. The pocket has been routed out about a 1/4 inch so the George L would fit. The pickup lead would have to
be about 12 inches long. Any suggestions for a pickup brand I'd appreciate. LEE

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 9 Jan 2013 3:29 pm

An Alumitone will sound like a single coil, without the hum.

Lee Dassow · Post by **Lee Dassow** » 9 Jan 2013 3:32 pm

Will it fit Mike. What model would it be.

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 9 Jan 2013 3:33 pm

Get an MSA supersustain 2 pickup, that would fit the hole and sounds great!

Not sure if it would fit the hole perfectly or not, maybe some one has one that could draw out a template and fax or email it to you so you could check it on you're guitar.

Lee Dassow · Post by **Lee Dassow** » 9 Jan 2013 3:50 pm

Quentin,Can you still buy the super sustain II new?
LEE

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 9 Jan 2013 4:13 pm

Mike Perlowin wrote:An Alumitone will sound like a single coil, without the hum.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 9 Jan 2013 11:19 pm

I have an MSA single coil pickup from a 74

Lee Dassow · Post by **Lee Dassow** » 10 Jan 2013 8:54 am

Lane, Is it a super sustain II. I need about a 10 inch pig tail to get to the back of the guitar. LEE

Dave Diehl · Post by **Dave Diehl** » 10 Jan 2013 9:05 am

The BL 710's sound great on an MSA Classic.

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 10 Jan 2013 3:20 pm

Dave, The supersustain pickup is not new but it sounds awsome on the wood lacquer classic ss steels. If you are looking to put a pickup in that will take up the space of youre routed out hole depending on what type of pickup you have, it would help people give you asvice if you could measure the dimensions on the hole. I think that it is routed out for a humbucker. Personally, I would leave the pickup you have in becuase youre probably not going to notice enoigh of a difference at all! Good luck.

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 11 Jan 2013 12:53 am

If it's a '74, it would have a dieboard/mica body rather than a maple/lacquer one.

Lee, can you post some pics?

Lee Dassow · Post by **Lee Dassow** » 11 Jan 2013 12:29 pm

Mike, It is a dieboard mica body just like you said. I'll Try to upload some pictures. I also cut one of the george L wires to short before I found out you could pair up the two leads. Mechanically I'm doing great
elecrically not so hot. lee

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 11 Jan 2013 1:06 pm

Lee, my experience, having both a diebord/mica and a maple/lacquer guitar, is that the mica sounded brighter and crisper, while the maple one sounded deeper and richer. Which was better? I can't say. They were both fine instruments. I used them interchangeably.

But I think that if you're looking to replicate the guitar's original sound, your best bet is either a single coil pickup or an alumitone. Between those options, I'd pick the alumitone, because it sounds like a single coil, but doesn't produce any 60 cycle hum.

You might not get the exact same tone that the guitar had with the original pickup, but you'll get a good tone. You might notice a slight difference, but nobody else will.

Cameron Payne · Post by **Cameron Payne** » 22 Oct 2025 9:22 am

This pickup is just what's needed. https://www.steeltronics.com/product/bh ... tar-pickup

Colin Boutilier · Post by **Colin Boutilier** » 22 Oct 2025 3:41 pm

Cameron Payne wrote: 22 Oct 2025 9:22 am This pickup is just what's needed. https://www.steeltronics.com/product/bh ... tar-pickup

I suspect, at some point in the last 13 years, he got it sorted out.

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