Player Reviews

Mickey was one of the first players to begin utilizing social media in order to reach the masses with his teaching techniques. In 2005 he started a YouTube Channel which today has garnered million upon millions of hits. To this day he remains focused on promoting the instrument on a global scale. Over the last 5 years he has traveled abroad teaching scores of Steel Guitarists Worldwide. A second mentor site was created by one his many subscribers, which he uses to communicate directly with his followers. Mickeys objectives here at MSA are very simple..Keep the lines of communication open, and respond to the customer directly. Mickey began playing pedal steel guitar at 22.., but at 28 found his true calling in the aviation industry. For 28 years Mickey pursued his dream of flying, and after 15000 hours as a corporate Jet Captain, recently retired. This has left him all the time to pursue his first love, playing music. 

Mickey is also a very accomplished guitarist and vocalist as well, traits that many times are overshadowed by his deep commitment to the Steel Guitar, and the community as a whole. Mickey joined the MSA after playing our new Legend XL Signature model, and when asked about the impression that MSA made on him..This is what he had to say.. Over the last 4 decades I have owned, bought and sold, as well as repaired, almost every make and model. For the first time in my life, I have the one guitar that does everything better than the rest.. The MSA Legend has outshined and performed all of the competition in every single area..In fact, I was so moved by this guitar that when asked to represent them through social media, I was absolutely onboard.. Ergonomically pleasing, stunning finishes, ease of adjustment, precision mechanics, and tone for days...The Bar has Risen!

Scott is a native Texan and lives in the Dallas area. Scott’s interest in Pedal Steel began just out of High School. After a few years, the interest evolved into a passion. He had already learned to play piano, coached and encouraged by his Mother who has been a church organist for almost 60 years. Playing piano gave him some useful musical knowledge, but nothing prepared him for learning Pedal Steel. “It’s an animal all its own.”
By his mid-twenties, he had still not purchased his first steel guitar. He had, however met two of the local giants on steel, Gary Hogue and Junior Knight. He hung around the both of them as often as he could watching them play and developing wonderful friendships. They both were ultimately responsible for so much of his inspiration and knowledge. Finally, by the time he was almost 30, with the help of Maurice Anderson, he acquired his first Pedal Steel. After about a year of “woodshedding” he joined his first band, and he was off to the races in what would become Chapter 1 of a wonderful journey of playing live music all around the DFW/North Texas/Oklahoma region. Over the next 15 years or so, he played with many different bands at many different venues, including Billy Bob’s Texas, Gilley’s and the Fort Worth Stockyards to mention a few. At the same time he was running his own auto recovery business in Dallas and doing his best to juggle both careers.
With Gary’s passing in 2000, an enormous shock to the steel guitar community and to Scott, he struggled to keep the wind in his sails for playing, but pushed forward and actually kept at it for a few more years. His business and family, however, ultimately had to take priority, so he quit playing and parked the steel under the bed, not realizing it would stay there for almost 8 years.
“The auto recovery business took its toll on me physically, causing irreversible nerve damage in my legs and feet, so I had no choice but to shut it down and retire. With all this newly found time on my hands, I drug the steel back out from under the bed and tried to start Chapter 2 of playing music, but unfortunately I found that the nerve damage was just too severe and realized I probably would not be taking gigs anymore.”
A few years ago, at the Dallas steel show, Jerry, Reece’s brother, introduced Scott to the new generation MSA steel guitars. He had known about MSA guitars for years, but not yet had taken notice of what had been going on in his absence from the steel guitar community.
“I had seen the one Junior had and was intrigued. After talking with Jerry, and going out to Junior’s and playing his Studio Pro model, I knew I had to have one. I became a member of the MSA family soon thereafter and haven’t looked back! By far, one of the best innovative and beautiful Pedal Steel Guitars made today and some of the FINEST people and builders on the planet! Just before becoming interested in the new MSA’s, I found a long lost mutual friend of Gary’s on social media Jim Lindsey and we immediately bonded. A lot of late nights ensued talking with Jim about Gary Hogue memories, both our playing careers and recording. We also talked endlessly about the new MSA’s. We even had a collaborative album project in the works up until his stroke and ultimate death just last year. A devastating loss to me. He helped me design and pick colors for my new MSA Legend. I am naming the guitar "Punkin" in his memory.
Chapter 2, in a lot of ways has been more enjoyable and gratifying than Chapter 1, even with the setbacks. Working with MSA is a pure joy and am so grateful to be involved! I am an MSA family member for life! I hope to keep playing, recording and helping for a long time to come.”

Scott's YouTube Channel

Scott's Facebook Page

Scott is one of the finest men you’ll ever meet. He is a great steel player, a wonderful friend, a true inspiration for me, and a tremendous asset to the steel guitar community and MSA.

                                                    Kyle

Cody Angel started playing guitar at the age of 11 while living in Kentucky. When he was 13 years old he and his family moved to Texas where he met a guitar teacher who sparked a fire in him to make a career of soloing and getting past basic chords. Cody met Lloyd Maines around that time. Maines urged him to pick up the steel guitar, which he eventually did at age 17 with a borrowed Sho Bud.

After high school, Cody went to South Plains College in Lubbock, Texas and earned his Associates degree from the Commercial Music program with a focus on guitar, but continued to grow with his steel. His last semester, he auditioned for the Kyle Park band and went to work with him after finishing his finals at South Plains that semester.

After playing with Kyle Park and becoming accustom to being “on the road”, the opportunity to replace one of his favorite players, Roger Ray, with Jason Boland and The Stragglers became available, and Cody jumped at the chance. 

Since beginning his music career, Cody has had the opportunity to play and record with such acts as Larry Joe Taylor, Jamie Lin Wilson, Midnight River Choir, Josh Abbott Band, The Damn Quails, Copper Chief, Randy Rogers, Cowboy Troy, Wade Bowen, William Clark Green, Tennessee Jet, Cody Canada and The Departed, Josh Ward, Jeremy Plato, and American Aquarium.

Selected Discography: Jeremy Plato and The Departed: In Retrospect, Josh Ward Live at Billy Bob’s, Jason Boland and The Stragglers: Hard Times are Relative, Copper Chief: Copper Chief

Cody's Website

"When my new MSA arrived with a damaged case, I was worried that the guitar may have suffered damage as well. Several weeks into ownership it appears that it was. A quick call to Mickey Adams and the guitar was delivered by Mickey personally back to the shop in Dallas..2 days later it arrived completely repaired and looking brand new again. Customer service second to none... The new MSA is setting a new standard.."

Junior Knight from Eustice, Texas has been playing pedal steel guitar for 48 years. He bought his first MSA in 1968 from Maurice "Reece" Anderson when MSA was on Tyler Street in Oak Cliff. His first MSA was a 1965 black D10/11 with wood key heads. Even though he's owned many D-10's, Juniors favorite tuning is still Bb6. Junior is semi-retired and a member of the TSGA Hall of Fame as well as one of its founders. He is also a member of the Texas Swing Hall of Fame as a member of Jody Nix and the Texas Cowboys. Junior is also a member of the Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest Hall of Fame. Junior's musical career includes: Ray Price, Wynn Stewart, Tony Douglas, Gary Stewart, LeAnn Rimes, Junior Brown, Jody Nix, Jeff Woolsey, The (Dewey Groom) Longhorn Ballroom and Cowboys Dancehall in Dallas. I've known Junior for 45 years and I've painted more guitars for him than anyone else. Those of you that know him know his heart is the size of Texas! A better, kinder man you will not meet. Junior is also a family man with four kids, eight grandchildren and one great grandson. He and his wife Saran have been married for 40 years.

"I have been playing the pedal steel guitar since 1973. I have owned MSA steel guitars since that time and I am proud to call the folks at MSA my friends. I have owned and played pretty much every brand of pedal steel guitar and make my living servicing and selling all brands of steel guitars. I owned the first MSA Legend guitar as it was designed in response to my query about when they were going to build another wood body guitar shortly after the carbon fiber bodied Millennium was released.  I consider the design, appearance, tone, and playability to be among the very top steel guitars on the market.  I don’t have to own and play one, I choose to."

I went to my 1st TSGA Event in Dallas in 2017, where Scott Anderson and I shared a room together.  Scott brought along the Studio Pro that had previously been owned by Junior Knight.  So we were all set up with the Studio Pro an Evans amp and all the goodies for having our own jam session in our room.  Well after I sat down to Scotts guitar and started playing it, even though it was set up about 180º from what my guitar was, poor Scott could barely peel me off of it.  It played absolutely beautiful and sounded incredible, NOT what I had expected from an MSA. 

Then we went to the MSA room, where I saw and heard Mitchell Smithey playing the Red/Plum and Black Legend XL Signature Series, that a few months later would become mine.  That was as good a sounding guitar as I’d ever heard, and I told Scott right then and there, “I WANT THAT GUITAR”.  When it was delivered to me, I couldn’t believe how flawless the finish was and the attention to every detail was more than I could’ve imagined. 

2 or 3 weeks after I received my “Stunning” guitar, Mickey Adams called me to ask, “well now that you’ve had some time with her, what do you REALLY think of her?”… Without hesitation I told him how even the tone was up and down the neck and all the way across the strings.  With other guitars I’ve had, I had struggled a bit with shrillness and harshness the further up the neck I went, and if I could get that dialed back, then it would feel a bit muddy on the bottom.  Not so with this guitar.  With this guitar I like to say, “No HOT Spots, No DEAD Spots, Only SWEET Spots”™.  And with “Tone, As RICH as a Rockefeller”™ This is NOT, your Fathers MSA.

In addition to how beautiful the NEW MSA sounds, the innovations are something that makes me think, “Why didn’t anybody else think of these things?”… They just seem to make sense.

* Adjustable pedal height, WHILE sitting at the guitar… Think Hardwood to Carpet, Slippers to Boots

* Adjustable lever width, WHILE sitting at the guitar, WITHOUT TOOLS… Think, Shorts to Jeans or Slacks

* Quick change pickups, so when you hear another MSA you like, you can ask, “What pickup are you using?” and then you pop their pickup into your guitar to QUICKLY try it out with your settings

* L-Frets, so you can see the Frets on your Neck in the DARK

* Aura Lights, if you just have to have that Romantic Glow.

I’m so happy to be a part of the MSA Family, a family I NEVER thought I’d belong to.  In fact, I’m so happy with MSA I ordered a 2nd one.

BTW, Kyle Bennett is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever talk to, and someone who truly is in the PLEASING business.  Mitchell Smithey is a Master Craftsman, who know’s these guitars inside and out, and Mickey Adams is someone ALWAYS willing to help, and you can ALWAYS talk guitars too.

Incredible guitars, Incredible people, MSA

Dale's YouTube Channel

Mitchell Smithey bought his first MSA in 1974. As a kid of 16, Mitchell would visit Maurice Anderson, aka "Reece" who would explain to him how the pedal steel guitar worked. He used to hang out at the factory before he bought his first MSA. Mitchell turned 18 at a gig in Dallas at the Texas Tea House on Lemmon Ave. Mitchell has always loved pedal steel. Mitchell is now one of the best pedal steel players in the business. As a professional Pedal Steel Guitarist, Mitchell has toured with many different artists including Capital artists Side of the Road Gang, Gary Stewart, TG Sheppard, David Frizzel, Ty Herndon, Doug Stone, Holly Tucker, Feen Boyette, Jolie Holiday and LeAnn Rimes.  Mitchell was the steel player for the Stars Behind the Stars benefit for the Dallas Police fallen officers show. This included Tanya Tucker, The Oakridge Boys, Collin Raye, Janie Fricke, The Bellamy Brothers, T Graham Brown, TG Sheppard, Kelly Lang, Johnny Lee, Gene Watson, Mark Wills, John Conlee, Ronnie McDowell, Moe Bandy and Randy Travis. Mitchell is currently with the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame Band. Mitchell worked at Carter Steel Guitars for many years. He began there as an apprentice for Bud Carter. Some time after Carter closed, Maurice called Mitchell and asked if he would come to work at MSA. Mitchell said yes and started the very next week. Mitchell has been building MSA's for the last six years. Through the influence of Bud Carter and Mitchell's own mechanical ingenuity, he has developed a reputation as a "World Class" master builder of pedal steel guitars. Mitchell maintains a home recording studio and he does his fair share of recording sessions throughout the area. In addition, Mitchell also teaches pedal steel.  Mitchell is a family man with 5 children and 5 grandchildren.

In my 38 years of playing steel, I thought I had seen steel guitar evolve in many great ways.Pretty much all builders were offering good quality instruments in whatever kinds of finishes the customer requested. MSA has taken  that to a whole new level or as they say "Raised the bar" with a host of new innovations that make owning and playing one a whole new experience. MSA offers features others don't but if I picked one I couldn't  do without, it would be the L-Frets which make playing dark stages a much better experience. I feel you won't find another guitar on the market with the Features, Fit and Finish offered by MSA Steel Guitars. Check them out. You'll be glad you did.

(Update 10-2-2018)

It's been a few weeks now since I brought home the brand new hand full of happiness from MSA and wanted to share some thoughts. I am still getting used to the new 4th pedal in the 0 position as well as the size and spacing of the smaller pedals compared to 12 years on the other guitar but this will pass in time. My wife who's not a musician says she can definitely hear a difference and likes the MSA better. The guitar is without a doubt the best looking of all the guitars I've ever owned over the last 38 years thanks to the outstanding artistry of Mark Giles. Fit and finish are second to none. String separation, clarity and balance over the entire neck is very obvious with no hot spots. 

The half stop is very positive with no mushiness. I think everyone agrees the L-Frets make seeing what we're doing on dark stages so much nicer than some clip on light. Being able to change pickups in seconds make changing from a Humbucker to Single coil a snap. Being able to to change pedal height without looking at hard to see pedal rod numbers and the need for tools is just to cool. The positive fitting snap fit pedal bar locks into place quickly and stays put. If you're considering a new guitar,you need to go look at MSA and see what the talks all about.