‘72 MSA Semi-Classic

[Robert Underkoffler]

What do I need to move this ball joint to the top hole? No documentation seems thorough about what to use for it. My pedals have been heavier than all heck ever since I started playing and I’m due for some change. I know there’s surely something more elaborate to do and I don’t really know the effect this’ll have on making it any easier.

[David Wren]

Before you move the male ball joint to the upper hole, perhaps try shortening the rod that goes to that pedal. BTW, these PSGs were built like a tank, but are almost indestructible

[Robert Underkoffler]

Before you move the male ball joint to the upper hole, perhaps try shortening the rod that goes to that pedal. BTW, these PSGs were built like a tank, but are almost indestructible

This MSA is definitely a tank. I tune it often, and it’s only a few cents off once every blue moon. I do need to figure out getting the pedal action to be smoother. I envy those who play light as a feather even with no shoes.

[Bob Carlucci]

Take all your pedals and move that male ball joint to the upper hole.. Much softer action.. You will have to adjust the rod length at the spring loaded female portion to gain clearance .. If you are very slow, inexperienced, and careful the entire operation should take all of 15 minutes for all the pedals.. On my MSA guitars, this was the first adjustment I made, and never in a million years will I understand why so many had the ball in the lower hole.. It made them SOOO much harder to play! bob

[Robert Underkoffler]

Take all your pedals and move that male ball joint to the upper hole.. Much softer action.. You will have to adjust the rod length at the spring loaded female portion to gain clearance .. If you are very slow, inexperienced, and careful the entire operation should take all of 15 minutes for all the pedals.. On my MSA guitars, this was the first adjustment I made, and never in a million years will I understand why so many had the ball in the lower hole.. It made them SOOO much harder to play! bob

Great to hear, Bob. Precisely what I thought was the case with their positions for a long while, but I had trouble trying to find any posts about this, and was sorta timid about it.

[Robert Underkoffler]

What do you use to take them off? Is it universal size with the other 70’s MSA’s

[K Maul]

A small wrench, maybe a deep socket. Take it slow. You don’t want it breaking off. Even if you do those balls are not hard to find.

[Donny Hinson]

A hard pedal may mean that the guitar is not properly set up. (Over-tuned)
You should NOT need to use the top hole unless you are pulling 4 or more strings! A regular 5/16" wrench will remove the ball, but you will need to use a washer or two if you decide move it to the top hole because the top hole isn't as deep. That top hole contains a set screw in it that secures the pedal to its shaft, and the hex of the ball-stud will usually not seat firmly against the pedal when you use the top hole. That means you have to add a washer or two, or grind down the threaded end of the ball to prevent it from breaking.

And you don't want to break it off because there's no easy way to remove the broken end from the pedal!

(I can send you a few of the proper washers if you decide to move the ball-stud anyway.)

[Robert Underkoffler]

A hard pedal may mean that the guitar is not properly set up. (Over-tuned)
You should NOT need to use the top hole unless you are pulling 4 or more strings! A regular wrench will remove the ball, but you will need to use a washer or two if you decide move it to the top hole because the top hole isn't as deep. That top hole contains a set screw in it that secures the pedal to its shaft, and the hex of the ball-stud will usually not seat firmly against the pedal when you use the top hole. That means you have to add a washer or two, or grind down the threaded end of the ball to prevent it from breaking.

And you don't want to break it off because there's no easy way to remove the broken end from the pedal!

(I can send you a few of the proper washers if you decide to move the ball-stud anyway.)

Interesting. I did not know it mattered how many strings were being pulled for whichever hole. I just figured it made it less strenuous to push them down.

[Donny Hinson]

Robert, yes, how many strings you are pulling affects how hard it is to make a change. Pulling more strings requires more total effort, that's just common sense. But you must keep in mind that changing the leverage point will also affect how far the pedal must move to make the change. Yes, the effort can be almost cut in half if you change the leverage point, but then that requires the pedal move almost twice as far to make the same change, and a lot of players don't care for that trade-off. Normally, the C pedal requires a little more effort than the A or B pedal, but rather than trying to make the pedals all have the same effort, it's easier to just adapt to the difference. (Like we do with the accelerator, brake, and clutch pedals in our cars.) I've seen too many players go to great lengths to make all the pedals move the same and act the same, with varying degrees of success. Some got what they wanted, and some just created more problems.

My advice is...
Play the guitar, don't let the guitar play you.

[Bobby D. Jones]

If the pedals are hard to push, With connector ball in the bottom hole, Sounds like the guitar is not set up proper.
Top hole would be easier, But with much longer travel.

That upper hole is not really designed as a place to install the ball connector. By Engineering and design, That hole is for the set screw that locks the shaft in the pedal.
If you want to use that hole for the connector ball.
3 things to consider,
1. First the connector ball needs flat surface to shoulder on, For support.
2. File a proper flat on the pedal for the connector ball to seat against pedal for support.
3. Check the depth of the hole, Have enough depth, So the support shoulder on the ball, Is tight against the pedal, Even if washers are needed. Before the threaded part bottoms out, On the set screw in the hole.

Good luck, Happy Steelin.

[Wayne Brown]

Just a word of caution here. What has not been mentioned is that top hole is actually used for securing the pedal to the cross shaft and in that hole is a set screw. If you break the ball stud off in that hole you will need to machine it out to remove the pedal. Also if your guitar is playing heavy or not correctly on that pedal or any other. There is something mechanically wrong. (As Bobby said not set up properly). I work on a lot of these and they bullet proof. I would look at the pull itself before moving that pedal rod. Just a suggestion
thanks
Wayne

[Bob Carlucci]

Robert, check your PM's....