Tom Bradshaw | Pedal Steel Guitar Products | SGHOF | PSGP | Restorations | Strings | Bars

Tom Bradshaw Restorations
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White "Shadow" MSA Classic: $1600.00
NOTE: This guitar was purchased by Tom Darrow Fallon, of Nevada This guitar was ordered by a fellow who wanted an all-white guitar. After I began building it, he advised me that his wife was leaving him and he would have to pass on the purchase. [Perhaps she learned that he was going to take up the steel, so made a fast exit!]. Since I had searched high and low for a piece of gloss white Formica, and had already covered the cabinet with it, I decided to just forge ahead and complete the project. I had initially discouraged the buyer about his color-selection, but when finished, the guitar proved to be quite spectacular, as the attached pictures should reveal.
	For the restoration, I removed the old Formica from the cabinet, exposing the strong Swedish maple hardwood originally used in its manufacture. In place of the plastic-strip cabinet and neck bindings (common style on the old MSA's), I framed the white Formica on the front apron with polished aluminum. For the neck, I faced it off with polished aluminum. It now has the appearance of a solid aluminum neck, but I only did this to maintain the connective-continuity of the other polished hardware: end plates, tuning key block, and changer head.
The changer is the standard double-raise/double-lower that came with the guitar. It showed no signs of wear when I disassembled, polished, lubricated and reassembled it. The tuning keys are Grover's, which were standard on all 'Classic' model MSAs. No wear was discovered, although I did tighten them, using a procedure I learned years ago. Therefore, no 'dead spots' exists in any of them. I happened to have a Bill Lawrence pickup, so I routed out the neck pocket to accommodate it. Great sound!
	I replaced all the undercarriage's pedal bellcranks, changer bellcranks and knee lever brackets with my own designed units that I had manufactured. They are made of very hard steel, fabricated to precise dimensions, then nickel-plated. This new hardware fits onto square 5/16' stainless steel cross shafts that are mounted, using special nylon bearings that fit the square ends of the shafts.
The design of the changer bellcranks permits their easy removal (without disassembling the undercarriage cross-shafts). Thus, they are easily and quickly repositioned if a change in the guitar's copedent is desired. The design of the knee lever brackets permits a degree of adjustment, allowing some repositioning if needed (closer or farther from the guitar's back apron). The vertical knee lever is firmly attached, but removable when placing the guitar in its case. At the time the guitar was sold, the vertical knee lever's height was adjusted to fit the buyer's knee height. The copedent on the guitar was what the buyer desired, in a 3 floor pedals / 5 knee levers configuration.
	The back, inside of the pedal bar was powder-coated white. The 'face' and top of the pedals were polished, while their undersides were powder-coated white. The pedal bar's front side was trimmed in white Formica. Note in the pictures that this trim is outlined by the polished aluminum of the pedal bar.
The guitar was supplied with the case that was originally sold with the guitar. It was in very good condition, with a tray for holding the pedal bar, legs, and pedal rods. A leatherette leg sheath was also included. The guitar's underside was finished off in red velvet, with a plaque indicating its original manufacturing date, the year I restored it (2005), my name and address. The logo on the guitar is my own design and makes for interesting conversation when observers see you playing a 'Shadow Guitar'.
This guitar is "newer" than when it was manufactured, and plays with precision and ease.

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