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Mosrite

Ramones

Mosrite Ventures

database

Models, serial numbers and years

The Mosrite Ventures database – whether you’re looking for a possibility to date your guitar or you want to check if an offered Mosrite is an original, legitly made in Bakersfield, CA in the 60s or 70s or a Jonas Ridge, NC or Booneville, AR made Mosrite from the 80s or 90s, you should find the answer here.

What you won’t find here are Japanese made guitars. No Firstman, no Kurokumo, no Fillmore guitars – only original Semie Moseley guitars and the few made by the remains of Unified Sound Association, Inc. after Semie’s death in August 1992. To me, especially the third list is very interesting, as it can be quite hard to judge by pictures whether a late Mosrite is legit Moseley made or a Japanese copy. As those late real Mosrites are fantastic guitars and Mosrite’s history became more and more quirky the last couple of years, it’s quite essential to know what to look for to know if a guitar is a Mosrite or only a “Mosrite”. Build in Soul ;)

The Ventures model headstock logo

As to the 60s made Mosrite Ventures, whether Mark I or Mark II, The Ventures logo might give a hint about the guitar’s age, as The Ventures logo has not been used by Mosrite anymore after the distribution deal with the Ventures has ended. Some sources say that’s happened in 1967, some say late 1968.

Starting in October 1963/January 1964 with their record “(The) Ventures In Space“, the last Ventures record promoting Mosrite guitars is “Super Psychedelics“, released June 3, 1967. The next record, “$1,000,000 Weekend“, released December 23, 1967, is not promoting Mosrite anymore but Award Amplifiers. So the deal may have ended in middle to late 1967.

Del Halterman tells on page 162 of “Walk-Don’t Run – The Story of the Ventures”: “While Flights of Fantasy climbed to 169 in Billboard, The Ventures’ five-year contract with Mosrite expired.” “Flights of Fantasy” was released on May 25, 1968. Mathematical, a 1963 5-year contract should last until 1968. On “The Horse” (released: August 24, 1968) the band poses with Mosrite Combo (!) guitars on the cover.

I guess the deal has ended around mid 1968, so that may be the date when the Ventures logo disappeared from the headstocks.

The body and neck ink stamps

A lot of Mosrites bare ink date stamps on the neck’s heal and the body’s neck cavity – a great opportunity to date the neck’s or body’s production date. Regularly this will lead to a date the guitar has been built, but quite often there are some months or even years between the manufacturing of a neck or body and it’s use in a completed guitar. Unfortunately, he neck heel and pocket stamps have only been used from July 1965 to July, perhaps October 1966. The most exact way to date a Mosrite are the pots’ date stamps…

Have fun! Or ask me: max@hang10.de

Mosrite Ventures (Mark I)

guitar, bass & 12-string

1963-74

Starting in 1963, The Ventures model immediateley became Mosrite’s main model. Around 7000 guitars and 2200 basses have been built in the 60s, and around 1200 guitars and 700 basses in the early 70s.

Mosrite Ventures II/Mark V

guitar, bass & Mel-O-Bar

1965–69

The cheaper student model started mid 1965, and after the shape and construction was radically changed after around 150 slab bodied unities and three months, around 1550 German Carve models were made between late 1965 and early 1969.

Mosrite's last U.S.A. years

guitar & bass

1976–96

Mosrite’s last two decades in the U.S.A. brought reissues of The Ventures model as well as some new designs basing on the shape of The Ventures model – build by Semie Moseley at home (late 70s), with a small team in an off-the-wall workspace (80s) or by a relatively large team of workers (around a dozen) in an orphaned Walmart. 

Bill Lewis Custom

24 frets guitar

What do The Cramps and Pink Floyd have in common? Yes, the Bill Lewis Custom 24 frets guitar!

While David Gilmour used it for some special solos on “Dark side of the Moon”, Poison Ivy Rorschach decided to use it as her main guitar for all live shows and probably all studio and demo recordings from 1976 to 1984.

Here you will find some info – perhaps some more info than anywhere else – about that extremely rare and extremely pretty guitar.

There’s a real chance to list all Bill Lewis Customs ever made as there are less than 30 made between 1969 and 1971.

Ramones lists

The guitars of

Johnny Ramone

Johnny Ramone is known for his usage of a 1965 Mosrite Ventures II slab model, and he has owned four of them – but as backups he used brands like Fender, Rickenbacker and Hamer, too. See what he played when, what was stolen when, and under which circumstances he even has been seen playing a Gibson Les Paul… ;)

Ramones

on your tube!

Ramones timeline: video and audio files showing the Ramones’ career between 1974 and 1996 in chronological order – updated regularly!

The Cramps

on your tv-set!

The Cramps‘ entire career in video and audio files in chronological order – updated regularly!