Here’s a collection of serial numbers of Mosrite’s last U.S.A. years. Semie Moseley was working with a small team, making something like one guitar per day – there are series of guitars but also a lot of one-offs, proto-types, custom mades … There are serial numbers that make sense in a line and serial numbers that won’t match in any row … And there are the so called „parts-rites“, Mosrites that are made from parts (signed and unsigned, finished and roughly shaped) that were sold after Semie’s death, for example to Canada (often stamped C93).
Content:
– The Ventures model reissue – 1976-85
– The Ventures model reissue – 1986-87
– The Ventures model reissue – 1988-95
– American model aka Mark VII and Mark VIII 1984
– Gospel Encounters 1984
– Terry model 1985-86
– The Ventures model reissue – 25th Anniversary 1987-88
– M88, M89 1988-89
– V88, V89 1988-89
– The Nokie model 1988-90
– Semie Moseley model 1986-92
– Double Axe 1984-90
– Ramones 1989-2001 (?)
– Gospel Victory 1990
– The Nokie 30th Anniversary 1992
– The Ventures model reissue – 40th Anniversary 1992
– Yuzo Kayama model 1993
– Doublenecks
– Customs, One-Offs, Prototypes
Please note: All information here is the autor’s belief. The estimated numbers of made exemplars are a rough guess from the saved serial numbers. All information is without engagement, no responsibility is taken for the correctness of this information.
If you have any more informations about serial number and model and year or have pictures of your Mosrite that you’d allow me to publish here, please tell me at max@hang10.de
News:
Nov 02, 2016: V0888 (?) added
Nov 14, 2016: V93009S (Ventures 65 RI) added
Nov 15, 2016: 0xxx (40th Anniversary) added
Dec 2, 2016: X165X (1979 63RI) added
Dec 10, 2016: KC03x (Yuzo Kayama model) added
Dec 12, 2016: 1985 63RI (unknown s/n) added
Jan 02, 2017: M88 sand (unknown s/n) added
Mar 11, 2017: link added to SM004, MOT-1 added
Mar 19, 2017: link added to R9003
Apr 04, 2017: V015 added
May 08, 2017: AF028 added
Jul 11, 2017: N014 (Nokie model), V94012 (65RI) and 0103 (63RI) added
Sep 27, 2017: custom made for Elaine Garnton added
Dec 03, 2017: 03488 added
Dec 11, 2017: T038 (Terry) and V93103 (65RI) added
Feb 14, 2018: 01388, 04188 and V0688 added
Mar 09, 2018: 02188 added
Mar 15, 2018: 00001 (Don Wilson’s V1989) added
Mar 23, 2018: V93039 added
Mar 30, 2018: NC130S (Mark VIII) added
Apr 06, 2018: NC150 (65RI (?)), R030 (65 RI), 0157 (40th Anniversary), 1019S (65 RI) and 1094 (65 RI) added
Apr 19, 2018: 63008 (63RI) and 63215 (63RI) added
Ventures Reissues
1976-1985
Ventures Reissues
1986-1987 – Jonas Ridge, NC
The following guitars are all 1965 Reissues made in Jonas Ridge, NC, in 1986 and 1987. They have been sold on ebay in 2001; here’s the original text of those auctions:
„I have been hired by the widow of Semie Mosley’s most significant partner/owner to sell the last 37 Mosrite guitars from the North Carolina Mosrite manufacturing facility. These guitars have been warehoused since they were made in 1986 and 1987. They are all unsold, as-new, not „pre-owned“. They are mostly in dead-mint condition, except for a few that have extremely minor dings or marks from having been stored for 13 years. All guitars are hand made by Semie Mosley and are signed by Semie Mosley on the backs of the pegheads. They all still have the original strings that were put on by Semie at the shop. Since all are hand-made, no two are exactly alike. There are the slightest variations in features such as binding, position dots, peghead shape, etc. They are all made of alder, with maple necks. Each guitar weighs about 8 or 9 pounds. Most of these guitars have a beautiful Sunburst finish, about the best I’ve seen by any maker (including the early Mosrites). Others have rare custom colors, such as white, black, or candy-apple red. Some also have shaded or colored necks. Sixteen of these guitars come with very expensive flight cases that were specially ordered for these uniquely shaped guitars when they were made. I have been told that these cases cost about $250 wholesale when ordered. These cases are covered with the same durable gray carpet-like material that is used on heavy-duty road cases for PA equipment. The cases are heavy, weighing twice as much as the guitars at about 16 to 18 pounds.
These guitars will be sold one at a time, exclusively through ebay.
Included with each guitar will be a signed letter of authenticity from the widow of Semie’s North Carolina partner, stating the serial number, and that it is an original Mosrite guitar, hand-made by Semie Mosley that has been in storage in Morganton, North Carolina since it was made at Semie’s shop in North Carolina. All guitars were made or at least completed at Jonas Ridge, N.C. Also included (by special request) will be photocopies of some important factory papers from the time the shop folded, including invoices, financial figures, letters, etc. Please e-mail me for details on these papers. The original documents may be sold separately on ebay in the future.“
A letter from Semie Moseley to Mosrite’s customers, December 1, 1986:
„Thank you all for your interest in Mosrite. I am going to try to explain, in this letter, what has been happening with Semie Moseley and Mosrite.
First, let me apologize for this being a form letter. I have over one thousand letters which have accumulated during my illness and shutdown. Some day, in the near future, the Semie Moseley and Mosrite Guitar story will be in process. it will read like a fairytale – a drama – a love story; from rags to riches – to rags – to the fight back, from one major tragedy to another, from the very beginning through its evolution to the 1980’s.
My wife, Loretta, and I were in an automobile accident which should have taken our lives. A few months in the hospital and more than a year being disabled left us financially depleted and nothing to brag about physically. I went through another major surgery. Our entire factory was destroyed by fire causing a total loss of guitars, inventory, equipment, and much more. It was well over a million dollar loss. The story doesn’t end there, now you have a general idea of where we’ve been and why. It has been only through strength from God that we have survived all of this. I still am determined that we will win.
For a while, during the time I was sick, I tried to get help in order to continue building my Mosrite Guitars. But I was not too happy with the quality and the way things were going without my direct attention, so I shut Mosrite down one more time. About eleven months ago, after the last shutdown, I required radical colon surgery. I am now fully recovered and weight two hundred pounds. Our factory is back in Jonas Ridge, North Carolina.
Once again, I am going to build Mosrite Guitars in limited quantity. I will re-introduce the Ventures Model. I will also build a new model which will have the option of my newly designed dual coil Mosrite pickups. I will also offer, once again, the Joe Maphis double neck and single neck. I will be directly involved in this production, and will guarantee my guitars for my lifetime.
If you have not given up on me, please write and let me know of your interest. I will respond to your request immediately.
Mosrite Forever,
Semie Moseley, President
P.S. I don’t plan on making any National Promotion until after my guitars are offered to you and my other Mosrite friends. Hope to hear from you soon.“
Ventures Reissues
1988-1995
American (aka Mark VII and VIII)
1984 – Morganton, NC
serial numbers: AFxxx and NCxxx
Similar to the Ventures model, but without pickguard. The Mark VIII has the wide carving also on the right (e-string) body side and no carving but a rounding between the horns, the Mark VII has a narrow routing around the whole body’s front. The Mark VIII’s three pickups are mounted parallely sloped or diversified.
Gospel Encounters
1984 – Morganton, NC
serial numbers: GExxx
Terry model
1985-86
serial numbers: T0xx
I guess it’s been made for the Japanese market as a Terauchi Takeshi signature model. Very rare, less asymmetric than a regular Ventures model, with humbuckers and a rose on the headstock.
Ventures 25th Anniversary
1987-88 – Jonas Ridge, NC
serial numbers: 25xx
12 of planned 25 made
M88, M89
1988-89 – Jonas Ridge, NC
serial numbers: xxx88, xxx89
rounded body, no carve, no pickguard, triangeled plate on back, Moseley tremolo or fixed TP; normally: white PUs with polepieces, white backplate, normal roller bridge. Unbound rosewood fretboard on 2 piece maple neck at the early examples; the later examples have a maple fretboard with rosewood board below or on a 3 piece maple neck, large space between zero fret and stringguide. 1988 logo, signed by Semie on headstock front and back.
V88, V89
1988–89 – Jonas Ridge, NC
serial numbers: xxx88, Vxxx, Vxx88, 89xxx
softly carved Ventures style body; normally: black PUs with polepieces, normal roller bridge, rosewood fretboard, 1988 logo, signed by Semie on headstock’s back or neck’s back, rarely on headstock’s front
The Nokie model
1988–90 – Jonas Ridge, NC
serial numbers: xxx88, Nxxx, 90xxx
Semie Moseley Model
1986–92
serial numbers: Txxx, SMxxx
Double Axe
1984-90 – Jonas Ridge, NC
Ramones
1989-2001?
early ones without ramone’s logo. The first may be the white custom made guitar that was made by Semie for Johnny. Some without logo seem to be 1-pickup-versions of other Mosrites.
The ones with the „The Ramone’s model“-logo may’ve been made by the family/Loretta Moseley after Semie’s passed away.
Gospel Victory I, II, III
1990
Nokie 30th Anniversary
1992
Bound Ventures Body, sidejack
40th Anniversary
1992
Expat Guitars: „Mosrite of California 40th Anniversary The Ventures Model 63 bound sidejack Reissue produced in 1992 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the company. (…) Prototyped by Semie Moseley before his death, (…) only 40 made. Built in Booneville, Arkansas, exclusively for the Japanese market. An accurate recreation of Mosrite’s most iconic design, complete with hot handwound smooth cover pickups, spun knobs, Vibramute, and convex carve on the treble edge. These came in two colors, Nokie (Sunburst) or Don (Strawberry Red) (…). Highly collectible, unseen outside of Japan (…), opaque-to-translucent burst on the back of the neck.“
Yuzo Kayama model
1993
Allegedly 50 in Marine Blue and 10 in Pearl White have been built in the USA in 1993. Unique Vibramute tremolo and headstock logo.
Doublenecks
1981–88
Customs, One-Offs, Prototypes
1981–92
Guitars that can’t be subsumed in any other category
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last modification: April 19, 2018