TBird
Wholenote
Posts: 298
Formerly Known As: greg1948
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Post by TBird on Oct 20, 2020 7:19:02 GMT -5
I know I should stay out of the local pawn/music shop. I went in to buy strings and saw a Mosrite style guitar on the wall. It was made by Eastwood, had the German carve, P 90's and Bigsby clone vibrato. Mosrite guitars were made by Semie Moseley back in the late 60's and again in the 80's. The Ventures model was endorsed by the band for several years.
Being a Ventures fan, I got hold of a later Ventures model 10 years ago. Beautiful, great sounding guitar, but hard to play for me. The skinny neck and narrow frets were not a good match. Wound up selling it.
Fast forward to the present day, Eastwood is making clones of the Ventures model with a wider, easier to play neck at a decent price. The headstock does not have the carve M at the top, and, of course, it says Eastwood, not Mosrite. The newest models have a Jazzmaster style vibrato and sell for about $1000 new.
I almost plunked down the $400 they were asking, but, but would the fact that it is not a "real Mosrite" bother me so much I would wind up selling it myself? And a bit of guilt about buying yet another guitar stopped me too. During the pandemic, I'm buying and selling more guitars than ever. So, I haven't gone back yet to the shop, but.....I can hear it calling me.
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Post by rdr on Oct 20, 2020 10:33:57 GMT -5
I've lusted after a Mosrite-style guitar before. Had the Ebay seller come down another $50, I'd have one. Danelectro also sells a German-carve model that's nice.
$400 sounds good, if you eventually lose your love for it, you could just sell it.
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Post by sleeperny on Oct 21, 2020 18:16:48 GMT -5
Eastwood makes some great guitars for the money. If you are looking for the Mosrite sound you will not get it from the Eastwood. The Mosrite pickups are not P90 in sound. They are a Mosrite inhouse make that give them that hard hitting driving sound. They were wound quite hot single coils that retained the top end well. The best copy that is made today is the Hallmark Custom 60 but not in the Eastwood price range.
Jim
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Oct 21, 2020 20:40:21 GMT -5
I had a Mosrite Ventures in the 80s and sold it to a pal who was big into surf. Great sounding guitar, but the thin and narrow neck gave me hand cramps. About 10 years ago I found a Dillion Canada copy of a Mosrite on the used wall in a local guitar shop. The price was right so I grabbed it. The neck on it is fatter feeling and it plays & sounds really nice...but it's a heavy beast.
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Peppy
Wholenote
Guitar gear guru at Milano Music Center
Posts: 180
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Post by Peppy on Oct 21, 2020 21:02:12 GMT -5
As to the time frame on Mosrites: actually began in 1956. A school friend's (and jamming partner of mine in eighth grade) father was probably, after The Ventures in the early 1960s, the biggest supporter of the line. Well, Standell amps too. Yes, I got to touch one of Joe Maphis' Mosrites and Standells. 😁
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stl80
Wholenote
Posts: 216
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Post by stl80 on Oct 22, 2020 15:31:45 GMT -5
I too lusted after a Mosrite in the 60's. About 20 years ago a friend called me and said, "You have to come buy this Mosrite". I went to the music store and there was a Ventures model in a gig bag. Inside the gig bag was paperwork from Mosrite signed by Loretta Mosley to the manager of Reba McIntire's band saying sorry about the delay in doing a repair on the guitar. The story I got was that the guitar had gone down in the airplane wreck that killed Reba's band members. For years I tried to figure out a way to talk to Loretta and finally got a phone number for her. I called the number and she answered. She confirmed that the company had, indeed, repaired the guitar. I also have some back and forth emails with her as provenance. The guitar is a '65 reissue Ventures model in excellent shape now and the star of my collection. Supposedly, the guitar was a trade in by some Seattle grunge band member.
Jim
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TBird
Wholenote
Posts: 298
Formerly Known As: greg1948
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Post by TBird on Oct 23, 2020 6:45:22 GMT -5
I too lusted after a Mosrite in the 60's. About 20 years ago a friend called me and said, "You have to come buy this Mosrite". I went to the music store and there was a Ventures model in a gig bag. Inside the gig bag was paperwork from Mosrite signed by Loretta Mosley to the manager of Reba McIntire's band saying sorry about the delay in doing a repair on the guitar. The story I got was that the guitar had gone down in the airplane wreck that killed Reba's band members. For years I tried to figure out a way to talk to Loretta and finally got a phone number for her. I called the number and she answered. She confirmed that the company had, indeed, repaired the guitar. I also have some back and forth emails with her as provenance. The guitar is a '65 reissue Ventures model in excellent shape now and the star of my collection. Supposedly, the guitar was a trade in by some Seattle grunge band member. Jim Great story, stl80. Sad that the band members died, but it is amazing that the guitar was saved and repaired. Got pix? |
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stl80
Wholenote
Posts: 216
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Post by stl80 on Oct 23, 2020 11:34:46 GMT -5
Great story, stl80. Sad that the band members died, but it is amazing that the guitar was saved and repaired. Got pix? I'm terrible at pics but it looks like a brand new sunburst Mosrite. Jim
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