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Mosrite Identification points. Trems and bridges.
The Vibramute that followed had the aforementioned Mosrite of California cast into them and the now famous Mosrite roller bridge. This was developed to aid in tuning problems caused by the cast bridge. These were made in house out of folded brass plate and 6 individual saddles each with it's own roller. The Vibramute was made in both chrome plated sandcast and polished finish.
In 1965 the trem unit was changed to the Moseley unit. Essentially the same unit it now has Moseley written behind the tailpiece (where the strings anchor) instead of Vibramute. These were die cast and chrome plated. Some 1965/66 models have had Vibramutes retrofitted to fetch more money in the collectors market, so be careful here. The original Vibramute had 5 mounting screws where the Moseley has 4 and the outside holes don't line up exactly. The shape of the two trems is slightly different too, so if there is a mark in the finish around a Vibramute and you are skeptical of it's originality, it my have had a Moseley originally.
Also available through the '60's on semi acoustics was the "half" trem which was essentially a Moseley unit with the plate cut off to accommodate the curved top. It looks like the back half of a Moseley unit. This was commonly available on Combos/Joe Maphis and Celebrity models. Semi acoustics were also available with trapeze tailpieces in 6 and 12 string versions. Most 12 string guitars had a hard tailpiece that was the same design as the basses used. It was a piece of angle aluminium or stainless steel with a piece of lacquered timber inset into it and screwed directly to the body. Later '70's Mosrites used this design allot and sizes vary from year to year. Later models seem to have smaller ones.
The early Mk II Ventures models had another completely different and unique trem unit again. This was a pressed steel unit with the arm coming out through the D and G strings as shown left. It only appeared on the slab body Mk II's and a few of Mk II's with the German carve. I have not seen this model trem on any other Mosrite or guitar. The bridges commonly available on the Mk II/Mk V were non roller versions of the Mosrite bridge. These had grooves cut into the top of each saddle and were available on the cheaper models. These have showed up on Celebrity's and Combos as well.
The V88 was offered with a hard tailpiece that looked like a Moseley unit but without the pivot or arm and the Brassrail had a hard tailpiece that was a flat aluminium plate with a half rounded anchor to hold the strings. These are fairly rare as well. Tuners. Mosrite mainly used Kluson tuners and these were one of the only pieces of hardware not made "in house" for their guitars. Ventures and the more expensive models used Kluson deluxe single or double line tuners with metal oval shaped buttons. Mk II/Mk V and some Celebrity's (a few Ventures models have turned up with these) used Kluson deluxe tuners with pearl (white plastic) oval buttons.
I the late '60's Mosrites started turning up with a very strange tuner that had a diamond shaped button and angular closed gear housing. I don't think these were Mosrite made but I have never seen these on any other guitars. Basses started out with the classic "elephant ear" 2 a side tuners and in the mid/late 60's went to a "duck foot" tuner with Mosrite stamped into the gear housing as shown.
Some early '70's Mosrites like the Bluesbender and Brassrails came out standard with Grover tuners. Reissues and Mosrites through the '80's used Kluson tuners again. Necks and scale length. Mosrite lists all their guitars as having 24.5" scale. Slightly shorter than Gibson, the same as most Gretsch guitars. My Bluesbender is definitely 24.75" like a Gibson. Although most Mosrite guitars had the 24.5" scale, neck thicknesses varied allot over the years. The '63/64 models had the thinnest necks. All through the '60's the necks were thin in both depth and width and these are the necks that Mosrites are usually associated with. By the late 60's necks were getting slightly thicker (bodies were getting slightly thinner) The 70's necks are generally wider and thicker than the early necks and use larger frets. The '80's reissues have thinner necks again but with wider fretboards than the original '60's models. 12 strings were the same as 6 string. Most Mosrites had bound necks. The exceptions are The Mark II/V models, some Celebrity's, some Gospels and the M88. Mosrite were also working on a Ventures model without a German carve and no neck binding when they shut down in '93. Bass guitars had a 30.25". Neck characteristics are the same as the guitar necks. The octave necks on double necks were generally 14" scale. page 1 - page 2 - page 3 - page 4 - page 5 - page 6 - page 7 |
