MY MOSRITES

MOSRITE HISTORY

MOSRITE SERIAL # AND MODEL LISTING

MOSRITE TIMELINE

MOSRITE PICS (THE EARLY YEARS)

MOSRITE PIC OF THE MONTH

MOSRITE MYTHS AND ANSWER PAGES

MOSRITE LINKS

MOSRITE CATALOGUES
THESE MAY HELP YOU IDENTIFY YOUR MOSRITE

This page is an attempt to help everyone who wants to date their Mosrite. Use this in conjunction with the serial number listing to hopefully get a close date of manufacture. If you still have problems/ questions, by all means contact me with all your information and pics and I will try and help out.

Here's a couple of points to get you started :

1960-63. The early Bakersfield solidbody period. Semie's serial numbering system was 100 series for the doublenecks, 1000 series for the singleneck Joe Maphis models and 000 series for the basses. Serials are stamped in the back of the headstock like Gibson.

All Mosrites from about 1963 have their serial number stamped in the fretboard between the 21st and 22nd fret. If it does not have the serial # stamped there, it is either (A) a replacement neck (B) a fake (copy) or (C) Mosrite forgot to stamp it (it happened).

Most 60's Mosrites have an assembly date and batch number stamped under the neck in the neck to body joint (bolt ons only of course) and some have hand signed signatures of the inspector. Do not just rip the neck off your Mosrite. Get a professional or someone who knows what they're doing to carefully remove the neck and any shims that may have been used to get the angle right.

Mosrite used pots that have the date stamped into the side of the pot e.g. : 1346534. This means THE POTS were manufactured in the 34th week of 1965. The first 3 digits are the manufacturer, the next 2 are the year (e.g. 1965) the last 2 are the week (e.g. 34th week). Because production was at an all time high between 65 and 68, pot dates are a fairly accurate way of dating your Mosrite. Later Mosrites (1970's) also used 6 digit pots, some with plastic shafts.

Follow the model column to your model and then check the date in the left hand column. This page contains Mosrite production guitars and basses up until 1970. The following pages will contain info from 1970 to 1994.

Date: Model: Comments:
1952   Semie started doing his customizing work while working for Paul Bigsby. He did work for Joe Maphis' Super 400, Larry Collins Gibson ES-140, and several others.
    Lots of customizing jobs on country western singers' guitars, including re-necked acoustics for Little Jimmy Dickens, Lorrie Collins, Skeets McDonald, Johnny Bond, and many many others.
1954   Semie made himself a triple neck guitar with a 6 string octave neck, a standard 6 string neck and an 8 string octave neck.
  Early Mosrites Early hand made single and double necks and customs. Made for "famous" guitarists by Semie. First few had Moseley on the headstock. Double and triple necks tended to be semi hollow (no F holes) bodies with Tele like shape and usually with an octave neck. All handmade components.
1955 Joe Maphis double neck The famous Joe Maphis double neck had "Joe Maphis" inlaid into the fretboard. Most custom guitars made around this time had the players name inlaid into the fretboard.
    The first doublenecks, as made for Joe Maphis, Larry Collins, Bob Regan and a bunch of preachers, had no serial numbers on them.
1956   Larry Collins got his custom made double neck.
1959   Double neck made for Roy Nichols who was playing with Wynn Stewart.
    There were probably only about 15 of the original big-bodied, full gingerbread doublenecks ever made (and five or six triple necks), there were LOTS of doublenecks made in the period 1959 to 1966, all custom ordered, most based on the Joe Maphis design but with varying degrees of "gingerbread" appointments.
1960 Semie moves to Bakersfield Semie made single neck guitars around this time as well. They tended to be single cutaway solid bodies with Moseley inlaid/painted on the headstock.
1961 New style double necks Brian Lonbeck receives the second double neck with his name inlaid in the fretboards with serial number 102. Brian was the first guitar player for Barbara Mandrell and taught her to play his double neck.
  Joe Maphis singleneck model Ventures shape with Mosrite and no model name or Joe Maphis model on headstock. Full neck and body binding. Some trems had a plastic (pick guard material) plate around them that was referred to as the "mistake plate". They also had a flat plate type string guide (like a very thin Strat style nut)
1962   Joe Maphis models are further developed and start showing up in advertising. Neck ends are still square, not angled like the neck pick up. They use hand made vibratos, bridges and pick ups and Guild knobs.
    Early Vibramute trems and knobs were made for Guild and as such had the name "scratched off" the black part of the trem that later had "Mosrite of California" on them. These were fairly crude aluminium castings with the mute system attached to the Bigsby style "melted" bridge. These were closer to what was to become the Ventures model.
1963   Bill Gruggett starts work for Semie in the tin shed. Andy Moseley, Semie's brother moves back from Tennessee to help with the company. Andy is to be Vice-President.
  Ventures model Mosrite moves to larger facilities on P Street, in downtown Bakersfield.
    The first Ventures model was a set neck, celluloid bound body with a large "The Ventures" logo on the headstock. Side jack models. Thin necks and low frets known at Mosrite as speed frets. They had a zero fret and semi circular type metal nut. Knobs are chrome "spun" types with no markings.
    These were available in red or sunburst only.
    Approximately 200 of these guitars were built in late '63 and early '64.
  Ventures bass Ventures basses follow similar specs to the guitars. Available with only a single pick up in neck position until late 64. Early models were set necks with body binding and large Ventures logos. Serial numbers start at 5000.
    Most of these guitars up to this point had a scratch plate held in with 3 screws.
1964   Necks attached with four screws and ferules with a neck plate covering screw heads.
    Very few "crossover" models have surfaced with bolt on necks and a side jack with and without body binding.
    The jack was moved on to the scratch plate and the body binding was dropped. The Ventures logo became smaller in mid '64 and the pick ups changed to show the Mosrite of California logo embossed on them with no R in a circle.
    All Ventures models have neck binding and Kluson Dlx tuners.
  Celebrity I Early Celebrity I semi acoustic in 6 and 12 string are introduced, followed slightly later by a bass version. These celebrity I's have mahogany necks instead of maple. Celebrity I's had two pieces of 1/4" timber running under the top in line with the bridge from the neck to the back bout. The Mark I had the symmetrical headstock shape used on early Mosrites.
    More colours added to range.
  Ventures bass Ventures basses come standard with 2 pick ups, now optional with one.
1965   Volume and tone knobs are changed to a "hat type" with an "M" stamped on top and are numbered from 1 to 5 with V and T.
  Ventures 12 string The Ventures 12 string is introduced which is a standard Ventures model with a hard tailpiece, later to have a Moseley style vibrato. Bridge has rollers for 12 strings. The headstocks are large to accommodate 12 Kluson deluxe tuners.
  Mk II Mk II Ventures model is introduced. A cheaper "student or entry level" guitar, it has no German carve, larger scratch plate, closed pick ups (smaller in size to Ventures models) and the first series has a unique trem unit with the arm coming out between the D and G strings. This is the model made famous by Johnny Ramone. Estimates put the production of these at less than 200. Some reports say 25. Made from approx. May to July 1965.
  Mk II The Mk II is modified as the replacement for the "slab body" Mk II. It is a slightly different shape to the earlier Mk II with a German carve, a Moseley trem, a Ventures style scratch plate and bigger parallel pickups without exposed pole pieces. No binding.
  Mk V The Mk V is introduced to run concurrently with the new Mk II. It is the same shape as the Mk II with a German carve etc.
  Celebrity II/ III Celebrity II and III semi acoustic in 6 and 12 string and bass are introduced. These have the angled headstock. Thin line body with no binding. Available in trapeze or half trem tailpiece.
    The Mk II/Mk V and Celebrity guitars all had plastic buttoned Kluson tuners. These have shown up on a small number of Ventures models as well.
  Combo
Joe Maphis
Celebrity
Acoustics		 The Combo, The Joe Maphis model, and the Serenade and balladeer acoustic are introduced to increase the range. The Combo and Joe Maphis are available as basses as well. The Combo and Maphis had the angled non symmetrical headstock with the truss rod adjustment at the headstock end.
    Celebrity II and III's had a bridge bracing block under the bridge without the timber struts like the Celebrity I.
    Most Mosrites have 1, 2 or 3 piece rock maple necks with rosewood fingerboards with small dot markers on the face and side. Markers changed from clay to plastic at around this time. Small, low frets are still in use throughout the 60's. The Celebrity I still has a mahogany neck with symmetrical headstock.

Approx. Oct/Nov
Serial # 2500

Ventures The vibrato unit is changed to a Moseley type. This is essentially the same Trem unit, but chrome plated die cast instead of sand cast or polished aluminium like the early Vibramutes. It was probably volume that was the reason behind the change.
  Melobar Mosrite makes slide guitars for Melobar. The very wide necks with angled fretboards and intricate markings are attached to a Mk II shape body.
1966 Dobro Mosrite acquires Dobro and starts making Dobros out of old stock. The company also made Mobros and Californians. The later is a Celebrity II body shape with the resonator out of the Dobro.
    Mosrite makes some Celebrity guitars under the name of Gospel. This trade name will reappear in late 1968 and later in 1969/70 when Semie looses the Mosrite name temporarily. Most Gospels were Celebrity's with the symmetrical headstock shape (no M). Some Mk V's were made as Gospels too.
  Double neck The Joe Maphis double neck is introduced. This is a Ventures style double neck as opposed to the original single cutaway early double neck Semie made for Joe. Available only in 12/6 configuration although custom order ones have turned up.
    The truss rod adjustment is moved to the headstock end and a plastic rod cover installed to all Mosrites inc. the Ventures models. Most other Mosrites have been running this system since their introduction.
  Fuzzrite and amps Mosrite starts production of Fuzzrite pedals and amplifiers designed by Ed Sanner. The Fuzz pedal is one of the first commercially available floor effects unit. The more expensive amps had the Fuzzrite built into the amp circuitry.
1967   The Ventures distribution deal is finished and the logo disappears off all headstocks.
  Ventures model
V serial prefix		 There is some confusion by people that the "V" serial prefixes started here at V0001 after the Ventures deal fell through. They did not. In fact the guitars carried on in sequential order from number 5000 with a V prefix. The reason for this is, as mentioned above, the basses started at number 5000 , so when the guitars reached 5000, they were given a V prefix to differentiate between the two.
  All models Mosrite M knobs get taller without the V and T written on them.
  Non Ventures model It was coincidence that the 5000th Ventures model guitar happened at about the same time as the Ventures logo disappearing. Serial number V5298 still has the Ventures logo , but number V5368 doesn't.
1968 Gospel The Gospel branded guitars reappear. These are standard Mosrite Celebrity models with the Gospel headstock logo.
    Mosrite production is at it's peak at this time. Every model is being manufactured at the California factory. Japanese copies start to appear that even Semie was impressed with the quality of, especially the Firstman brand who used the Mosrite name without permission.
1969 Bluesbender Solid body, single cutaway with large German carve/carve top model introduced. The first prototype has a set neck. This looks to be Semie's "version" of a Les Paul. Later 70's "production" models have a bolt on neck. An early version of this guitar has turned up with an unconfirmed date of 1969.
  Stereo 350 Prototype solid body, single cutaway with slab mahogany body and stereo wiring with 2 outputs.
    Mosrite shuts production in Bakersfield, Ca. Semie looses the Mosrite names and the factory, inc parts, guitars and machinery is auctioned off to pay debtors.
     

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