Mosrite Ventures Bass Question

[baconmpanada]

How different is a Mosrite Ventures bass in terms of feel and sound to a fender style bass?

I'm looking at one from the net, however since i have had no experience with Mosrite basses and would not be able to test them (as i live in the other side of the world), i would like to seek opinions of ones who have used a Mosrite bass.


Also which is more desirable the 1 pickup or 2 pickup version?



Thanks!

[TRichardsbass]

Depends on your desires. The best way to figure out the sound is to listen to a lot of old Ventures records, especially the 1964-1969 stuff. Most of that was recorded with the Mosrites.

If you want old school, one pickup. If you want a slightly more jazzy sound, two pickups.

Hope that helps.

[THORRR]

The Mosrites also had a Zero Fret instead of a nut.

This gave the bass and their guitars a different feel...very low action. Combined with thin frets the action was very nice - low and fast.

Here's a link with a couple of cool pictures:
VINTAGE EARLY '70'S MOSRITE BASS
annnnd one more:
FS: 1966 Mosrite Ventures Bass

[Luckydog]

As far as feel, I never owned a Mosrite, but played a couple. To me they felt light and almost toyish, particularly the neck. Not to disparage them to those who appreciate them, but thats been my experience.

[WoodyJ]

As a long-time Ventures fan, I used to have a Mosrite Ventures bass (2 pickup) and a Ventures guitar, both 1965 models.

I didn't keep the bass very long. It didn't have near the punch of a Fender and the neck profile didn't suit me. But it was nicely made, I liked the way it looked and I sold it for more than I paid for it (to a collector who was not a player).

After the Ventures sales deal with Semie Moseley ended, around 1967, I believe, Ventures bassist Bob Bogle started playing a Fender Precision. When the Ventures' Aria/Wilson Bros. deal materialized in the early 2000's, Bob started playing one of those, which he did until his passing in 2009.

Conversely, my Mosrite Ventures guitar had very hot pickups but with a very brittle sound that I didn't care for. And the neck was so tiny that it was difficult to play lead parts since the strings were so close together. It has been said that The Ventures often used their old Fenders in the studio during their 1963-66 "Mosrite years".

[baconmpanada]

Originally Posted by TRichardsbass

If you want old school, one pickup. If you want a slightly more jazzy sound, two pickups.

Originally Posted by THORRR

This gave the bass and their guitars a different feel...very low action. Combined with thin frets the action was very nice - low and fast.

^
Thanks for the inputs!

Originally Posted by Luckydog

As far as feel, I never owned a Mosrite, but played a couple. To me they felt light and almost toyish, particularly the neck. Not to disparage them to those who appreciate them, but thats been my experience.

this is helpful. I'm kind of bias to a certain weight and feel. That's one reason i had to sell my danelectro bass i had.

Originally Posted by WoodyJ

A
Conversely, my Mosrite Ventures guitar had very hot pickups but with a very brittle sound that I didn't care for. And the neck was so tiny that it was difficult to play lead parts since the strings were so close together. It has been said that The Ventures often used their old Fenders in the studio during their 1963-66 "Mosrite years".

Interesting!


I really dig the look of a mosrite and probably that's the number 1 factor im looking to buy one.

Thanks again!

[rockinrayduke]

Live in Japan '66.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TDn4HdoM2w

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by WoodyJ

As a long-time Ventures fan, I used to have a Mosrite Ventures bass (2 pickup) and a Ventures guitar, both 1965 models.

I didn't keep the bass very long. It didn't have near the punch of a Fender and the neck profile didn't suit me. But it was nicely made, I liked the way it looked and I sold it for more than I paid for it (to a collector who was not a player).

After the Ventures sales deal with Semie Moseley ended, around 1967, I believe, Ventures bassist Bob Bogle started playing a Fender Precision. When the Ventures' Aria/Wilson Bros. deal materialized in the early 2000's, Bob started playing one of those, which he did until his passing in 2009.

Conversely, my Mosrite Ventures guitar had very hot pickups but with a very brittle sound that I didn't care for. And the neck was so tiny that it was difficult to play lead parts since the strings were so close together. It has been said that The Ventures often used their old Fenders in the studio during their 1963-66 "Mosrite years".

Yep, they used to complain about the thin necks, but Semie Moseley wouldn't change them. I thought they sounded great with a totally unique tone, though. I used to have a Ventures guitar and played a handful of Mosrite basses at stores back in the day. But personally I found the guitars extremely hard to play because of the thin necks, but not so much the basses. They were hard to play because of the mile high action

[Din Of Win]

Is the Ventures Mosrite a short scale? I've played a non-Ventures Mosrite, a Univox and an Eastwood; and all 3 were short scales.

[JimmyM]

The ones I played were short.