Mosrite Basses

[Din Of Win]

Branching from my last post, I spent the last three days at a punk festival with entries spanning the flavors from pop to hardcore.

I had never seen before and of the Mosrite instruments before this and one bassist and three guitarists used them.

They were really cool in look and sound and i know practically nothing about them. What's the TB take on them? Anyone own one that wants to share a picture?

I hate seeing new cool basses because then the GAS pains start...

 

[JimmyM]

Used to own a Mosrite Ventures guitar from 65...wonderful sound, a painfully skinny neck, and weighs 900 lbs. The bass is better, IMHO, but it also weighs 900 lbs.

 

[Bassman822]

Eastwood guitars makes some replicas (somewhat loosley)

 

[Hawaii Islander]

Mosrite also made the "Celebrity" hollowbody bass, similar to the Gibson ES335 body shape. It was a short scale bass with a norrow, fast playing neck. The one I had was a late 60's model. I bought it from my bass instructor in my sophomore year of high school 73/74. I can't even find a picture of that bass (it was a red burst with white binding). I've seen a couple of vintage sunburst models for sale over the past few years for about $3000 each.

 

[curandero]

I've never played one, but always thought they were cool. Especially the guitars. I was/am a big fan of the early stuff by the B52's and LOVE the sounds on those records.

 

[JasonNL]

Johnny Ramone used a Mosrite guitar, so their appearance at a punk festival could be a reference to that, in case you didn't know.

Also, google found Invalid Link Removed, dunno if it helps. No basses on there tho, except for a picture or two.

 

[Flabass]

The Ventures were the ones that first used them.

 

[RickBlair]

Here's a pic of my 65 Mosrite Ventures bass. I bought it new in 1965.

Rick B.

 

[P. Aaron]

Awesome bass. Beautiful. Reminds me of Dave (RIP) Alexander of the The Stooges.

There's a pic of that very same color bass in the Stooges' Funhouse LP.

 

[bongomania]

The Ventures were the ones that first used them.

No, but they were the biggest name to endorse the brand.

 

[bongomania]

One thing to note is that the basses seen at that punk festival were probably not Mosrites, but copies made by Univox and a number of other Japanese brands. Real Mosrites are expensive collectibles, while the Univox clones look nearly identical and are a dime a dozen.

 

[RickBlair]

Somehow Ed Roman, love him or hate him, seems to have acquired the rights to the Mosrite name and has built a number of Mosrites in collaboration with Semie's daughter. The instruments look good and the prices aren't out of line for limited production instruments.

Rick B.

 

[GlennW]

Mosrite also made the "Celebrity" hollowbody bass, similar to the Gibson ES335 body shape...I can't even find a picture of that bass (it was a red burst with white binding).

I think I just saw one of those on ebay...I'll "Venture out" and see if I can find it.

Edit: http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-1968-MO...66:2|39:1|72:1205|240:1309|301:1|293:1|294:50

 

[Hawaii Islander]

I think I just saw one of those on ebay...I'll "Venture out" and see if I can find it.

Edit: http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-1968-MO...66:2|39:1|72:1205|240:1309|301:1|293:1|294:50

Similar to what I had. Good price too, if its in decent shape. I saw a really nice vintage burst one selling for close to $3000 several months back.

 

[Din Of Win]

One thing to note is that the basses seen at that punk festival were probably not Mosrites, but copies made by Univox and a number of other Japanese brands. Real Mosrites are expensive collectibles, while the Univox clones look nearly identical and are a dime a dozen.

That makes sense. I didn't get up and inspect things. I honestly wouldn't be surprised either way. The bands that played them were the ones with musicians who had been doing it for over 20 years...

 

[hankazoid]

An old Mosrite bass is my #1 GAS. I love them. Mostly because they look so cool, but also because of their place amongst certain musicians who I admire:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

And of course...

Link Removed

 

[mndean]

ISTR the MC5 lead guitarist using a Mosrite. That was soooo long ago and I was hardly 10 years old then, so I could be mistaken.

 

[Oren Hudson]

A little history and clarification condensed. Semie Mosley (the maker of Mosrites) was a great luthier, but poor businessman, with constant financial difficulties. In exchange for rent/money, he was commissioned by The Ventures, Don Wilson and Bob Bogle (who died a couple of weeks ago) to design a signature guitar and bass for them. One of their requests was that they resemble Stratocasters. So Semie took a Strat, turned it upside down and had the basic shape. The Mosrite "The Ventures" guitars and basses were obviously not the first Mosrites, but they were the first to be played by The Ventures. When the sponsorship by The Ventures ended, Semie continued to make Mosrite Ventures guitars and bases for a few years, pretty much identical, but they no longer had "The Ventures" logo on them.

 

[GeneralElectric]

I own a Ventures bass. It sounds alright and its beat to crap. The neck is very comfortable though, and it stays in tune fairly well.

Its a sunburst model with one pickup with what looks like a sponge shoved under the pickup and its rotting. Unfortunately, this means you can't rest your thumb on the pickup as it'll cause the pickup to sink into the body and you'll get uneven string response. I don't know if this is stock or not.

I paid almost $1500 for it about 2-3 years ago from Mandolin Brothers. It was owned by the bassist from the Ventures and came with a letter from his wife, and a picture of him and his wife with the bass. It currently sits in a case at my parents house.

 

[Diogenes]

... So Semie took a Strat, turned it upside down and had the basic shape...

Very interesting. One of my current projects (on hold at the moment) is a Mosrite style bass. I didn't have an actual Mosrite body to trace so I based mine on an upside-down P Bass body.