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Mosrite Basses
- Thread starter Din Of Win
- Start date
I played one in a shop in CT and thought they were pretty frickin awesome . I don't know where you're getting " P.O.S. " from . P.O.S. is an Epiphone EB-0 . I will say though it does not sound like a Mosrite or anything . The P-90 pickups were really hot and almost sounded like humbuckers . Neck was really nice and the fit and finish was great . In fact I liked it so much I bought one . First thing I'll prolly do though is take off the " Gotoh-esk" stuff and pop on real Gotoh bridge and tuners . Looked like it had a P-Bass bridge on it anyway. I think this bass will make a perfect punk bass and more than a wall ornament .
But to go as far as calling it a piece of sh!t ? No way . Might not be a US Spector or a Fender Custom Shop but for what it is it rocks .
And I've played a Univox . Eastwood might not have the class but it's leaps and bounds better sounding in my opinion.
I like my Mosrite Celebrity Bass a lot. You don't hear much about them, but it's a nice instrument -
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,636
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
here's one that i sold 3 years ago. it wasn't that heavy (about 8 1/2 lbs) and it sounded great. although it had great low action, i just couldn't get used to the tiny neck profile, so i thought that i'd let someone else that would play it more than i would. i used to use it to play iron butterfly (Lee Dorman) songs. 
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,515
- 19,944
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
I play Fenders, but the Mosrite bass is my favorite bass of all time... that Funhouse album is great... the pic inside the sleeve is classic Stooges...
I've posted about this before on another thread, but I'm old and like to ramble on and on about the same things--
I played a Mosrite 2 pickup bass about 1968 on a couple cuts on an album I was playing on. It belonged to our producer who got it given to him as a present by Bill Wyman of the Stones. Wyman had bought it to record the first Stones album they recorded in the USA and our producer was the head engineer for that album. The Stones bought a pile of guitars and amps in the USA for those sessions and when they left to go back to the UK gave some of them to our producer as a gift. They would have had to pay duty on them and jump through hoops to bring them back home and the amps were wired for 120 volts so I guess, since they were rolling in dough already, what's $10,000 or so worth of gear? Just a drop in the bucket. So that bass was played on the album that had "Satisfaction" on it. They also left a Vox AC15 guitar amp and a Strat guitar which were also used on that album.
I was having trouble getting the sound our producer, Dave Hassinger is his name, wanted on that album with my Fender P so he brought in the Mosrite and the little Vox AC15 and said "let's try this". Sounded great through the Vox recorded with a mic only and played with a pick. I used it on 3 cuts on that album. The rest were done with my Fender P which I had defretted.
Anyhow, Hassinger let me keep the bass and amp for a week or so and I took it back to our hotel to practice on. Actually a fairly nice bass. Medium scale and a Fenderish sound with the neck pickup soloed. Not as well made as a Fender but decent. I don't think I'd have bought one for my main bass over a Fender then. And it was pretty heavy for such a small looking instrument.
I gave the bass and amp back to Hassinger who loaned it to another bassist he was recording in another group. That idiot left it in the back of his car parked at night in Hollywood while he had dinner. Naturally the car was broken into and it was stolen along with the Vox amp. What was the guy thinking? Hassinger was pissed about it but took it in stride. The bass player was a friend of ours so we only laughed at him.
I don't know how many cuts on that album of the Stones, Wyman played it on but it was definitely used for some of them according to Hassinger. The Vox amp was used for guitar on those sessions. Actually it sounded pretty good for bass at very low volume and miced, which is the way they preferred to record electric bass in those days. Open back Fender guitar amps, usually 4x10s and a Fender P played with a pick.
Anyhow, I was just listening to the album I played that Mosrite on a few weeks ago and it was a damn good sound.
Thanks for letting me ramble on again. Us old guys like to do that.
I played a Mosrite 2 pickup bass about 1968 on a couple cuts on an album I was playing on. It belonged to our producer who got it given to him as a present by Bill Wyman of the Stones. Wyman had bought it to record the first Stones album they recorded in the USA and our producer was the head engineer for that album. The Stones bought a pile of guitars and amps in the USA for those sessions and when they left to go back to the UK gave some of them to our producer as a gift. They would have had to pay duty on them and jump through hoops to bring them back home and the amps were wired for 120 volts so I guess, since they were rolling in dough already, what's $10,000 or so worth of gear? Just a drop in the bucket. So that bass was played on the album that had "Satisfaction" on it. They also left a Vox AC15 guitar amp and a Strat guitar which were also used on that album.
I was having trouble getting the sound our producer, Dave Hassinger is his name, wanted on that album with my Fender P so he brought in the Mosrite and the little Vox AC15 and said "let's try this". Sounded great through the Vox recorded with a mic only and played with a pick. I used it on 3 cuts on that album. The rest were done with my Fender P which I had defretted.
Anyhow, Hassinger let me keep the bass and amp for a week or so and I took it back to our hotel to practice on. Actually a fairly nice bass. Medium scale and a Fenderish sound with the neck pickup soloed. Not as well made as a Fender but decent. I don't think I'd have bought one for my main bass over a Fender then. And it was pretty heavy for such a small looking instrument.
I gave the bass and amp back to Hassinger who loaned it to another bassist he was recording in another group. That idiot left it in the back of his car parked at night in Hollywood while he had dinner. Naturally the car was broken into and it was stolen along with the Vox amp. What was the guy thinking? Hassinger was pissed about it but took it in stride. The bass player was a friend of ours so we only laughed at him.
I don't know how many cuts on that album of the Stones, Wyman played it on but it was definitely used for some of them according to Hassinger. The Vox amp was used for guitar on those sessions. Actually it sounded pretty good for bass at very low volume and miced, which is the way they preferred to record electric bass in those days. Open back Fender guitar amps, usually 4x10s and a Fender P played with a pick.
Anyhow, I was just listening to the album I played that Mosrite on a few weeks ago and it was a damn good sound.
Thanks for letting me ramble on again. Us old guys like to do that.
Hola!
I find it ironic that this thread got resurrected!
Just today I found myself on the "mosriteforum" (somehow...random bass searching and found some links to these incredible Ventures vids from a tour of Japan in 1966 (I was 4yo at the time...
)
I always liked The Ventures and knew they were (and still are!!) incredible musicians, but to see them in this live performance was incredible.
I am not sure of the particular bass "model" but can tell that is only has the neck pickup and no bridge pu. I am sure it is strung with flats too....but omg....this dude wails on it. The tone is incredible!!!!!! The few recordings I have of The Ventures are all studio. It must have been incredible to see them live!
I wish I had a Mosrite bass. I have a Univox copy...old and in pieces...have already started the "restoration"
62bass, I thoroughly enjoyed your post. I confess, I may not know who you are but, I am sure I have heard you play
Wayne
I find it ironic that this thread got resurrected!
Just today I found myself on the "mosriteforum" (somehow...random bass searching
and found some links to these incredible Ventures vids from a tour of Japan in 1966 (I was 4yo at the time...)I always liked The Ventures and knew they were (and still are!!) incredible musicians, but to see them in this live performance was incredible.
I am not sure of the particular bass "model" but can tell that is only has the neck pickup and no bridge pu. I am sure it is strung with flats too....but omg....this dude wails on it. The tone is incredible!!!!!! The few recordings I have of The Ventures are all studio. It must have been incredible to see them live!
I wish I had a Mosrite bass. I have a Univox copy...old and in pieces...have already started the "restoration"
62bass, I thoroughly enjoyed your post. I confess, I may not know who you are but, I am sure I have heard you play
Wayne
MaddAnthony_59
Supporting Member
- Dec 16, 2006
- 4,599
- 708
- Disclosures
- I Channel Surf During Commercials. (Drives my Wife CRAZY!!!)
Hola!
I find it ironic that this thread got resurrected!
Just today I found myself on the "mosriteforum" (somehow...random bass searching
I always liked The Ventures and knew they were (and still are!!) incredible musicians, but to see them in this live performance was incredible.
I am not sure of the particular bass "model" but can tell that is only has the neck pickup and no bridge pu. I am sure it is strung with flats too....but omg....this dude wails on it. The tone is incredible!!!!!! The few recordings I have of The Ventures are all studio. It must have been incredible to see them live!
I wish I had a Mosrite bass. I have a Univox copy...old and in pieces...have already started the "restoration"
62bass, I thoroughly enjoyed your post. I confess, I may not know who you are but, I am sure I have heard you play
Wayne
Thanks for that. It brought back memories of seeing them live once and of course, having to play their songs, particularly "Walk Don't Run" many times when starting out. Everybody then had to know how to play every Ventures song. If you couldn't you weren't considered a musician.
Actually, their stuff is pretty easy to play. But it sure went over big.
Another group that was very entertaining live was The Champs. One of their big hits was "Tequila" That was another one you had to be able to play. 2 of the Champs went on to become Seals and Crofts.
Then there was Johnny and The Hurricanes.
Music was a lot of fun then.
- Feb 24, 2004
- 4,103
- 642
- 68
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Phantom Guitars, Eastwood Guitars
In 2012 I decided to build what I thought a Mosrite bass might look like if Semie Moseley was still making innovative designs. That one is the 5-string on the right. Just after Christmas 2013 I stumbled into the sunburst 2-pickup bass in the middle for a really good price. I really like the sound of that one with roundwound strings. It has a 6-bolt neck (2 are under the pickup rout) so it is a very sturdy bass.
Rick B.
Rick B.
