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Mosrite
- Thread starter f'nar f'nar
- Start date
The first Moserites were made in the 60's, and were made famous by the Ventures. The body was based on a flipped Stratocaster, with the longer horn on the bottom. The original Ventures model was short scale with one pickup, but apparently some had two pickups. I think they were single coils. The company made some other models, and was in and out of business during the ensuing decades. It stopped two years after Semie Moseley's death in 1992. (I got this info from American Basses by Jim Roberts, a great book.)
Some companies make copies, which have two pickups. I've played Dillion's copy, which is inexpensive and seemed very good for the price. I think Wilson Bros. makes authorized copies that are played by the Ventures today. Used original Moserites crop up occasionally; I saw one at DiPinto Guitars in Philadelphia a couple of years ago. I think they're really cool basses with lots of character and vibe.
Some companies make copies, which have two pickups. I've played Dillion's copy, which is inexpensive and seemed very good for the price. I think Wilson Bros. makes authorized copies that are played by the Ventures today. Used original Moserites crop up occasionally; I saw one at DiPinto Guitars in Philadelphia a couple of years ago. I think they're really cool basses with lots of character and vibe.
They have a few hollow body variations that are really cool with a Pizzia Pie back. These guitars are very popular in Japan.
Next to Fenders, they had the best look for guitars IMO, as I grew up in the 60's. They had just an astonishingly cool shape. During those formative years I was interested in exactly 3 things- hot girls, fast loud cars, and cool guitars. Wait...I'm still only interested in only those 3 things...I just can't afford them!
Anyhow, I never played one till a few years ago. A single HB short scale. I found it dull and lifeless, and it felt a bit like a toy. So I guess the look didn't live up to the reality for me.
Anyhow, I never played one till a few years ago. A single HB short scale. I found it dull and lifeless, and it felt a bit like a toy. So I guess the look didn't live up to the reality for me.
I used to haunt the Los Angeles Guitar Stores in the 60s and played them all.
I really liked how the Mosrite Bass looked but I remember being disappointed in the sound and how it played. I ended up getting a Gibson EB2DC which I still have.
I really liked how the Mosrite Bass looked but I remember being disappointed in the sound and how it played. I ended up getting a Gibson EB2DC which I still have.
I had one of these when I was in college, and I regret selling it and for as little as I did. Mine was a gorgeous tobacco sunburst model made just after the Ventures endorsement deal ended, so it lacked the Ventures marque on the headstock. It was essentially the same bass, though. Solid body, two very hot single-coil pick-ups and that narrow, ultra-thin neck. Keeping the neck straight was a challenge, which is one of the reasons I sold it (that and the fact that I didn't know what I was doing and didn't bother to seriously study bass for another 20 years.) Like all Mosrites, it had those extremely low frets. I always worried about using roundwounds, so I usually used half-wounds.
I still have a Ventures Mark V guitar, the 3/4 scale model seen on the sleeve of the first B-52s album. It has a pretty limited tonal range, but sounds incredibly cool for what it does. Unfortunately it's noisy as hell when surrounded by other gear.
I still have a Ventures Mark V guitar, the 3/4 scale model seen on the sleeve of the first B-52s album. It has a pretty limited tonal range, but sounds incredibly cool for what it does. Unfortunately it's noisy as hell when surrounded by other gear.
