Non-Mosrite parts useage

[raygun85]

"I build them, you play them."

. Sorry, that just doesn't gel. That's not the Semie that I knew........ .[/quote]

Hmmm...as I said there are different viewpoints. My dad's cousins worked for Semie in the mid 60s sometime just before the endorsement ended. Their names are Larry and Lonnie Johnson. Larry is dead now. They worked for him for about 4-6 months from what I gather and their stories sort of echo Don's sentiments at times. Some things I take in stride because I know that it isn't unusual for employees to talk negatively about their bosses
But I've heard some other stories from people (cough! Gene Moles, cough, excuse me) that sound very similar. And most of the people where I've heard some of these stories come from people who actually had a lot of respect for Semie and hold him in a high regard, but they also see him as normal guy with faults like the rest of us. Tony Hunt has some stories as well about Semie's alleged ego. Don Wilson is pretty much the only person I've talked to who actually feels jilted by him. My dad's recollection of meeting Semie when he proposed a business deal to him in the late 70s was that he was a very friendly, charismatic, likable guy. But he also felt that he was a pretty "smooth talker" and thats why my dad decided not to get into business with him. Hey, I have no personal experience. Never met the guy. All the stories I've heard are simply heresy. My personal opinion is that Semie was a genius ahead of his time, perhaps a bit too sure of himself sometimes, possibly a little too good hearted (such as in the case of the Dobro deal) and making business decisions that didn't necessarily benefit him or his company. I think he, generally, tried to be a good person. But it sounds that he made some mistakes on the business end...
In the case of Don Wilson vs Semie...somewhere in the middle I think you can find the truth. Semie's take was probably that he didn't have time, the guitars were playing "good enough" and told Don something to the effect of 'we'll get to it when we get to it.' Don may have taken offense and took it as if he were saying 'go screw yourself.' Thats what I really think. Again, pure speculation on my part.

[Dennisthe Menace]

Understood......

[raygun85]

I don't want anyone to get the idea that I'm saying Semie Moseley was a worthless, no good, sorry, low-down, bubble-blowing clown! This would be the worst place to do it! But I know that nobody is perfect. I'm sure if we really got down to it, there were people who felt Leo Fender screwed them over big time too!

[Veenture]

Hmmm, I've been under the impression that almost everything Semie did was custom. My memory isn't the greatest but it seems like I read somewhere that Semie was known to use other pickups from time to time. I've formed the impression that Mosrite was kinda basically a custom shop and a large one during the 1966-1968 timespan. I've talked to a couple of former employees and the credo seems to have been "whatever it takes to get it out the door".

I do hope we get some other reponses to this one.

I'll try to keep myself to the side-lines in this discussion because everything about Semie, Mosrite and The Ventures is only what I have heard second-hand (for the most part) and read in books (like Don Halterman's), on the Forum and the good-bad ol' internet.
But it is interesting to follow and read the different takes on the Mo' story from different people ‘though; some having been more close to the 'fire' than others.

Allow me to say that based on what I have gathered so far, my conclusion must be that Don Wilson and Semie Moseley weren't the greatest of friends –something which could have played a role in getting in the way at a given moment for any possible Don Wilson custom-made Mosrite’ to ever see the daylight .

Indeed the word "Custom" and "Semie/Mosrite" often get mentioned together in just one sentence but having said that -and perhaps I'm not getting it- surely "whatever it takes to get it out the door" and also "use what we have" doesn't necessarily qualify a Semie product to fall under the tag "Custom"? "One-off" would come closer I think.

Yes, there are many Semie-made 'mass produced' Mosrites out there too and all evidently have their own individuality making them so special but having said that, it is my understanding that a third party (i.e. the customer) needs to be found in the equation of an actual Custom-order/made guitar. Some fine examples of these Customs have already been mentioned by someone.

For me it's the instrument that takes the spotlight rather than it's maker and that goes for music t oo

OK, my 2 cts…

[Sarah93003]

Here is the guitar in question. It is serial number GG0008, an early number. I would guess 1966-1968.


In it's case with original owners instruction booklet.



this shows all of the controls and switches. Curiously, I've collected image of four Gospels and all four of them are different.



here are the pickups I'm talking about.



This is the first Mosrite I've seen with an ebony Fretboard, instead of Rosewood.


So, there are so many things about this guitar that makes me think it was custom ordered this way. Notice the lack of binding on the F holes.



Here is what a Gospel Guitar was supposed to look like in 1968.

[woodchuck30]

Yeah, I got two cents also, one would think that Moseley would cater to a group like the Ventures, being as how they were using the Mosrite guitars however, blowing off Don like that would light anyones fire. Hence the pis.... match between them and the change from mosrites to fenders. I know that would tick me off.

[raygun85]

Sarah, that is a very beautiful Celebrity. Again, I think its hard to say about the parts. Could be one of Semie's one-offs. If we could get a look "under the hood" somebody like Ed Elliot could probably judge whether the pickups were Moseley or not. The knobs sure as heck don't look stock to me...after all, from what I've seen and heard, it seems that the "M" knobs were usually some of the first parts to be cannibalized. Gorgeous guitar though. I'd give my front seat in heck for it...