i'm new, obviously

[last]

hey everybody. my name's mike. i play in a band called the last chucks and have played in both parasites and the queers. i also run an indie label called diner junkie http://www.dinerjunkie.com. my dad got me into the ventures shortly after i picked up a guitar and i was already a huge ramones fan, hence why i'm here.

back around 2000 i bought this johnny ramone mosrite from guitar punk (see below) and have been trying to get some more information about it. i spent $1300 (shipping and all) for it brand new. i know a few of these were signed by johnny, but i missed the boat on that, cause i was going to japan and thought i might just buy one there. from what i've been reading, it seems that it is not an authorized mosrite or whatever? counterfeit? i don't really get all the legal dispute stuff, so i thought i'd ask some people that would know. any additional info on this fiddle would be much appreciated. i'd also like to get a real semie mosrite at some point, if i can find one that i'd be willing to spend the cash on. i'm thinking a '65 ventures model in blue, but i don't know.

[101Volts]

Welcome, Mike. Your guitar may be one of the Fillmore models, Lots of Japanese companies make reissues of Mosrite guitars that are considered legal. I'm not sure of all the details but I think Semie gave them permission or sold the name to them back in the 70s. Speaking of Mark II copies, I don't understand why there aren't any Japanese companies that make the Mark II to its original specs. Almost everyone copies the Mark II in the way Johnny had his white one modified. Maybe it is just too easy to pop in some "off brand" Pickups.

[last]

i don't think it's a fillmore, because isn't ed roman associated with them? he states on his website that these are fakes. and this one was built to the specs of johnny's, which is why it has the dimarzio and seymour duncan. don't know about others or why they don't just make a ventures II.

[101Volts]

Yep, Ed's associated with them but you have to be careful about what he says, He called all the Mosrite copies "Fake" Mosrite guitars. They're copies, Not fakes. By that logic the very ones HE deals with (Fillmore's reissues) Are fakes because they aren't really by Mosrite and they are copying the guitars. If it is a good guitar who cares.

[mosman]

This is exactly like the one I had which I had sent out from Japan. This is the one to have if you're a Johnny Ramone fan as far as I'm concerned: the same as his without the damage.
Bill.

[dorkrockrecords]

Not Fillmore. More than likely Kurokumo.

[dorkrockrecords]

Speaking of Mark II copies, I don't understand why there aren't any Japanese companies that make the Mark II to its original specs. Almost everyone copies the Mark II in the way Johnny had his white one modified. Maybe it is just too easy to pop in some "off brand" Pickups.

On the contrary, Fillmore did make a Mark II with specs closer to the originals (smooth cover Mosrite pickups, Moseley or Vibramute trem), but they didn't sell.

[101Volts]

Speaking of Mark II copies, I don't understand why there aren't any Japanese companies that make the Mark II to its original specs. Almost everyone copies the Mark II in the way Johnny had his white one modified. Maybe it is just too easy to pop in some "off brand" Pickups.

On the contrary, Fillmore did make a Mark II with specs closer to the originals (smooth cover Mosrite pickups, Moseley or Vibramute trem), but they didn't sell.

Huh, I never heard of that. I did see a picture of one of them before but I didn't realize what it was until now. Here's the picture.

[last]

This is exactly like the one I had which I had sent out from Japan. This is the one to have if you're a Johnny Ramone fan as far as I'm concerned: the same as his without the damage.
Bill.

have you played one of the ed roman johnny ramone guitars? i'm curious which is more like the original.

[last]

Not Fillmore. More than likely Kurokumo.

any way to find out?

has anybody played an ed roman reissue? how do they compare to a semie?