Postby zarfnober » Fri Jan 23, 2009 9:31 pm
Aaron said
"one extra tidbit. on johnny's mosrite, all the neck screw holes were completely stripped. he told his roadie when you change the strings on that guitar, change then out 3 at a time, because the neck would fall off without the strings holding it down!!!"
This story has taken on a few different tales over the years. George Tabb, who auditioned as bass player after Dee Dee left, was roadie for a very short while and, said in a New York newspaper/magazine that he changed the strings on the guitar and the neck fell off and then the bridge fell down into a heating vent in the floor. He got the bridge out just as Johnny came by. Johnny said(supposedly) "Mosrites are held together by the strings George, next time change 3 at a time". A friend was at this show taking photos and tells the story a little differently, the zero fret fell off, maybe the bridge too, I forget. Anyway, it was put back together and everything was fine. the screw holes may have stripped at some point , but were obviously fixed if they did strip. Think about this logically, if the screw holes are stripped, how are the strings gonna hold it together? I read the entire story that George Tabb wrote, later reprinted in one of the guitar magazines in a much shorter version. It was a very entertaining story, George is a funny guy and good storyteller. Somewhere on rockometer.com is a short blip about this, Ian was at the show taking photos, check out his site.
As for the Ramones Model prototypes, Johnnys was the first and a small number were made after that, very few, less than 100. Prototypes? Did Semie need to make a prototype of a guitar that was basically a stripped down Ventures model? I don't think so. He made them for whoever called him with the money to buy one. Some had full german carve, some half carve and some flat. Johnny wanted a "sharkfin" pickguard, one pickup and no tone knob. Pickup was slanted and had no polepieces. This guitar is on display, or was, at the hollywood rock walk of fame at the hollywood guitar center. On the back of the headstock it says "To Johnny, I love you. Semie Moseley" And a date too, I think. I have seen the backstage photos when Semie brought him this guitar, I believe the Ramones gave him a leather jacket, Semies nephew, the one in the mosrite 88 ads was there too. you can see this guitar in the Ramones Spiderman video and one or 2 others. Other Ramones models also had a different pickguard, one of which can be seen in Jim Bessmans "Ramones, An American Band" book, a black one that went to a fan in Italy , delivered by the band. Or so I was told by Loretta. CJ had a bass made, as did the bass player from Soundgarden. Johnnys serial # was JR1, I don't know about the others.
Hope this helps,
Rocco
www.rockometeramp.com Vinatge spec American and British style cabs, custom cabs, recovers, regrills and restorations.
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Hey there all you Ramones and Mosrite fans, Sherlock here:
heh, heh Brian,
