mosriteforum.com

I started a project a while ago with the intention of learning as much as I can about the Mosrite Celebrity models. As I run across a Celeb for sale I save the pictures and try to get the serial number and hopefully some confirmation of the year. I am beginning to notice variation between the models over time and that should eventually give me the details necessary to "date" a guitar by certain features. Several forum members have been great to share their information about their own Celebrity as well as information they have gathered from eBay auctions or other means. I'm planning to have a website devoted to the Mosrite Celebrity as well as a pdf or ebook that people can use to learn about these great and often overlooked guitars.

For example. So far, I've collected sample of four different headstock shapes, six different logos, and two different F hole shapes/sizes used on Celebrities. Then there are also many other differences.

If you have a Celebrity, or Celebrity information that you don't mind sharing with me I would greatly appreciate it. Below is an outline of what I've identified so far that needs to be looked at for this project. The font didn't carry over when I pasted into the forum so some may not make sense such as the "script" for the logos that I have in my outline.

Any input from you folks would be so awesome!

Thanks, Sarah

Things that can be different on the Mosrite Celebrity

I. The Celebrity Models
a. Celebrity I
b. Celebrity II
c. Celebrity III
d. Celebrity 12 string
e. Celebrity Bass
f. Gospel Guitar
g. Gospel Bass
h. Acoustic/Mosrite

II. Headstock
a. The angle at the very top of the headstock. It may be straight across, higher on the left or higher on the right, Gospel.
b. The dimension at the “waist” of the headstock
c. Size of headstock
d. Chrome Kluson, plastic Kluson, or “diamond” chrome tuners
e. Logo
i. M mosrite of California
ii. M mosrite of California…USA…BY MOSELEY
iii. M mosrite of California…USA…by SEMIE MOSELEY
iv. The New Mosrite of California
v. Moseley of California (square M)
vi. Gospel guitar

III. Fretboard and neck
a. Small fret markers versus larger fret markers, block markers(?)
b. Bound neck versus not bound
c. Fretboard extending beyond the nut, or not and how far
d. Number of neck mounting bolts, 2, 3, 4, or plate

IV. The bout
a. Small control plate versus larger control plate
b. Banana shaped control plate
c. No control plate
d. Strap pin located behind the neck or bass side upper horn
e. Size of the F holes
f. Depth of the body
g. Location of PU selector switch

V. The Pickups
a. Smooth cover with the circle R after “Mosrite”
b. Smooth cover without the circle R
c. Pole pieces exposed
d. Humbuckers
VI. The Bridge
a. With rollers or without

VII. Tailpiece
a. Vibramute tremolo
b. Moseley tremolo
c. Fixed tailpiece

VIII. Custom models and their features
a. Gold hardware
b. Other pickups

Sarah, I hope your endeavours will be richly rewarded. The good thing about Mosrite guitars is there's not a million guitars out there all exactly the same in every detail. So you won't be completing your 'survey' any time soon I should think, but then I suppose that's what makes the challenge so much more meaningful and enjoyable too; it's like a hobby within a hobby. Keep on collecting and maybe you could even publicise all your Celebrity findings

Sarah, it looks as though you have the important variables neatly sorted. That should make your task a lot easier.

I can't wait to see the results!

Thanks--

--Jim

Sarah,
As promised in a PM, I will get back to you when the CE-II arrives with S/Ns from both the I & II .

p.s.-However, this one caught me off guard listed below, was there such a beast ?

VII. Tailpiece
a. Vibramute tremolo

should be interesting. Didn't some have a single vol/tone and others have a vol/tone for each pickup?

Dennisthe Menace wrote:p.s.-However, this one caught me off guard listed below, was there such a beast ?

VII. Tailpiece
a. Vibramute tremolo

Yes, I have seen GM Custom Celebrities with Vibramute plates cut down a la the Moseley half-trem.

Adam

Sarah,

If you want, if you can put all your documentation into some chronological form and pm it to me as you progress with your project including photo's, I'll save it then combine them into a single reference topic as I did with Ed Elliott's guitar building project once you have completed the project. Plus it can be updated as you develop new information. Example: viewtopic.php?f=20&t=1581

IX. Controls
a. Knobs
b. Switches

dorkrockrecords wrote:

Dennisthe Menace wrote:p.s.-However, this one caught me off guard listed below, was there such a beast ?

VII. Tailpiece
a. Vibramute tremolo

Yes, I have seen GM Custom Celebrities with Vibramute plates cut down a la the Moseley half-trem.

Adam

Adam,
I have heard of these as well, although I have never seen them....but my original question remains....
Was there ever a Mosrite Celebrity with a Vibramute (half-trem) Unit on board???

Thanks Veenture! I will work hard on this project and hopefully compile something that will be helpful to people trying to identify their Celebrity.

Thanks Jim!!

Dennis, I saw one somewhere with the Vibramute but I can't remember where and I did not snag the photo. I listed it only for that reason. I also saw a headstock that said "The New Mosrite.....", but neglected to snag that photo as well. This is my working outline and I will only publish stuff that is reall and as accurate as I can make it.

Mel, it wouldn't surprise me. Just when I think I've seen "one" of everything, then something new pops up. That part is actually quite exciting!

Danny, thank you very much. I'm excited about the opportunity to contribute something like this. It took me twenty years to get my first Mosrite, hopefully I've picked up speed a little!