The Ventures' Mosrites

[ChazDaSpaz]

Those CAR Mosrites on the Ventures Christmas Album appear to have gold hardware (keys). Looks like a million bucks.

[Dennisthe Menace]

Those CAR Mosrites on the Ventures Christmas Album appear to have gold hardware (keys). Looks like a million bucks.

I think it might be a reflection off of the Wreath......

[Deke Dickerson]

Hey there gang--

This much I know about the Ventures "personal" instruments--they sold their own Mosrites off the stage, both their own instruments and new ones, so finding out which ones actually "belonged" to the Ventures is a bit like a dog chasing its own tail. The truth is, they didn't own any of these for very long.

There is a very interesting story in the VINTAGE MOSRITE book about Nokie & Don selling their early '63 Ventures models to two young Japanese kids on their first big tour of Japan. The two kids played in a band called The Beatniks and still own the guitars today! They are pictured in the book along with the story (in Japanese). Now, these are probably the earliest documented Ventures models actually owned by the Ventures, but again I don't think the Ventures owned them for longer than the Japanese tour.

There are a couple other Mosrites that were supposedly made FOR the Ventures--the rare "sparkleburst" '65 Mosrite Ventures models that were made for them to play at the 1965 NAMM show, and the pearl white Ventures models with "MOSRITE" engraved in the pickguards, which supposedly were made for the '66 NAMM show, or some other special event.

Other than that, I'm sure there are dozens of instruments that belonged to Nokie, Don or Bob for a few minutes, hours, or days.

Deke

[Haole Jim]

Thank you for sharing. Personal "knowledge' before this forum was the albums and a few shorts in books on guitars.

Most interesting story and series of subtleties in this thread.

More or less, how many Semie-Mosrites were manufactured up until the end of the Ventures using them? Thousands, tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands?

[thunderhead]

Deke is correct , they did sell or give away the Mosrite they played. Out of the few Nokie kept, several were stolen from his home in the early 1970's. Check out the Ventures Book by Dale Halterman, it gives a lot of info on their Guitars.

[Elliot Easton]

Hey there gang--

This much I know about the Ventures "personal" instruments--they sold their own Mosrites off the stage, both their own instruments and new ones,
Deke

now that's something you don't see every day, thank goodness!

[Mr. Bill]

As owners of the distribution company, didn't they make money on every guitar that was sold?

[sleeperNY]

As owners of the distribution company, didn't they make money on every guitar that was sold?

That is part of the reason the Ventures and Mosrite parted ways. I heard they never got paid by Mosrite. May be true or may not be, it's just what I heard years ago.

Jim

[RightLurker]

In the first picture in this thread, I think Nokie Edwards is holding the same guitar that was featured on the back of their LPs. It's the only one I've ever seen that says "Ventures" on the headstock logo, as opposed to "The Ventures." Sorry if this has been discussed before.

[Dennisthe Menace]

In the first picture in this thread, I think Nokie Edwards is holding the same guitar that was featured on the back of their LPs. It's the only one I've ever seen that says "Ventures" on the headstock logo, as opposed to "The Ventures." Sorry if this has been discussed before.

I agree, plus I don't know how many S.B. Mo's with sidejack, binding, etc, etc., actually had the Neck P'up not flush against the Neck Cavity.