serial numbers

[johnnyboy1234]

yeah; that B174 is mine...is your pickguard the one that extends the full length under the neck pickup? Any pics?

[Sixstringer]

Here it is:

[johnnyboy1234]

Thank you...I do believe that mine was originally like yours ( until someone "customized" it).
I am having a luthier bring it back....it now seems that there may have been less slabs produced than previously thought...you've been a big help.

[Sixstringer]

I lucked out on this one. It's all original, I bought it from the original owner's daughter (he's deceased). Got the original case and strap with it, the only issue was 2 missing frets (you can see that in the pic) it had a lift in the fingerboard and a crack in it right there, I've since had it repaired, now you can't even tell there was an issue.

[johnnyboy1234]

Very cool; I also have a '66 Mark V...and I used to have a '65 Ventures but I had to sell that like 10 years ago due to money woes at the time..I Kick myself in the butt for that one...I am looking forward to the Hallmark II..and also Dana is going to be putting out a Johnny Ramone Mosrite "original" model. Thanks again for the info

[GTSP]

Very cool; I also have a '66 Mark V...and I used to have a '65 Ventures but I had to sell that like 10 years ago due to money woes at the time..I Kick myself in the butt for that one...I am looking forward to the Hallmark II..and also Dana is going to be putting out a Johnny Ramone Mosrite "original" model. Thanks again for the info

Where do I sign up & get on the list for this one & get on the waiting list?

[maxkat]

Hi there,

old threat, but maybe still interesting: my collection of serial numbers (that has large gaps) tells me the following about the Mosrite Ventures II/Mark V. Please note that this is MY opinion, my collection of numbers and my interpretation doesn't have to tell the truth...

slab body (Jul-Aug '65), approx. made: 140
- last: B137

German carve (transition) (Aug-Dec '65), approx. made: 120
- first: B152
- last: B253

German carve Ventures II (Dec '65-Feb '66), approx. made: 430
- first: B292
- last: B687

Mark V trussrod-nut body side (Feb '66-Apr '66), approx. made: 220
- first: B694
- last: B889

Mark V trussrod-nut headstock side (Feb '66-late '68), approx. made: 590
- first: B943
- last: B1489

no logo (late '68-early '69), approx. made: 190
- first: B1544
- last: B1678

Gospel (after early '69), approx. made: 10
- first: B1695
- last: B1697

Intersting serial number to make it more exactely would be:
# B138 - B153 (slab body or transition-model, August 1965)
# B254 - B291 (transition or production II, August - December 1965)
# B688 - B693 (II model or Mark V, February/March 1966)
# B890 - B942 (Mark V, trussrod-screw bodyend or headstock, March/April 1966)
# B1490 - B1543 (Mark V or No-Logo, late 1968/early 1969)
# B1679 - B1694 (No-Logo or Gospel, early 1969)
# B1698 - (Gospel, made after early 1969)

In my opinion, all the Ventures II that have a German carve and the odd "folded-steel" tremolo have no serial number and are made from parts after Feb. 1969... This is NO transition model; but the transition model ist the one with the sawed-off neck-heel and the enlaged pickguard (below the neck-pickup)...

Best regards,
Max

[Bob Shade]

From what I know and speaking with Andy Moseley directly about these, you cannot go by the serial numbers at all and there were only about 30 of these that actually made it out of the door intact. There were a batch of necks and bodies and tailpieces produced but Semie immediately stopped the project.

This was a student model that Semie had nothing to do with designing and he thought the little guitar did not live up to the Rolls Royce image he considered Mosrite was viewed upon. Some Ventures II slab bodies did get loose as we know. How do we explain the numbers...... (remember when you have a stack of necks you would most likely grab the last ones produced first) this would help explain the high serial numbers over 100. Most of the balance of these necks were then used on the german carved Ventures II's. The leftover slab bodies were used on Melobars.

If you think about it, this makes sense to me. I know of guitars that there were 100 of produced and they pop up much more frequent than the slab body Ventures II guitars. These rarely ever show up, and if not for e-bay, you may go your whole life looking and never find one.

I believe Andy is right.

Bob

[eltuce]

Funny that this is the first subject to pop up for me as I was just checking on here to see if I could get a year on my Maphis. I was searching a bit on here last week but was having some trouble. If anyone can help that would be great, thanks!

[Sarah93003]

While looking at a very overpriced Combo on eBay today I see that the fret under the serial number contains an additional stamp of the letter "V". This is the second time I've seen this so now I'm very curious of it's origin or meaning. In my research of Celebrities I've come across a guitar or two that also had the letter "V" stamped under the serial number.

Does anyone know the purpose of this, or have a theory?