Semie and Joe Maphis in 1973--the old and new doublenecks

[Deke Dickerson]

I rediscovered this picture last night in an old country music magazine from 1973. If I've already posted this here, forgive me, my brain is addled! ha

This is a pretty significant picture, and I haven't seen it anywhere else. It shows Semie and Joe Maphis on the night that Semie presented the 2nd doubleneck to Joe in 1973.

The 1973 doubleneck shown here is the one you can see at the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield (that is, if they have it on display). The original one of course is on display at the Country Music Hall Of Fame in Nashville.

I like how the caption just refers to Semie as "Mr. Mosrite." The caption also makes the mistake of saying Semie gave it to Joe "thirty years ago" when it was actually more like 19 years before. In addition it says there will be a full story on Mosrite in the next issue of this magazine, but I've been looking for it for about 10 years now with no luck.

Deke

[EF@MosriteRecords]

Hey Gang I love this. Thanks Deke for the posting. Don't you just love the outfit
that Semie is wearing. I love it. I remember seeing this years ago. The threads are so cool and so Semie from the Coat to the Formal shirt. Deke do you have a idea if this was taken in Nashville or the West Coast.?

Elaine

[Deke Dickerson]

Elaine,

This magazine was called "Country Music USA" and it came out of North Hollywood. All the photos in it seem to be taken at Los Angeles area clubs like the Palomino, the Foothill Club, Nashville West, etc. so it's a pretty good bet that this photo was taken in Los Angeles.

It seems to be a pretty rare magazine as I've only seen this one issue, I've had an ebay search for almost ten years for "Country Music USA" and never seen another copy! Since this May 1973 issue says "Watch for a full story on Mosrite in the next issue," the one to find would be the June 1973 issue....

Deke

[TerryTNM]

Holy smokes!

I've had this photo for quite some time. I didn't know it was seldom seen. I can't remember where it came from but appears to be
the actual photo not a magazine screened print.

As I was posting I was trying to remember where it came from then it hit me. . . Ode to Joe MySpace site. Thanks to Jody.

Jody's caption says it was at the Palomino Club in North Hollywood. No date.

[Deke Dickerson]

I thought it looked like the backroom of the Palomino! When i started playing there they had already taken the photos down, but it's hard to forget that walnut paneling....

Jody must have added some more photos since the last time I looked at the Ode To Joe myspace page. I'll have to go and look again!

Deke

[connie_mack]

hey deke,
what's the story with the trem bar? it looks like he made it out of a box wrench. or is it aluminum and the hole is there so that joe could slip his, i would guess, pinky in there while he fingerpicked with his other digits?

curious

[Veenture]

...what's the story with the trem bar? it looks like he made it out of a box wrench.

Yeah, that is most unusual BTW, I see that the two photo's are different 'takes' ! (notice Joe Maphis' eyes looking away from the camera and Semie's left hand in a different 'pose' in Terry's pic...

[connie_mack]

good call veenture.

[jfine]

I'm pretty sure that's the doubleneck that Joe let me play when I met him in 1981. Does anybody know if Semie built him another one after the one in the photo?

[EF@MosriteRecords]

DEAR jfine: Yes he did.(1986) Semie gave to Joe a very lite weight doubleneck
near the end before he passed in JUNE 1986. I have a picture of it some where I'll start looking. The family sold the little doubleneck later on About the same time
the two guitars that are pictured in the thread line:: TWO UNUSUAL MOSRITE"S
FOR JOE AND ROSE LEE MAPHIS (article by TOM WHEELER in1997 Guitar Player
Magazine).

EF