59-62 Joe Maphis pre Ventures model

[Damon67]

Our new member Bob Kothenbeutel's websit is where this came from. He owns this one and was showing me the pics from his website while we were on the phone the other day. You put this out there, and I remembered Bob showing me a 59 Maphis single neck... and this one is MINT!

[Bob K]

OK you guys. I just got to my computer and found this thread. That guitar is mine - in my collection! I have several copies of the VG magazine in a draw somewhere. I also have several pictures of it in my files. Give me a little time and I will post some of them here. It is an awesome guitar in mint condition with an extremely clean original case. Stay tuned.
Bob

[Bob K]

Never mind. I see Damon beat me to my own website
Bob

[Damon67]

Sorry for the thunder stealing Bob.

[EFElliott]

Hey There, Ed Elliott here,
I have one of those '62 Joe Maphis' right here at my shop. It belongs to Mosrite guitar collector Dr.Michael Marks ( he has the Mosrite Forever website). He sent it to me a while back to be restored ,the number stamped on the back of the head reads 1020, I'm thinking it's #20. It' just like the Sunburst on Tim's website, dog eared pickup covers that mount flat on the body. I think everyone that was built is just a little different in one way or another, I had a 1962 Mosrite fligher that picured the single and double neck models with wooden pickup covers like the ones on Damon67's double neck. This 62 is in pretty ruff shape, the finish has been stripped off, for some reason some one tryed to replace the fingerboard (I'll have to fix that) but all the parts are there, from the Fafnir aircaft bearings in the tremelo to the mistake plates. I have to keep everyone updated with the restoration with photos. As soon as I get started.
I think of all the Mosrites Semie built over the years, my very favorite is the ones built by Semie and Billy Gruggett built by hand in Hugh Bartenstein's tin building out on Panama Lane "Witch was right around the corner from where I grew up on "Fairfax Road". Having the perfect '62
patern guitar here I plan on cloning a bunch of the '62 single and double neck Joe Maphis models and also the '63 Ventures Panama Lane guitar,. I'm building 3 1963 models right now, (with the convex bottom carve) I just finished spraying the last clear coat on a sunburst this morning, I'll try to get some photos posted on "Projects" this evening.

[Bushers]

Sweet, Ed, looking forward to seeing those!!

[dubtrub]

Hey Ed, glad to see you on the forum. I'm going to hold you to it, posting those pictures that is.

I absolutely agree that the pre production Panama Lane guitars are absolutely the greatest. Glad to hear that you are going to clone these and the double necks as well. If you have any problems posting the pics, just send them to me via email and I'll get them attached to your posts.

[Dennisthe Menace]

Welcome again Ed Ed had posted:

Hey There, Ed Elliott here,
I have one of those '62 Joe Maphis' right here at my shop. It belongs to Mosrite guitar collector Dr.Michael Marks ( he has the Mosrite Forever website). He sent it to me a while back to be restored ,the number stamped on the back of the head reads 1020, I'm thinking it's #20. It' just like the Sunburst on Tim's website, dog eared pickup covers that mount flat on the body. I think everyone that was built is just a little different in one way or another, I had a 1962 Mosrite fligher that picured the single and double neck models with wooden pickup covers like the ones on Damon67's double neck.

After seeing Bob's collection of early 63s, I'm thinking the continuous changing a "little of this and a little of that" continued all the way through the early 63s. Mine is #0038, but mine has the "concave bottom carve" and I had heard this started taking place in the 30s digits which would put mine in the correct category. However, I have heard that there were some early 40s digits that still had the "convex carve." I guessing maybe these were some bodies already carved that way and were not assembled yet?? ALSO, my output jack was a single layer white (cream?) that had gotten brittle with "spider webs), and when Uncle Semie restored my guitar back in '90, he had replaced it with the white/black/white type . He also did not refinish the Headstock in the Sunburst, but in the Black style on the late '63s and '64s on up. That hurt also, but when I got the guitar back (took forever!) from Jonas Ridge, I didn't care at the time, I was so excited getting it back and it looked so darn good! Now, that I look back, I wish I had been a little more sensible and would of asked Semie to redo the Headstock. BUT, all in all, I know what I got, and that's that!
p.s. I also screwed up by not keeping those old pieces that he replaced. When he changed the Klusons, at least I did tell him I wanted the old ones and the old pickups. I had Semie put on a pair of Humbuckers , so I could play it out on a gig. Well, that never happened, I had second thoughts about the whole scenario what I have in my hands......

[dubtrub]

I had Semie put on a pair of Humbuckers

OMG! Say it an't so.

You did say you kept the original pups didn't you? No doubt there was a little routing to get them to fit, but will the originals cover up the routing?

Don't feel bad though, I refinished my '62 Stratocaster that I purchased new in sunburst. It originally came with the custom see through blonde ash body. heck in '62 if a guitar wasn't sunburst it was considered cheap looking. I didn't own it two weeks before I refininished it in a red and black sunburst with lacquer that Semie gave me. I still have the guitar and refinished it again back in 1990, this time in the correct three tone sunburst. Just not correct for an ash body Strat. Oh Well! At least I still have the guitar and it is all original except for refret and refinish , but there went the collector value. Course I'd never sell it in my lifetime.

[Strat-o-rama]

Ed,
I also look forward to the Panama Lane clones. You will be selling some of them, correct?