TWO UNUSUAL MOSRITE"S FOR JOE AND ROSE LEE MAPHIS

[Deke Dickerson]

These Joe & Rose Lee guitars, which probably date to around '60 or '61 as the article says, are actually the prototypes for the "Joe Maphis model" guitar--the original design for the Ventures guitar. I've posted this before, but here it is again (below).

Semie made a handful of these "Joe Maphis models" around 1962, before renaming the model "The Ventures model." The Joe & Rose Lee guitars were the prototype to what eventually became the Ventures model in 1963. Of course, around 1965 Semie debuted a different "Joe Maphis model" that is indeed more similar to these earlier Joe & Rose guitars in appearance--blonde, bigger bodied, etc. Here's what the original 1962-era "Joe Maphis model" looked like:

Deke

[Veenture]

Thanks Deke. What an advance Semie made compared to the prototype "two unusual Mosrites" for Joe & Rose
It is so good that Semie came up with a design that would later evolve into the Ventures model. Just love 'em...