Postby jfine » Wed May 23, 2012 2:07 am
Fillmore is a Japanese company that makes high-quality Mosrite reproductions, as well as their own versions based on Mosrite shapes. This looks like one of those, and the flyer says "Fillmore", although I've never run into the Kikimini name before. One of the brochure sheets in the photo section has the switches labeled "direct", which tells me that they're tone control bypass switches, maybe volume bypass too--a feature that cropped up on actual '70's Mosrites. As to it actually being a Mosrite, to quote a certain sax-playing President, "it depends on what your definition of 'is' is." Semie Moseley's daughter Dana winds her own pickups for Fillmore-made Mosrites, although not this one--she winds Mosrite-style pickups, but she's Semie's heir if anyone is. If your definition of a "real Mosrite" means it had to be built by Semie himself, than no, it's not. Note that it's not branded "Mosrite" either, but it's made by the company that has a Mosrite connection, through Dana. Dana and her mother Loretta (or stepmother, I'm not sure which) have each authorized different Japanese companies to make Mosrites. Which one is the "real" Mosrite? I suppose we'll have to let the lawyers sort that one out.