My Name is Jensen. I was born in down town L.A. Nokie had already quit the Ventures (for a while) before I showed up.. but at my preschool, where they didn't have any fancy new "cassette tapes" or even 8-Tracks, they had old record players and old records for the kids to play with. The first record I picked up as a 4 year old at school was "Wild Things!" by the Ventures. (Dolton/Mono BLP-2047) - It opens with this outrageous downward-bend through an external fuzz unit... and slams into "Wild Thing!" -
To try to describe the sensation to a completely uninitiated 4 year old boy is not possible. I could mention goosebumps, heart rate and total obsession, but that would miss the joyous almost spiritual aspect of the experience. That was it. Electric guitar through a fuzz was everything now.
And it would remain so forever. ( I had a Supro guitar a fender fuzz wah and a fender Princeton Reverb by the time I was 7) As I grew up, I thought I was going to be a "Les Paul Guy" because my teacher was... but soon I realized that the Fender Telecaster was much closer to the sounds I loved than all that Humbucker Grind.
And when I made the transition, I entered a whole different world. One day as I was negotiating with a Major Label for a record deal that was nothing more than a gag-order (some of you know what I am talking about), I found myself having to pay for all my repairs out of a scant savings... it was then I was told about RED RHODES and went to meet him.
He and I became good friends and, though he was a maker of James Burton's favorite Telecaster Pickups, we started talking about Mosrites and his work with the Ventures. I told him how much I loved the sound of the Mark I. How it was like the fattest Telecaster in the world. He laughed. He customized my amps and beefed up my Tele... and told me stories but he never mentioned that he was the man behind the "Ventures in Space" album ... nor did he ever let on that it was HE that invented the Fuzztone that could be "Plugged in" between a guitar and amp.
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I didn't find that out until after he left our world from a bum ticker in 1995. Remember Windows 95? Yeah.. well you know there wasn't much on the internet yet. I have come to see what a pivotal role my old pal played in creating the fuzzy rock and roll that was introduced to me as a 4 year old. And has had me searching for the perfect sound. I had an 80s Mosrite for a few months a decade ago, but it wasn't right for many reasons.. the main one being that I am a lefty.
( I hear your groans already). Yeah. Southpaw... no vintage guitars for me.
Am I considering paying Ed Roman to make me one? I am. But I'm not ready for that yet.
I am probably going to start with some copies and some M3 California upgrades. Rest assured though that I have the Vintage Fender Amps and the Fuzztones so I am going to get very close indeed. Mostly I just look at pictures on the internet like everyone... and listen to the Ventures albums and Joe Maphis and The Collins Kids... and -- well... I don't have to tell you.
You're the Mosrite Forum! And I am proud to be among you!
- Jensen Bell
