Mosrite Ventures V-II 1974 - Redburst. Pristine. Rare. Collector Specimen.

MOSRITE OF CALIFORNIA "VII"

Twin Humbuckers - Push-Button Voicing - Moseley Vibrato

Serial 2V0032 - From the Richard Davis Collection, International Guitar Museum

Everybody knows the Ventures Mosrite, and everybody knows Johnny Ramone's. Very few people have ever seen this one. This is a genuine U.S.-built Mosrite from Semie Moseley's 1970s comeback, and an unusual one. It has the famous reversed Mosrite body and German-carved edge, with a hot-rodded spec most Mosrite collectors never see: two humbucking pickups, four control knobs and two push-button switches, all under the original Moseley vibrato.

THE MODEL: THE 2V "VII"

In the 1970s Mosrite stamped model-coded serial numbers into the end of the fingerboard. Mosrite identification research by TYM Guitars lists the 2V prefix as the "Original VII," a Mark I-bodied guitar with two humbuckers and four control knobs, built around 1974-75, with push buttons alongside the knobs.

This guitar matches that description point for point:

-Serial 2V0032, stamped in the rosewood beyond the last fret, where Mosrite stamped its serials

-Two Mosrite humbuckers with double rows of adjustable pole screws

-Four chrome "M" knobs plus two push-button switches and a three-way toggle

-1970s "mosrite of California U.S.A. by Semie Moseley" headstock logo

The low sequence number, 0032, points to an early example of a short-lived model.

SEMIE MOSELEY AND MOSRITE

Semie Moseley learned his trade at Rickenbacker in Los Angeles, where Roger Rossmeisl taught him the European carving technique that became Mosrite's signature "German carve" edge. He also worked with Paul Bigsby. With his brother Andy and backing from Bakersfield minister Ray Boatright, he founded Mosrite of California; the name joins Moseley and Boatright.

In 1963 Mosrite began building the Ventures model (later the Mark I) for the most popular instrumental rock band in the world, and at its peak the Bakersfield shop built roughly 600 guitars a month. Mosrite players have included Joe Maphis, Nokie Edwards of the Ventures, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Ricky Wilson of the B-52's, Kurt Cobain and Johnny Ramone.

After bankruptcy in 1968-69, Semie Moseley regained the Mosrite name and restarted production in California in 1970. The 1970s guitars were built by a small shop under Moseley's direct control and are far scarcer than the 1960s Ventures-era instruments.

WHY THIS ONE IS DIFFERENT

Most Mosrites carry single-coil pickups. The twin humbuckers give this guitar a thicker, hotter voice while keeping the Mosrite bite. The two push-button switches add voicing options; on Mosrite's other mid-1970s humbucker models these were coil and phase switches, and their exact function on this guitar is best confirmed on the bench.

Everything else is pure Mosrite:

-Reversed Mosrite body with German-carved edge, red sunburst fading to black

-Original Moseley vibrato with "MOSELEY" patent nameplate and Mosrite "M" cover

-Slim maple neck, bound rosewood fingerboard, dot inlays, low Mosrite frets

-Notched Mosrite headstock crown with "M" emblem and black diamond truss-rod cover

-Kluson Deluxe double-line tuners

-Four-bolt neck with shaped neck plate

CONDITION

We describe this instrument plainly so the photographs and the text agree.

-Finish: Red sunburst with a deep gloss. Small edge chips on the lower bout and tail, light handling marks. No major damage visible.

-Neck and fingerboard: Straight-looking neck, bound fingerboard in good order. Light fret wear and some patina near the body end.

-Hardware: Chrome vibrato, bridge and knobs bright, with minor patina and light surface oxidation on pole screws and pickguard screws. Kluson tuners show age-appropriate wear.

-Headstock: Logo clear and legible; small wear marks on the edges of the crown.

-Originality: Presented as a 1970s Mosrite in its correct configuration. As with any 1970s Mosrite, a bench check of pot codes and solder joints is recommended to confirm the electronics are undisturbed.

-Case: Black hardshell case with blue crushed-velvet interior (described as a hardshell case, not as a factory-original Mosrite case).

SPECIFICATIONS

-Maker: Mosrite of California, U.S.A.

-Model: "VII" (2V series), Mark I/Ventures-style body

-Serial: 2V0032

-Period: c. 1974-75

-Body: Solid body, German-carved edge, red sunburst

-Neck: Maple, bolt-on, four-bolt shaped neck plate

-Fingerboard: Rosewood, cream binding, dot inlays

-Pickups: Two Mosrite humbuckers with adjustable pole screws

-Controls: Four knobs (volume and tone), two push-button switches, three-way toggle

-Vibrato: Moseley vibrato with patent nameplate

-Bridge: Mosrite bridge with individually adjustable saddles

-       Tuners: Kluson Deluxe double-line, 3+3

-Pickguard: Cream, with pickguard-mounted output jack

-Case: Black hardshell, blue crushed-velvet interior