1965 Mosrite Ventures Mark II Slab Body, Johnny Ramone, Vintage, 1960's, The Ramones

1965 Mosrite Ventures Mark 2 II Slab Body in Bakersfield Red #B047


There is nothing like a 65 slab body mosrite. There's nothing even remotely similar. It's one of the truly great singular guitars that exists. There are a couple guitars than can get halfway there, the right TB500 perhaps. The size of the body and neck has a lot to do with it. The sound of the hardware and pickups has a lot to do with it. I've had modern recreations, they're pretty laughable. They don't do it. All of CJ and Marky's guitar players have sounded like crap for 20 years, using Les Pauls and humbuckers, P90's, Strats. It does not work. Nothing compares to the attack this guitar offers. You cannot play Ramones music on any other guitar, it does not work. You have to have this nut width and neck shape to even consider it.

Extreme rarity. Thankfully this guitar has been played a lot, and was owned by an actual guitar player, so it has that beloved played in feel, as opposed to the stark, horrible off-putting "new" feeling. A few years ago I owned and sold a mint white 1965 Mosrite Ventures II Slab, and found it undesirable to play. For one, the frets on these guitars from the factory were non existent and non playable. And to me there's just something about the feel of a brand new guitar that's incredibly off putting; I've never bought a brand new guitar and never will. 

Pure Americana, extremely rare and coveted original vintage Mosrite Ventures II slab body. No one has messed with this guitar, nor has it been left in a closet rotting, which leads to all kinds of problems.

Guitar has no changed parts, and in 2021 received a $1300 service by a world class luthier. This was a very important and necessary servicing, and was approximately 15 hours of highly skilled labor, by one of best shops in the country, if not thee best (currently a year wait for any work there). If you want an old Mosrite to play right, and be solid, etc. then it needs the attention of a veteran luthier, and it needs frets. This is not a job for "The Guitar Doctor" or what have you. You need a top level luthier in these instances. This work was done in 2021. 

You'll notice the frets on the blue guitar which recently sold for $14K are a disaster. The worst I've ever seen on a 65 slab. That guitar is as good as a baseball card. This guitar, however, is a playable instrument, guaranteed to be the best playing Ventures II slab on earth because of the work that was done to it. Do you want to drive a Model T with original tires? No, you can't. If you want to play actual music, then you need to service guitars.

This red guitar will be more usable and blow away any other vintage Mosrite slab out there, no contest. Frankly, I'm amazed. My jaw dropped when I first plugged it back in. Stunningly secure bridge and incredible intonation. Was not expecting that. It was already good, but now it's great. Neck angle wood-shimmed, angled to perfection. Truss rod, action, new zero fret all perfection. Best fret-job money can buy. There are several important details to address with these guitars in order to maximize the sonic potential. (Or you can just stick a piece of cardboard under your bridge like JR). When I finally received the guitar back, I was in amazement. Never have I experienced such a transformation. With vintage guitars, it's been said, again & again, you need frets. Frets are a must. My comparisons are based on the fact that I have previously owned and sold a mint, unplayed factory version of this guitar. It was not playable, certainly not in comparison to this guitar. The Johnny Ramone white guitar had 6100 jumbo fretwire. There's no way he could've played the thing otherwise. This guitar was refretted with a rare wire that maintains vintage look & feel. It's a low vintage style wire that maintains the same look but makes the guitar usable. I would argue that one of the reasons these guitars are so undervalued and underappreciated, aside from extreme rarity, is that they didn't have real frets from the factory. Refretting this guitar is the singlemost worthwhile guitar service I've done in 30+ years. 

These single coil Mosrite pickups were only ever available in these super low production Ventures II (slab version) guitars, of which there are only 20-25 known to exist, many non original or altered. The EQ of the guitar is very singular and powerful, It’s all about the jingle jangle and attack of the treble strings combined with the right technique and amplifier. Very chimey guitar. There's is nothing like it. The incredible chunk of bridge & vibrato certainly plays a role in the tone as well. The guitar has a very unique voice, is powerful and musical, and highly stable. The guitar has an extremely fast attack. This is the big standout. I’ve never played another guitar like it. Fastest attack of all time with this nut width, this bridge and this scale. One will instantly understand Johnny’s attraction to this guitar. The frequency response and musicality blows the mind. This guitar has one job and one job only. Excels at one thing like a race car. There is probably no other guitar on the planet that does with this can do. However, in this instance, since you now have frets, the sky's the limit. Yes, these are "cool" guitars, but until you plug one in and experience the amazement, you'll be left wondering how so much tone comes out of this thing. Everyone who has one says the same thing, it's uncanny. 

There are perhaps only 20-25 known to exist. You will find that the owners of these rare guitars are not willing to part with them. People might like to argue these low numbers, but there is simply no evidence supporting otherwise. These are scarce unicorn guitars, you'll find quite a few Ventures II slab body guitars to be in undesirable condition, only a handful remain original. And they're not playable unless they've been refretted. If you're looking for a baseball card, look elsewhere. This is for the real player.

It's quite a feeling holding the real thing in your hands, but when you plug it in, it is indeed a revelation. Guitar is worn in and played and has a beautiful, attractive vintage patina to it, lacquer checking and all. Most importantly, it feels spectacular and very special in your hands. It's a thing of beauty and produces great feelings of joy. Much, much more-so than a vintage Strat which is commonplace in comparison.

No breaks, cracks, or paint work. Bridge pickup was rewound in Australia long ago to spec by reputable Mick Brierley via Tym Guitars, who's an expert and considered “the best at what he does”. Tym also does winds, but wanted "the best". so it's 100%. Guitar was purchased from Tym, Mosrite fanatic. Rewound with correct wire & gauge. It's sounds correct and is balanced nicely. I had another 65 slab here for years to compare with, and the pickup sounds completely true. 8K bridge and 11K neck. After receiving the service overhaul, the neck pickup died. This happens to PAF's, happens to 50's strats. Nothing causes it but time. It's unfortunate but nothing can be done other than a proper rewind. Neck pickup wound back to 11K by Tom Brantley who's considered the best US mosrite guy. So the good news is that not only is the best playing slab body on earth, it's also got 2 new pickup winds, and they sound exact. This is a guitar with another lifetime ready to go.

These guitars from the factory had the lowest frets ever, literally, rendering them not unusable and unplayable. Terrible in fact. Way lower than those pathetic Gibson frets they called "fretless wonder". The frets which came on Mosrites were the worst of all time. On this guitar, finally frets were done in 2021 at Woodsongs in Boulder and was $800. Total service was $1300 and receipt will be included. As good as it gets, extreme attention to detail. Guitar is now better than new, more playable than ever and unbelievably satisfying. We opted for a rare wire that’s slightly higher than the original but same width. I waited years to find the right luthier. Very subtle but makes huge difference. Woodsongs is a tremendous luthiery business which has a massive backlog due to demand. Stunning work. It never ceases to amaze me the lack of knowledge or respect most so-called luthiers have. No different than auto mechanics really. You have to be very careful. Woodsongs in Boulder is amongst the best in the country. They mainly service acoustics over $100K.

This guitar received more than a full service - it received the absolute royal treatment at Woodsongs in 2021 by a schooled, master luthier, and in the end all I can say is that I'm amazed. The intonation is so strong and so satisfying. It's a whole new guitar. Night & day. Much, much better than say a mint or like-new version of the same guitar. The bridge needed much attention so that proper contacts were being made, using brass. The frets make all the difference in the world. The saddles have been meticulously and properly secured, individually, with brass. The electronics cleaned and everything just sounds so much better. I have dealt with luthiers for 30+ years, have worked in known guitar repair shops since a young age, but have never dealt with anyone as thorough or as professional as John and Jon at Woodsongs. This guitar is now astonishing and has another 60 years of life in it. Everything is so perfect. Neck angle is perfect. zero nut is perfect, frets are perfect. I can say "better than new" with absolute confidence and assurance. There is no better playing mosrite on earth.

This red guitar #B047 has a smooth and worthwhile vibrato. Extremely worn in. Mild, subtle but incredibly smooth. This is a rarified American hot rod, the guitar does not disappoint. It is slick, sexy & powerful. It does not very much resemble or feel like the Ventures I, the older brother, with the short scale slab here he created a masterpiece without setting out to do so. The tone of this guitar does not resemble Fender guitars. The pickups are astonishing. The scale length, nut width string spacing, body shape, wood and pickups really create something singular and unique. This guitar was played a lot, and like the great Strats, there's a reason for that. The closet classic guitars never interest me, they sit rotting, and end up with all kinds of problems, and end up having no feel. They settle weirdly. You want a guitar that feels and plays at the highest level, not a baseball card.

Does not include original case, but will be shipped or delivered in a super solid highly padded strong indestructible Roadrunner road case. Shipping includes insurance. I have a myriad of amps if you'd like to test drive the legendary guitar. Please email with any questions.

As with every guitar I sell, no surprises, only satisfaction. 

You can buy a usable, playable guitar, or you can buy a big mystery. If you would like to actually play and experience the Mosrite slab, I highly recommend this red guitar. The stock frets are not playable, they are laughable. Johnny Ramone obviously had 6100 wire on his guitar, or else the thing would've been 100% useless to him. I sincerely hope this guitar goes to a player not a collector. As you can see in the photos, this guitar was re-fretted as tastefully as humanly possible with a very rare wire which maintains vintage look & feel but adds a completely new dimension of playability. Original frets are included in the sale. The highest level of extreme care was taken during this successful procedure. I turned down a couple famous luthiers who wanted this job, and went with my gut on this one. Couldn't be happier. 

International buyers please be aware insurance only available up to $2500 and customs form will reflect actual sales price with paperwork.  I have shipped over $2MIL in gear since 1997, and have never made an insurance claim. I have shipped antique acoustic instruments to Europe in custom crates, rare speaker cabinets to Australia, and extremely expensive guitars domestically. Special attention paid to each unique shipment. Everything gets packed with extreme attention to care, detail that only decades of experience can provide. Every single guitar and case requires special unique attention in order to guarantee safe arrival, and I can guarantee that attention to detail. Please note a few of the later images in the listing were taken prior to refret. 

Earliest possible ship date due to travel is end of May 2024. My last 65 slab sold to a collector, not a player. He spent thousands on travel to pick up in person. Smart guy, he knew what he was buying, and he knew the specialness even without getting to experience it. There is NOTHING like a 65 slab body mosrite. there's nothing even remotely similar. It's one of the truly great singular guitars that exists.

Please call or message to discuss with any questions.