Here we have a very rare Mosrite Flat top by Semi Mosley, The Balladeer. This one as well being very rare was almost certainly commissioned by Glen Campbell for Tommy Smothers. The attached Video clip shows Tommy playing this guitar in 1968 (from @ 3min 27sec).
The guitar is in overall clean condition with normal finish checking and long stress cracks. The soundboard has cracked from either side of the neck joint to the soundhole and has been reglued. Due to the nature of the bolt-on neck design and the flex involved, this is a very common repair with Mosrite acoustics and does not effect tone or playability. The neck itself is in very good condition with a profile not unlike The Ventures model. Action is low just like on a Mosrite electric guitar, and the sound is big for such a modestly sized instrument. The case shown here is not with the guitar, it will be shipped in a non original hard case.
The Balladere and the Serenade were produced in relatively small numbers and were usually finished natural, making any examples rare and the sunburst ones rarer. This particular guitar, however, also features special customizations attributed to Mosrite recording artists, endorsers and VIPs. The dead giveaway is the large stage logo inlaid into the pickguard so even the kids in the cheap seats (or at home watching on television) can see it's a Mosrite. Just like Molly Bee's! On top of that, this one has the initials TS inlaid into the 12th fret. Lastly, instead of the usual Gibson-style oval paper label inside the soundhole, this one has a green rectangular label proclaiming "From Mosrite Sales Co." not unlike the labels slapped on radio station promos.
