1965 Mosrite "The Ventures" Bass

Semie Moseley, the founder of Mosrite Guitars, was an innovator and master luthier. Not Gibson or Fender copies, his instruments were different and original. Furthermore, almost all components for Mosrite instruments were made in-house at their factory in Bakersfield, CA.

Moseley initially struggled to get traction with his products however a chance introduction in 1963 lead to an endorsement deal with the world's most popular surf rock band, The Ventures. The company developed a line of guitars under a dual Mosrite / "The Ventures" logo with a unique look and features including ultra-slim necks, zero frets, high output handmade pickups, custom built aluminum hardware, and a double cut-away body shape featuring a longer lower horn.

With this new design and exposure, Mosrites would become some of the most sought after boutique guitars in the world.

Less than 2,000 total “The Ventures” bass guitars were made during the short four years of their endorsement deal. They would, however, be embraced by many noted musicians including The Who’s John Entwistle. Faraway the most popular Ventures Bass model was the single-pickup "Type 3" which sold for the then comparatively steep list price of $310.

Serial #5369 (stamped in the heel of the fretboard) is an original ’65 “The Ventures” Type-3 electric bass guitar. The neck and body are both date-stamped, “Jul 14, 1965” and “Jul 19, 1965” respectively. The sunburst finish and matching pots (date coded #134-6529 for the 33rd week of 1965) are also original as, it appears, are the frets, fretboard, saddle, alloy nut, bridge, knobs, binding, pickguard, tuners and tuning keys.

Two modifications:

1. As a result of a crack in the plastic pickup CASE, the pickup was replaced with one hand-wound by Ed Elliot. Ed is a former Mosrite employee who assembles pickups to their original specs using leftover stock obtained directly from the now defunct Mosrite factory. (Google “Ed Elliot pickups”). Note: The separate original pickup is included with this sale.

2. Not uncommonly, the bridge cover was missing when I acquired the guitar. Unable to find or make a replacement in a timely basis, I found and installed an unbranded vintage cover. (Alternatively, the guitar looks and operates fine without any bridge cover.)

Mosrite #5369 is in very good overall condition with a nice aged, honestly earned patina. It is a rare piece of popular music history that looks, plays and sounds great and is likely to continue to appreciate over time.

Now-You-Know: In addition to The Ventures, Mosrites were played by many notable artists including Kurt Cobain, Jimmy Page, Duane Allman, Jimi Hendrix, The Ramones' Tommy Tedesco, Buck Owens, Glen Campbell and Brian Wilson.