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 MOSRITE |
| Instruments previously produced in Bakersfield, CA during the 1960s. Earlier models built in Los Angeles, CA during the mid- to late 1950s. Distribution in the 1990s was handled by Unified Sound Association, Inc. Production of Mosrite guitars ceased in 1994. There were other factory sites around the U.S. during the 1970s and 1980s. Other notable locations include Carson City, NV, Jonas Ridge, NC, and Booneville, AR (previous home of Baldwin-operated Gretsch production during the 1970s). |
| Luthier/designer Semie Moseley (1935-1992) was born in Durant, Oklahoma. The family moved to Bakersfield, California when Moseley was nine years old, and Semie left school in the seventh grade to travel with an evangelistic group playing guitar. Moseley, eighteen, was hired by Paul Barth to work at Rickenbacker in 1953. While at Rickenbacker, Moseley worked with Roger Rossmeisl. Rossmeisel's "German carve" technique was later featured on Moseley's guitar models as well. Moseley was later fired from Rickenbacker in 1955 for building his own guitar at their facilities. In the later years, Moseley always credited Barth and Rossmeisl (and the Rickenbacker company) for his beginning knowledge in guitar building. With the help of Reverend Ray Boatright, who co-signed for guitar building tools at Sears, Moseley began building his original designs. The Mosrite trademark is named after Moseley and Boatright ("-rite"). After leaving Rickenbacker, Moseley built custom instruments for various people around southern California, most notably Joe Maphis (of "Town Hall Party" fame). Moseley freelanced some work with Paul Barth's "Barth" guitars, as well as some neck work for Paul Bigsby. After traveling for several months with another gospel group, Moseley returned to Bakersfield and again set up shop. Moseley built around twenty guitars for Bob Crooks (Standel). When Crooks asked for a Fender-styled guitar model, Moseley flipped a Stratocaster over, traced the rough outline, and built the forerunner to the "Ventures" model! After Nokie Edwards (Ventures) borrowed a guitar for a recording session, Stan Wagner (Ventures Manager) called Moseley to propose a business collaboration. Mosrite would produce the instruments, and use the Venture's organization as the main distributor. The heyday of the Mosrite company was the years between 1963 and 1969. When the demand set in, the company went from producing thirty-five guitars a month to fifty and later three hundred. The Mosrite facility had 105 employees at one point, and offered several different models in addition to the Ventures model (such as the semi-hollowbody Celebrity series, the Combo, and the Joe Maphis series). In 1963, investors sold the Dobro trademark to Moseley, who built the first 100 or 150 out of parts left over from the Dobro plant in Gardenia. Later Bakersfield Dobros can be identified by the serial number imprinted on the end of the fingerboard. The Mosrite company did not build the amplifiers which bear the Mosrite trademark; another facility built the Mosrite amplifiers and fuzz pedals, and paid for the rights to use the Mosrite name. The amplifier line proved to be the undoing of Mosrite. While some of the larger amplifiers are fine, one entry level model featured a poor design and a high failure rate. While covering for returns, the Ventures organization used up their line of credit at their bank, and the bank shut down the organization. In doing so, the Mosrite distribution was shut down as well. Moseley tried a deal with Vox (Thomas Organ) but the company was shut down in 1969. Moseley returned to the Gospel music circuit, and transferred the Dobro name to OMI in a series of negotiations. |
| HISTORY: 1970-PRESENT |
| MODEL IDENTIFICATION |
| PRODUCTION DATES |
| ACOUSTIC: BALLADERE & SERENADE MODELS |
| ACOUSTIC: DOBRO/MOSRITE RESONATOR MODELS |
| ACOUSTIC: MOBRO MODELS |
| ACOUSTIC ELECTRIC |
| ACOUSTIC ELECTRIC BASS |