2 questions about the Ventures

[Sarah93003]

Paul, we're all pleased with you!

[Veenture]

Paul, we're all pleased with you!

Gee, shucks thank you Sarah.....

[GTSP]

Very cool. Thanks guys. Good topic, too. Just another "What woulda been", ya know.

Why didn't Semie just make a wider neck for the bassist? If you're moving that much product per month, keep the band that got ya there happy.

[TimR]

I used to know Del Halterman back in the 90's. A really nice guy, and definitely has to be the world's foremost expert on all things Ventures and Mosrite. He used to send me tons of stuff -videos, newspaper clippings, photos, & magazine articles. (By the way, why is he not on this forum? ......or, is he???)

Anyway, he once sent me a copy of an article from issue # 34 (new yr., 1997) of Pipeline Instrumental Review, which is (or was) a British surf music magazine. It was an interview with Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, by a dude named Dave Towers, in Sept., 1996, in Japan. Towards the end of the interview, the name Mosrite came up, and Don sort of freaked out. Here's a direct quote:

DW ......... "Here's the story for you. Nokie met Semie. He made a guitar for Nokie and agreed to pay Nokie $50.00 for each guitar made. He wanted to make a Ventures model, so our attorney, nice guy and all that, agreed that we would put in $50,000.00 to start his business. How much is that today? So he starts to get orders for 500 a week, and he can do 100. Liberty came in and they offered him $5,000,000.00, with $1,000,000.00 up front, for him to turn over the business to them but with him still in charge. And what did he do, the idiot. He turned it down. He said Fender was worth $12,000,000.00 and he should get more. He thought he had a business like Fender! So, we have the distribution part of the business, and Semie has the production. We had guitars all over the place. So what does he do then? He went bankrupt. So now no one would place an order for a Mosrite guitar. Bob and I lost $200,000.00, when Moseley went bankrupt. We never had one dime from the Ventures-Mosrite deal. We are known for Mosrite, but we haven't played one since 1968. ..... but that's not all. Mosely went back into business and he had the nerve to call me and ask if he could use our name. I said, no way! But did that stop him? No. He used our name anyway. It's just too expensive to take legal action. Then we heard someone had applied to the patent office to use our name when the patent ran out. So Bob, I and Mel phoned Moseley and said that someone had applied for our name. We said, it's not you is it Semie, by any chance? No, he said. So we called the patent office, and the form applying for our name was signed by Semie Moseley. He out and out lied. We hurried and got it all done quickly."

I'm sure this may be a bit biased, and there is no doubt another side to the story, but it would appear there was no love lost between Semie and Don Wilson.

[GTSP]

So this new Wiolson Bros. guitar that has a "Mosrite-y" kinda look....was that a middle finger at Mosrite?

[rog43win]

So this new Wiolson Bros. guitar that has a "Mosrite-y" kinda look....was that a middle finger at Mosrite?

GTSP....my understanding is that Don's son wanted to make guitars and supposedly Don took the best features of the guitars they liked most.....yes, Mosrite-y, with a fender floating tremelo.....I don't think it was a middle finger at mosrite....just a guitar venture by Don's son..
Several members here own a Wilson Bros. guitar.....so I think we'll hear more on this subject by them or others who are more "in the know" .......
Business deals gone south seems to be the main reason for the Ventures/Mosrite breakup, and yes, Don had an issue with the neck width.....but I do remember Nokie saying that the Mosrite was the best guitar he had ever played....that was before he started playing his "Hitchhiker" guitar......so perhaps the connection of the Mosrite and Semie just created a bad taste in the Ventures' mouths.......(who wouldn't love to play a Mosrite?) ....lol......

[TimR]

I think Don was the one who always had an issue with Mosrite (and Semie). Nokie and Semie, it always appeared were very close, and I do think Nokie always loved the guitars Semie made for him. I really never heard any complaints from Bob, either. Don has a very "percussive" style of playing, and has large hands, with chubby fingers. He flogged the guitar, and played it hard -to get his unique rhythm sound. The Mosrite was more suited for a sensitive player with a lighter touch, like Nokie. I think Don's favorite guitar was always his '67 Jazzmaster -maybe it still is. His Wilson Bros., is pretty much custom made for him. I think he just chose to capitalize on the Mosrite look that the Ventures were always associated with, to help market the guitars. Semie apparently took some liberties with using their name, why not use Semie's Mosrite style to market his stuff? As I pointed out, that was just Don's view at that time. I'm sure there is another side, and that Semie was not quite the "idiot" that Don seemed to think he was. I just thought it would be interesting reading. I never read Del's book, but I gather he didn't include that interview.

Tim

[Rich121]

This is getting good
According to the V side Semie was bad at business and bankrupt.

According to the Semie interview with Tom Wheeler, he had just doubled production twice in 67-68 to meet those orders and he was solvent. He was left holding the bag (parts inventory) when the Ventures blew distribution on a bad amp deal. Apparently he tried to cut a distribution deal with Vox but they were too small and it was too late. With his money tied up in parts the IRS got him.

hehe: I think we need one of the guys that was there to chime in with an unbiased version.

[GTSP]

hehe: I think we need one of the guys that was there to chime in with an unbiased version.

If he (or she) was there, it won't be unbiased. Just saying. I still wanna know.

[Veenture]

This thread has been quite informative for me too. Jayson, them's were 2 potent questions ya had for us there, any more?!
Let's take a break and listen to that glorious fuzzed-out sound with Nokie on lead, playing his Mosrite as only he can...nothing can beat that

Well GTSP, are you a Ventures fan yet?!