Confused about 1973 Mosrite catalog--any geniuses out there?

[Deke Dickerson]

Hey gang--

I was looking at the Mosrite catalogs on vintaxe.com (it's a pay site, but you have to trust me, it's worth it). They have a bunch of professional looking literature dated 1973, and it's got the humbucking version of the Ventures-style guitar, the stereo 350, the bluesbender, etc.

But what confused me is that the address in the catalog was shown as 1424 P Street in Bakersfield. Now, wasn't that the same address that Semie was in 1964-1968? The same place where the bankruptcy people came in and auctioned off all the tools, machines and leftover stock? I know he had two buildings in the 60's, right around the same area, but I never knew that he went back after the bankruptcy and made guitars in the same place.

So does anybody know, and I had never heard this, that in the early 70's Semie took his old factory space back and was making guitars there again?

Deke

[EFElliott]

Hey there Deke....

Semie's first big downtown shop was at 1500 "P" St, the first building north, just across
the railroad tracks from 1424 "P" St , It had been an old meat processing plant that belong to a guy name Sam Rudnick, Semie was working in about a 10,000 sq.ft. area of this building from
64-66. They were running out of room, so Semie leased 1424 "P" St, Ground level and basement around 40,000 sq.ft Jennings Transfer and Storage had half of the ground floor, so Semie had a 30,000 sq.ft. Shop from 66-Febuary 1969. I guess Semie really liked that old building, He moved back in the same building in 1971, but just in the basement this time, the upstairs stayed empty, bellied-up again in 1974 ,hit the road playing music, in '75 building those strange Sooner Guitars here in Oklahoma, then back to good ol'
Bakersfield in 1976. But this time he moved back into his original shop, 1500 "P" St, this is where the Brass Rails and the first Ventures model ressue were built, and off again in '78.
Well there's a lot more details,
but I'm saving them for my book." Have Guitar Maker Will Travel"

Eddy

[Dennisthe Menace]

Hey gang--

I was looking at the Mosrite catalogs on vintaxe.com (it's a pay site, but you have to trust me, it's worth it). They have a bunch of professional looking literature dated 1973, and it's got the humbucking version of the Ventures-style guitar, the stereo 350, the bluesbender, etc.

But what confused me is that the address in the catalog was shown as 1424 P Street in Bakersfield. Now, wasn't that the same address that Semie was in 1964-1968? The same place where the bankruptcy people came in and auctioned off all the tools, machines and leftover stock? I know he had two buildings in the 60's, right around the same area, but I never knew that he went back after the bankruptcy and made guitars in the same place.

So does anybody know, and I had never heard this, that in the early 70's Semie took his old factory space back and was making guitars there again?

Deke

........uhm....I don't know...heck, I'm still trying to figure out the 'Ken Gilstrap' being involved.....
Pre-60 Standel...viewtopic.php?f=27&t=778

[Deke Dickerson]

Hi you all--

Ed, thanks for the report on Semie. I did not know this before. I'm surprised with his history of bankruptcy and everything that the building's owners would lease them to him again! But that fills in a timeline gap I didn't know before.

And to answer your question about Ken Gilstrap--I was told by the guy who made all the pickups for Standel guitars in Bakersfield--the 1966 and 1967 ones, not the pre-'60 ones--that the Standel factory in that era was run by Ken Gilstrap, who also had a Mosrite factory connection. Second hand info, but there's so little known about that '66-'67 Standel factory that's all the info I've ever received.

Deke

[Dennisthe Menace]

WoW! Thanks Deke, I'm taking this back over to the other Thread!....
..................Oh, sorry for Hijacking the Thread.....

[oipunkguy]

Hey ED,

thats so cool. wish I could have met the Semie. Do you know if thoses building are still around?

[EFElliott]

Hey Aaron,

1500 "P" St. was right across the street from the Bakersfield Civic Auditorium
it was torn down to build a hotel or expand the Auditorium grounds I beleve,
the big shop, I don't Know, it's been 17 years since I've been to Bakersfield.
But I bet Danny knows.

Eddy

[oipunkguy]

thanks ed, dan, you want to comment???

[dubtrub]

Ed is correct. All of the original factory buildings are now gone. It is a municipal parking lot.

When Desert Surfer visited last year I took him downtown to show him the old P Street factory building only to be disappointed to find the area had been redeveloped. We then drove out to Oildale to see the small tin building and house where I met Semie in 1959, and again dissapointed to find it too had been demolished and a new structure built only a few months before. We then drove out to find the Panama Lane building where Semie was building his pre Ventures guitars. I had only been to that location one time back in 1962 and was uncertain of it's exact location. The place I feel was his old barn shop was setting behind a house no doubt built in the 70s or 80s, however I am unsure of this location.

P.S. I'm 95% certain that photo in the second link is the tin building and house where I first met Semie.

[oipunkguy]

what a bummer.
If I ever win the lottery, I'm going out there and building a new mosrite building and gonna make new mosrites in semie's honor. you all can come work with me. who's with me !!!