Refurbing a Mosrite MK 12 and may need advice

[posvibe]

Hello everybody. This is my 1st posting on the forum and it's great to be here.

I am doing a major cleaning and refurbing a USA vintage Mosrite MK 12 w/factory installed tremolo. Although the guitar is still playable with a good sound and action and straight neck, it has been neglected for many years. Dust, gunk, mildew, mung, minor rust, dirty pots, switch and input jack all need to be cleaned. It started life as a red finish but has darkened over the years.

The trem arm and spring have been lost along the way and I've seen replacement prices that are pretty steep. The last owner had fitted a ratchet socket in place of the spring making the guitar a "hard tail".

I've heard Paul Bigsby used motorcycle valve springs for his tremolos and wondered if Mosely did the same.

Also, can someone enlighten me as to the reason for the staggered string holes in the trem?

I will try to post some pics including th/Users/walterbowden/Desktop/Mosrite 12/Trem 1.JPGe date stamped on the neck heel. All suggestions, replies, discussions, etc. are appreciated./User/Users/walterbowden/Desktop/Mosrite 12/Date stamp.JPGs/walterbowd/Users/walterbowden/Desktop/Mosrite 1/Users/walterbowden/Desktop/Mosrite 12/Headstock 1.JPG2/Fretboard heel2.JPGen/Desktop/Mosrite 12/Trem 2.JPG

Best wishes and let me know if the pics don't post.

[BRRanger]

Welcome Posvibe! Sorry, but the pics didn't post. Good luck in the refurb! What's the s/n of your MK 12?
Scott

[posvibe]

Can't make out the #s on the fretboard. If someone can tell me how to upload pics I can send date stamp from the neck heel as well as other features. Thanks.

[FrankJames]

Welcome to the forum !!

[rcblair]

Use something like Photobucket and just copy and past the IMG URL into the post.

Rick B.

[Mr. Bill]

Sounds like a very cool guitar, I can't wait to see the photos.

Using motorcycle valve springs is a fairly common vibrato thing, the problem being trying to find one with the right diameter and with the right amount of spring tension. And then having it chrome plated to boot.

The staggered holes in the tailpiece were Semie's attempt to have a vibrato that stays in tune as you raise and lower the pitch with the arm. I think that the patent drawings were linked here long ago. Try searching the board when you have a few minutes to do some reading.

As far as replacement arms go, unless you find an original one or make one of your own, buying a repro one is your only real choice. Bob Shade from Hallmark Guitars sells them on eBay or you can contact him directly, as he posts here all of the time. I bought one a few years back and haven't had any problems with it. It fit correctly, looks right and does what it's supposed to do. Yeah, I wish that they were cheaper, but...