Hi from Orlando

[justin]

I'm new to both Mosrite and guitars. I've played piano/keyboard since I was a kid but have recently become obsessed with the guitar while hanging out with a new coworker. I bought an Ibanez acoustic and have been learning on it, so I'm pretty crap still but practice makes perfect, right? I also have a bass that I like to get funky with, but I prefer the melodic capacity of the guitar.

My interest in Mosrites comes from it being such a good guitar and yet still being somewhat of a secret, or so it seems. I like the under-appreciated underdog types. Not many of my friends have ever heard of them but they are always surprised to hear who uses or used them, and the guitar's look is just so sweet. The first thing everyone says is it looks like an upside down strat, then whoa look at that slanted pickup and that industrial strength bridge kit. Yup it's a guitar you just want to look at for a while. I'm sure it's even better in your hands, but since I don't know anyone who has one and can't find one in Central Florida, all I have is photos...

And then there's the sounds it makes. Yeah there's the surf sound. My first encounter with that came from the movie Pulp Fiction. It's a sound that captures your attention and makes you want listen. It doesn't need distortion to be interesting, but it can do it too. Then I came across the now defunct group Man or Astroman? and couldn't get enough. But the fact that you can go from the twangy, deep throat of surf to the grimy angst of Cobain or the wacky, detuned antics of Ricky Wilson's B52s sound is just brilliant.

So my quest began to find one of these monsters and what a wacky adventure it has been. Right away I found that Nevada website that shall remain nameless. No need to stoke that ego. My first impression was not good. It's so utterly unprofessional. It's bad web design married with crotchety old man and strikes me as a bit seedy. If you've ever been to one of those electronics shops in a big city (you know, the one that has the bars on the windows and is crammed with stuff you know fell off a truck or is completely fake cuz it's so cheep) with the overbearing salesman that reeks of BO you'll know how I felt wading through that site. As I'm in Florida I'd have to rely on their word as far as the price and quality of the guitar and I just didn't get a good vibe from them, so my quest began to find another source. Aside from Ebay and craigslist.

I spend hours at the fillmore-japan.com site with my buddy Google translate and we had some fun wading through the worst website design I've seen since 1995. I was trying to figure out how to tell my mates that I bought a Mosrite "Fillmore light shrikes". They look like the real thing but then you look closely and there are details that are a bit off, most obvious is the "of USA" bit. That just seems a bit suspect.

And oh how was I so very disappointed to see how much they are wanting for their clone guitars. I soon learnt that to sort out what 248,000 Yen is in dollars just move the comma to digits to the left and there's your price. YIKES! They want as much as an original could be had for from a vintage shop ebay, well maybe not that $20,000 entry. Really, buddy? $20,000?

Then I found Mr KuroKumo's site, kurokumo.co.jp. He only had four models, one was a hard tale, but his prices were much more my range and they looked pretty good, the problem is that he has no large photos to drool over so it's impossible to get a sense of the detail work. I emailed him a week ago to see what he had in stock, if there are larger photos available, how much is shipping to the US, how he deals with customs, etc, but I haven't heard back so I guess he's either out of business or is Japan only or just didn't like me.

I had also found the Hallmark site, but I was wanting a guitar that, although not the real thing at least had the logos and stuff. Dumb, I know. How does it play? That's what's most important, but how can you know of any of these versions regardless of where they are from since there's no place to try them out? But since I'm obsessing over this thing I decided to look further into their line, especially since unlike the other two sources they are in the states. That's when I found this forum and I've not been able to find anything negative about their instruments, pretty much all of you who have one really like it, so that's what I've decided to pursue. I asked them how much they'd charge for a custom finish, I like blueburst and he wrote back that day, pretty sweet. Unfortunately it'd add another $400 to the cost, so I can't do it, at least not yet, but it was nice to actually get a reply.

I've also read that the shop in California, Front Porch Music has access to those authentic Mosrites headed back to Japan, so to satisfy my obsession I'll have to look into them as well. I just hope they aren't $2500 too. Do they have email?

So I'm saving up for a pearl white 60 Custom. And and amp. I'm thinking a Fender Blues Junior. Good thing I have a job.

Anyway, good to be here. Sorry I ramble, it's my most endearing quality, just ask my gran.

[Veenture]

…Just(in) the kind of rambling we like, I dare say and well written too Justin.

Welcome to the forum -where I see you have already been doing a fair bit of reading! Good, there’s lots more for us to learn and enjoy, thanks to such knowledgeable contributors too and a fine team managing this site. I myself am still discovering new things all the time.

Yeah, I too still desire to own a real Mosrite one day but my first Mo’ has turned out to be a genuine HALLMARK 60 Custom (gorgeous Sunburst, -ordered it all the way from Holland too, even though we have plenty of guitars here but NO MOSRITES!)

I know, it doesn’t sport the magical Semie Moseley decal but then it doesn’t pretend to be something it isn’t, either. It stands on it's own and the Hallmark’s decal is original too … though it’s design even gives a big wink at it’s older brother’s!

Ending on a more serious note, I find the Hallmark’s playability to be just perfect. It has a wider neck than a Mosrite but is still narrower than my Fender Stratocaster’s)
It's designed to be versatile and boy, do those muscle pickups sound great -a real joy (beware, my beloved Fender is starting to gather dust). ALSO, you get the bang for the buck. Good luck with the lovely Pearl White!

BTW, looking at you Avatar, are you sure you’re not Hank Marvin there, playing a…MOSRITE?!

Don't stop saving!
Paul

[MWaldorf]

Welcome to the forum, Justin.

I think you'll find the Hallmarks to be high quality guitars. No, they don't have the Mosrite logo on the headstock, but they are a part of the Mosrite heritage just the same and probably your best bang to the buck.

The Japanese Mosrites, both from Fillmore and Kurokumo, are also high quality guitars and good reproductions of the originals. I personally owned a Kurokumo "Excellent" model, and, other than the lack of speed frets, it sounded and played very much like my '66 Ventures model. There are a few people on here who have the new Fillmore "Ranger" models who like them a lot.

I don't think you'll be disappointed with a 60 Custom, and having some money left over to buy an amp is all the better!

Mel

[Dennisthe Menace]

Justin,
Welcome to the Mad, Mad, Mad, World of Mosrites .
That has got to be the most thorough Introduction
that I have seen on this Forum .

[Strat-o-rama]

Welcome Justin.
If you like Man or Astroman?, here are some pics you may find interesting.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=968

[Veenture]

..., here are some pics you may find interesting.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=968

Nice pics Trent, Pleasant surprise to see a circuit board …on a guitar -as a pick guard. I remember now that I once made a circuit board-lampshade, more than 20 years back!
But boy, does that terrific looking blue Mo’ ever make me start drooling again…! Hallmark makes a nice one too; Candy Ink Blue…and …also a beautiful Pearl White…and a glowing Sunset Sparkle…and a delicious Candy Apple Red…and a stunning Fire Sparkle Burst and a gorgeous… (smack, drool)

Darn, now I’m gonna have to do some saving me-self too Justin...
Paul

[justin]

Thanks everybody for the hellos. And those photos of Crunches Mosrites are sweeeet! I didn't know he'd done a mod like that. Makes a lot of sense though lol

Veenture - I used to live across the channel from you up there in the UK by the way, but I'm in the states now. The avatar is actually Star Crunch, it's not me sadly. I cannot wait to order my 60 Custom. I'm not wanting to put it on credit (I cut up my cards last year. They are evil), so I'm having to save up the cash and it's a slow, agonising process. I've been thinking of selling my car or plasma or something to fatten up the pig.

[Bushers]

Welcome Justin, there are a few other guys from the UK on here, aswell as expats like myself