Here's a photo of the first "Mosrite" I ever owned, bought for $300 at a pawn shop in bakersfield in 1992 (those were the days).
It's most obviously an aftermarket "Parts-Rite" guitar, most likely built by Gene Moles. I have never seen another one exactly like this where they put an octave neck on a body already routed out for a 12-string neck...and just covered up all the holes with tortoise shell pickguard material! hilarious...
I've seen some other talk on the forum about parts guitars and this is probably as good of a time as any to discuss these "Parts-Rite" guitars.
Basically, when Mosrite went bankrupt in 1968 a lot of employees got paid off in parts. Gene Moles, for his back pay, received a ton--and I do mean ton--of Mosrite bodies, necks, pickups, tuners, bridges, vibratos, etc. Gene was not the only one who got parts, but he was the main one. For years, guitars with "GM" on the headstocks were seen with leftover Mosrite stuff assembled together, and Gene also sold guitars like these which were essentially bolt-together Mosrite stuff but sometimes had no name on it.
Gene Moles had so much stuff left over that several vintage dealers, including the infamous Fatdog in Berkeley, bought boxes and boxes of stuff from Gene, and they proceeded to make some parts-rites as well. After Gene died a few years back some folks like Bob Shade from Hallmark managed to get some period correct Kluson tuners and things like that. The Mosrite factory was auctioned off in 1968 and it can only be presumed that many guitars were built (by who?) from the bodies, necks and parts sold at the factory auction.
In addition--and this should not be underestimated--by all accounts I've heard, another big reason Mosrite went bankrupt was because many employees stole stuff left and right to make their own guitars. I don't know how many times I've heard that from people. So there are undoubtedly lots of THOSE guitars floating around too.
Which comes around to the conclusion that there are a LOT of "Parts-Rite" guitars out there. Some of them are plain old Mosrite forgeries, that lots of folks probably accept as being genuine Mosrites until they start looking at them with a discerning eye. Some of them are odd one-off custom creations, that just happen to use Mosrite parts. And some of them are just odd, like this one.
The headstocks were blank when I got this one. I made some primitive paper stickers that said "Mosrite Special" only to make it look more like Joe Maphis' guitar!
Deke
The "Parts-Rite" doubleneck..and discussion on "Parts-Rites"
- Deke Dickerson
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Re: The "Parts-Rite" doubleneck..and discussion on "Parts-Rites"
Fortunately for us, all of those indescrepences will keep the price somewhat afoordaple compared to other makes.
If it hasn't been done before, there's a reason why.
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Re: The "Parts-Rite" doubleneck..and discussion on "Parts-Rites"
Except for the heartbreaking times I have talked to people who have paid upwards of 3K for "Parts-Rites" thinking they were the real deal...there's a lot of tomfoolery going on ebay too...
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Re: The "Parts-Rite" doubleneck..and discussion on "Parts-Rites"
Deke Dickerson wrote:Except for the heartbreaking times I have talked to people who have paid upwards of 3K for "Parts-Rites" thinking they were the real deal...there's a lot of tomfoolery going on ebay too...
SAD, BUT TRUE......
make the Mos' of it, choose the 'rite stuff.
.........Owner of 9 Mosrites...
.....proud owner and documented:
1963 "the Ventures" Model s/n #0038
http://www.thevintagerockproject.com/
.........Owner of 9 Mosrites...
.....proud owner and documented:
1963 "the Ventures" Model s/n #0038
http://www.thevintagerockproject.com/
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Re: The "Parts-Rite" doubleneck..and discussion on "Parts-Rites"
Hey Deke, I've seen your first Mosrite Double neck before, when it was new, It was brought to my guitar shop in Bakersfield, late 1972 early 73. It was put togeither at the factory out of some old parts for and Mosrite employee named Sam Waldrop, the body and octave neck was from the 60s, but the standard neck was from 72, I remember the real nice cherryburst finish and no logos and the pickup patch. I asked him why he did'nt get it silk-screened, he said he could'nt sneak it through the screening dept., I'm thinking the hold thing was snuck out the back door when it was finished, but maybe not, he said he worked of the price of the guitar.
Eddy
Eddy
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Re: The "Parts-Rite" doubleneck..and discussion on "Parts-Rites"
Hey Ed! that's awesome. Now I know the story of the guitar. A true "Parts-Rite" if there ever was one.
Deke
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Re: The "Parts-Rite" doubleneck..and discussion on "Parts-Rites"
As sad that it is that the company was rumored to go under cause guys were stealing parts, building and selling guitars on the side. These "out the back door" guitars do make for some pretty cool stories.
But who knows, maybe if the company stayed in business hunting down and finding these things wouldn't be as exciting as it is.
But who knows, maybe if the company stayed in business hunting down and finding these things wouldn't be as exciting as it is.
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Re: The "Parts-Rite" doubleneck..and discussion on "Parts-Rites"
Brian wrote:As sad that it is that the company was rumored to go under cause guys were stealing parts, building and selling guitars on the side. These "out the back door" guitars do make for some pretty cool stories.
But who knows, maybe if the company stayed in business hunting down and finding these things wouldn't be as exciting as it is.
Brian, I had mentioned a while back in another thread, all of these types of things mentioned here did not help. I, as well as a few other members on this Forum, are aware of this kind of 'nonsense' going on ALL THE TIME at factories in general. But as far as guitar factories, I have heard some "WILD" stories back in the early 90s up in the Northeast. But with a LOT OF INFO that has been put on this Forum, just convinces me time and time again....bottom line...Basically, the Amp Division did Semie in. Was he a good Businessman? No, that's one of the reasons why he was in and out of business numerous times (besides his luck). But Semie didn't have to worry about the Businees side of it in the early days. They had people doing that part of the job. And I'm being very basic when I say this. But the Folks who were responsible for getting Semie started?.............................
are the Same Folks that did him in............
make the Mos' of it, choose the 'rite stuff.
.........Owner of 9 Mosrites...
.....proud owner and documented:
1963 "the Ventures" Model s/n #0038
http://www.thevintagerockproject.com/
.........Owner of 9 Mosrites...
.....proud owner and documented:
1963 "the Ventures" Model s/n #0038
http://www.thevintagerockproject.com/
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