Mosrite Custom Combo question

[Mainlente]

I have a 1968 Mosrite Combo that has been masterfully customized. As you can see from the pictures, the binding has been removed and the body has been beautifully contoured, especially the bass side of the lower bout. Consequently, it is a very comfortable guitar to hold.

The question I have is whether this was a one-off experiment by Semie or was the custom work done later by some other luthier?

[Dennisthe Menace]

I have a 1968 Mosrite Combo that has been masterfully customized. As you can see from the pictures, the binding has been removed and the body has been beautifully contoured, especially the bass side of the lower bout. Consequently, it is a very comfortable guitar to hold.

The question I have is whether this was a one-off experiment by Semie or was the custom work done later by some other luthier?

First of all, Welcome to the Forum Mainlente.
I have a few questions, first of all, when you say masterfully customized, are these things that you know of, that were changed on the guitar? Is the guitar a refin, and if so, are you sure the binding was removed, or was it just painted over? Do you still have the original Bridge? When was "the Ventures" decal put on? Are you the Original Owner?

[dubtrub]

Hey Mainlente,

Glad to see you make it over here from the ReRanch forum. Hopefully you'll get the answers you are seeking here. Dennis is pretty knowledgeable about the combo's.

Did your every get your Mark 1 project refinished and assembled? I recently posted a response to your topic over there but I don't know if you saw it. If you get chance, post some photo's of it and it's progress in the 'Projects & How to' forum here.

Also, stop by our introduction forum and tell us a little about yourself.

[Mainlente]

Thanks, Dennisthe Menace, for your welcome. I'll try to answer your questions the best I can.

I have a few questions, first of all, when you say masterfully customized, are these things that you know of, that were changed on the guitar?
Having held and played other Combos, this is definitely different from them. I don't see how the contour on the bass-side lower bout could be achieved without removing the binding. It's almost like a Stratocaster in the way it's shaped.

Is the guitar a refin, and if so, are you sure the binding was removed, or was it just painted over?
If Semie didn't do this himself, then whoever contoured the body refinished it. But I will tell you this, Dennis, it is a superb job. The high glossy finish is of OEM quality. Plus, there is no evidence of overspray anywhere. I checked the binding of the f-hole very closely. This was a very high-end job — which leads me to suspect this was a Semie custom, which, as you know, he was inclined to do from time to time. The neck has aged beautifully and the binding of the fingerboard has that yellowing found on vintage instruments.

Do you still have the original Bridge?
I don't know if you're familiar with Curtis Muldoon up in Canada. He acquired a warehouse full of Semie's tools, bodies, necks, and other spare parts from one of Semie's creditors. He informed me that Semie had been experimenting with different types roller bridges. This may be one of them, I don't know. The one he ultimately chose is the one that's on Semie's guitars from the Jonas Ridge era.

When was "the Ventures" decal put on?
Do you know about Tym's Guitars? He is certainly one of the leading authorities on Mosrites. (He has a very interesting history of Mosrites on his website.) I asked him about The Ventures decal on the headstock. He told me a fascinating story. He said, back in the '60s, guitar dealers were having a hard time moving Mosrite guitars other than The Ventures models. So, to help sell slow moving inventory, it was a common practice for some dealers to put The Ventures decals on the headstocks to stimulate interest in them. So, it is conceivable that the music store that originally sold this guitar in 1968 could have put the sticker on there. It was on when I bought the guitar.

Are you the Original Owner?
No, I bought it a couple of years ago from a guy who really didn't know what he had.

[dubtrub]

I have a 1968 Mosrite Combo that has been masterfully customized.
The question I have is whether this was a one-off experiment by Semie or was the custom work done later by some other luthier?

I don't want to sound too discouraging or disappointing, and will say up front that it is a beautiful guitar, but I have a strong feeling this is either a parts guitar or one highly modified by someone other than Semie Moseley.

Here are some points of observation to consider.

Regarding the Ventures logo on the headstock, It should be easy to tell if it is a decal or not. By comparing the Ventures logo to the Mosrite logo, look closely at it and see if you can see the outline where it would have been cut out with a pair of scissors. If so, then it has been applied aftermarket. Semie never used decals as that was a Fender 'thing'. Mosrite logo's were all silk screened on then heavy coats of clear shot over the top to seal it. Even if a decal has been cleared coated after being applied, it would still have the tell tell outline showing that is a decal and not silk screened. If it is a true silk screened logo then that would tell me that the neck isn't original to that guitar but from an actual Ventures model.

Also that roller bridge appears to be the same as used on the old Univox Hi Flyer Mosrite clone guitars made in Japan. Semie did design a different roller bridge in the mid to late '80s but it still looked very similar to his standard roller bridges and similar to the Tune-0-Matic roller bridge. He used the same bridge plate on this experimental design. The one on your guitar doesn't appear to have the Mosrite bridge plate.

[dorkrockrecords]

It is also worth noting that even though they rarely make it to this side of the Pacific, over the years there have been copies of the Combo made in Japan as well, and the body shape is not quite true to the original. They usual show up in Sunburst or Red, and I believe they have been made with and without binding.

Here is one such example:
http://www16.plala.or.jp/christmas1956/ ... uitar.html

[dubtrub]

Here is one such example:
http://www16.plala.or.jp/christmas1956/ ... uitar.html

Wow! .....and it even has the Ventures logo and the full size Moseley vibrato plate.

[Dennisthe Menace]

Here is one such example:
http://www16.plala.or.jp/christmas1956/ ... uitar.html

Wow! .....and it even has the Ventures logo and the full size Moseley vibrato plate.

Hey Gang,
Before everybody gets excited, that S.B. Combo may be a Japanese copy (no doubt w/the Ventures Logo), but it ACTUALLY is a copy of the NEW COMBO that Semie was working on, in which the Body was downsized back in '90-'91 and obvious enough, it was called the Mini-Combo .

[dubtrub]

This is the roller bridge I was referring to in my post above. Notice the angled string rollers. I can't imagine this thing possibly working right as the string would break rather quickly. Either this was a poor design flaw or this is a discarded reject item that has been resurrected.