Here's a photo of a real mystery guitar. This guitar lives at the Country Music Hall Of Fame in Nashville and it is purported to be Don Rich's Mosrite. The only photo I've found of it (reproduced here) is from a very rare book of John Peden photographs published in Japan back in the 80's called "Rare Guitar Museum." These are Peden's photographs from the old Guitar World centerfolds, but the Mosrite/Buckaroo appears to be an unused outtake photo that was never published anywhere but this obscure Japanese book.
At any rate....this is an odd duck. The headstock says "Buckaroo by Moseley," but I believe that it was redone at some point to change the headstock profile and the brand. Everything else about this guitar says that it's a 1961-1962 era Mosrite with some special features. I'm guessing that the revamp may have been in the early 70's, aren't these the kind of cheaper tuners that Semie used on some of the 70's models? Don Rich died in 1974 so it would have to predate that.
The guitar looks like Semie was really trying to get Don Rich to switch from a Telecaster. There are some really unusual features for a Mosrite, including the maple fretboard, stop tailpiece that's very much like a Tele tailpiece, and the volume/tone knob configuration which also appears to be swiped straight from the Tele design.
Other than that, it looks like a 1961-1962 era "Joe Maphis" model Mosrite, and I bet that's what it started out life as.
Sorry the end of the image is a little blurred, but I had to scan this from a book and couldn't get it flat on the scanner. image copyright John Peden.
Keep scrolling down after this pic for another oddity.
Deke
Now...about that "Buckaroo" brand...I doubt that it had any relation, but this guitar washed ashore a few years ago on ebay. it's a real oddity, a "Parts-Rite" for sure with parts from every Bakersfield brand on it! It's got a Mosrite stop tailpiece on the upper neck, a Gruggett Stradette body, Hallmark pickups, Standel vibrato, and the icing on the cake, Epcor necks (note that the "M" is actually a sideways "E" on these Mosrite-style necks, that identify them as Epcor). Talk about an oddity! Note also that the top neck is actually a 14-string guitar.
But I don't think the "Buck-O-Roo" brand is the same as the "Buckaroo by Moseley" on the Don Rich guitar. For one thing, they're spelled differently, the logos are totally different, and the doubleneck is so crude I don't believe it was made by Semie or any other Mosrite employee. Bill Gruggett says he doesn't recognize this instrument. A real mystery but I thought I would throw it in here because of the "Buckaroo" connection. (Obviously, if you're from Russia, you might not know this but Buck Owens band was called the Buckaroos, so there lies the connection)
Deke
Don Rich's 1961-1962 era Mosrite "Buckaroo" guitar!!
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Re: Don Rich's 1961-1962 era Mosrite "Buckaroo" guitar!!
Deke posted:
But I don't think the "Buck-O-Roo" brand is the same as the "Buckaroo by Moseley" on the Don Rich guitar. For one thing, they're spelled differently, the logos are totally different, and the doubleneck is so crude I don't believe it was made by Semie or any other Mosrite employee. Bill Gruggett says he doesn't recognize this instrument. A real mystery but I thought I would throw it in here because of the "Buckaroo" connection. (Obviously, if you're from Russia, you might not know this but Buck Owens band was called the Buckaroos, so there lies the connection)
Deke
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g143/ ... SC2282.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g143/ ... SC2286.jpg
OK..I'll take a stab at this.Could this possibly be 1 of the 1st Copies of a Double Stradette
from the late 60s/early 70s from the Univox/Guyatone/Kawaii-Teisco Era with some parts
replaced with American pieces ??? After all, the Hi-Flyers were already in production and
just about everyone was starting to go into the "Copying Business" before it came to a head
in the mid to late 70s...........................
AGAIN, this is just a Stab.............
But I don't think the "Buck-O-Roo" brand is the same as the "Buckaroo by Moseley" on the Don Rich guitar. For one thing, they're spelled differently, the logos are totally different, and the doubleneck is so crude I don't believe it was made by Semie or any other Mosrite employee. Bill Gruggett says he doesn't recognize this instrument. A real mystery but I thought I would throw it in here because of the "Buckaroo" connection. (Obviously, if you're from Russia, you might not know this but Buck Owens band was called the Buckaroos, so there lies the connection)
Deke
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g143/ ... SC2282.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g143/ ... SC2286.jpg
OK..I'll take a stab at this.Could this possibly be 1 of the 1st Copies of a Double Stradette
from the late 60s/early 70s from the Univox/Guyatone/Kawaii-Teisco Era with some parts
replaced with American pieces ??? After all, the Hi-Flyers were already in production and
just about everyone was starting to go into the "Copying Business" before it came to a head
in the mid to late 70s...........................
AGAIN, this is just a Stab.............
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: Don Rich's 1961-1962 era Mosrite "Buckaroo" guitar!!
It's a good guess, but I don't think so, only because everything on this guitar is a genuine part from a Bakersfield manufacturer. Except that Bill Gruggett doesn't remember the body, but he said it could have been one of his bodies that got away from him.
Best guess any of us nerds have been able to take so far is that it may have been another ex-Mosrite and ex-Hallmark employee who was making guitars in the late 60's and early 70's named Don Stanley. Does that name ring a bell with anybody?
And lastly, Mr. Elliot you don't remember seeing THIS one back in those days do you? Or do you remember a "Dee Corby?"
Thanks,
Deke
Best guess any of us nerds have been able to take so far is that it may have been another ex-Mosrite and ex-Hallmark employee who was making guitars in the late 60's and early 70's named Don Stanley. Does that name ring a bell with anybody?
And lastly, Mr. Elliot you don't remember seeing THIS one back in those days do you? Or do you remember a "Dee Corby?"
Thanks,
Deke
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Re: Don Rich's 1961-1962 era Mosrite "Buckaroo" guitar!!
I think this topic needs some more discussion.
Bump.
Bump.
1966 Ventures II (German Carved, B670.)
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Re: Don Rich's 1961-1962 era Mosrite "Buckaroo" guitar!!
Most interesting stuff. There's nothing I can add to it really, accept that the Dee Corby BuckOroo needs an awful lot of strings before it can play
Now, if we can only get a pic of Don Rich playing his(or any) Mosrite!
Now, if we can only get a pic of Don Rich playing his(or any) Mosrite!
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Re: Don Rich's 1961-1962 era Mosrite "Buckaroo" guitar!!
Ya , Don Rich also owned #001-1963 Ventures model.
Pictures of that would be awesome.
Jim
Pictures of that would be awesome.
Jim
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Re: Don Rich's 1961-1962 era Mosrite "Buckaroo" guitar!!
super cool don rich guitar! Great rare find!
I regret not the things i have done, but the gear i did not buy.
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Re: Don Rich's 1961-1962 era Mosrite "Buckaroo" guitar!!
The Dee Corby guitar pictured above belonged to my girlfriend's father. Here is what he told us about it in an email:
"Dear Tanya and Jeff...
This guitar was made for me when I was a DJ on
the radio 6 days a week and was playing music 6
nights a week in Santa Maria, California...
Don Stanley had a small manufacturing company in
California called BuckOroo Guitars...
Don offered to make a double-neck guitar for me
(at 'cost') for publicity for his company...
Of course, I agreed to play it...
That was in 1968 (approximately)...
I played this guitar until we left California for
Nebraska in 1976...
When we moved to Nebraska I didn't play music
for over a year...
When I did start to play music again it was with a
small band and just once in a while here and there...
Eventually, I ended-up playing music 6 nights a week
in Omaha...
That's when I worked with Paul Unruh for about
a year...
Then we decided to move back to California...
We sold some things and rented a trailer to tow
the stuff we wanted to keep back there...
Paul said that he was going to move to California also...
Paul was a good friend (I thought) and we didn't have
room on the trailer for my double-neck guitar and a
4-track tape recorder...
Paul offered to bring them with him when he came
out...
I didn't have a problem with that because I thought
he was a friend...
However, Paul never showed up in California...
That was in about 1981...
I never saw my double-neck guitar again
Love, Dad"
Dee is now 72 and still playing locally here in the Omaha area when time and health permit. We have been trying to locate the guitar for some time, as he would really like to get his hands on it again because it has great sentimental value to the family. This afternoon I located a photo of it on Deke Dickerson's web site. It is apparently now part of his collection. If anyone is in contact with him, please let him know that we are trying to get in touch and forward my contact information to him (email: jcamp7@cox.net, phone 402-598-1136).
Thanks,
Jeff
"Dear Tanya and Jeff...
This guitar was made for me when I was a DJ on
the radio 6 days a week and was playing music 6
nights a week in Santa Maria, California...
Don Stanley had a small manufacturing company in
California called BuckOroo Guitars...
Don offered to make a double-neck guitar for me
(at 'cost') for publicity for his company...
Of course, I agreed to play it...
That was in 1968 (approximately)...
I played this guitar until we left California for
Nebraska in 1976...
When we moved to Nebraska I didn't play music
for over a year...
When I did start to play music again it was with a
small band and just once in a while here and there...
Eventually, I ended-up playing music 6 nights a week
in Omaha...
That's when I worked with Paul Unruh for about
a year...
Then we decided to move back to California...
We sold some things and rented a trailer to tow
the stuff we wanted to keep back there...
Paul said that he was going to move to California also...
Paul was a good friend (I thought) and we didn't have
room on the trailer for my double-neck guitar and a
4-track tape recorder...
Paul offered to bring them with him when he came
out...
I didn't have a problem with that because I thought
he was a friend...
However, Paul never showed up in California...
That was in about 1981...
I never saw my double-neck guitar again
Love, Dad"
Dee is now 72 and still playing locally here in the Omaha area when time and health permit. We have been trying to locate the guitar for some time, as he would really like to get his hands on it again because it has great sentimental value to the family. This afternoon I located a photo of it on Deke Dickerson's web site. It is apparently now part of his collection. If anyone is in contact with him, please let him know that we are trying to get in touch and forward my contact information to him (email: jcamp7@cox.net, phone 402-598-1136).
Thanks,
Jeff
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Re: Don Rich's 1961-1962 era Mosrite "Buckaroo" guitar!!
What a strange turn this took.
I left a message on Deke's phone about the guitar.
I left a message on Deke's phone about the guitar.
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Re: Don Rich's 1961-1962 era Mosrite "Buckaroo" guitar!!
Thanks for doing that. I hope my post wasn't out of line for the forum, but it would really mean a lot to the family. By the way, I didn't know anything about Mosrite guitars, so trying to track this thing down has really been an education for me. I've been listening to them for a couple of days now on YouTube and those things really sound amazing. I could never quite master the guitar, but earlier in life I was a piano and violin player. Being around Dee and his family has rekindled my interest in making music. Maybe I'll give the guitar another shot.
Thanks again,
Jeff
Thanks again,
Jeff
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