mosriteforum.com

Anyone here ever play a Mosrite V3, ie the three pickup version of the Ventures model? I'm curious what the pickup combinations sound like. Any other info or pictures would be great too.
Thanks,
Mel

I've never seen or heard one before in person. I have seen examples depicted on the internet. Here is a schematic drawing of the three pickup Mosrite, borrowed from Michael Marks website, http://home.insightbb.com/~mosrite/wsb/ ... html-.html

Looking over the drawings, I find it is an intriguing wiring configuration, and would definitely be something I'd like to try. I can see that there would be an extreme variety of sounds using this layout.

Wow, that does look like some amazing sonic territory. I'd love to have one that looks like the one that Semie's holding in this picture. I've never seen one like that before, with three pickups and a pickguard. I wonder if any of the Mosrite style luthiers out there now could make one like it. Though for looks, I'd put a tone knob on there.
EDIT: IMAGE REMOVED

It should be a fairly simple job for any qualified luthier to route the extra pick up cavity. That is, as long as there is enough spacing between the other two. It's possible the three pickup versions a 25 1/2" scale length to allow more distance between the bridge and pickguard.

BTW, the photo from Mosrite US, won't come up as it says on their website all photographs, video's and audio's are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced. I'll keep searching the internet as I would like to have a photo of a three pickup Mosrite here on the forum for future reference.

Gotcha on the image, I removed it from the post.

So, I didn't realize that some Mosrites had a 25.5" scale - when did that start? It explains how they got a middle pickup in there when it doesn't look like it would fit on the 24.75" scale neck!

As for the picture, it was a Ventures Mark I style, sunburst with three pickups and a standard style pickguard, with the toggles on the lower bout where the toggle on the two pickup model is. I guess it must have been a 25.5" scale guitar, so it wouldn't be just a matter of modifying a stock two pickup model. Oh well.

Dennis,
I've seen that one before and it's a beaut! This one was unusual in that it had the controls in a pickguard instead of body mount and the toggles were on the bout instead of the body.
Mel

Mel, you're right. I've seen that somewhere B4. I wish to heck I knew where I saw it.....??

MWaldorf wrote:I'm curious what the pickup combinations sound like. Any other info or pictures would be great too.
Thanks,

Here's some pics I got from tym guitars web site.


I've played one of these a long time ago and It played pretty good.

Bob Shade told me that Semie called these the American model. I think VIII came into the Mosrite vernacular simply because of the V (Ventures/Victory) body shape and the 3 (III) pickups.

The wiring scheme is simple and very versatile - excellent for a studio guitar, not great for live changes on the fly. Each pickup has its own three-position mini-switch: On-Off-Phase. Basically like a Strat but with many more permutations. Unfortunately, many of these guitars left the factory miswired, which I believe led to the Phase position being dropped altogether - just On-Off. Too bad. Being able to reverse one coil to cancel the hum of its neighbor (or not) was what made these so genius.

This is the After Fire serial prototype for what would become the American/VIII production model. Note the large dot inlays and mini-switch placement, in addition to the more intricate German carve. The color is California Grape.