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We know that Loretta is suing Fillmore & Ed Roman for making Mosrites. We also know that, from what it appears, Fillmore owns the copyrite. Since Loretta is making her own version of Mosrites & they're being sold at some music store in Japan, can Fillmore counter-sue her for making those Mosrites?

Just wondering.

GTSP wrote:We know that Loretta is suing Fillmore & Ed Roman for making Mosrites. We also know that, from what it appears, Fillmore owns the copyrite. Since Loretta is making her own version of Mosrites & they're being sold at some music store in Japan, can Fillmore counter-sue her for making those Mosrites?

Just wondering.

If Loretta is making Mosrites to be sold in Japan, what is Dana making in California?
Such twists and turns.....the plot thickens......

Roger

Hi Roger,
It's kind of a legal can of worms, and I'm fairly certain there is more to the picture than what is being made public, and I honestly don't know what that may be. IMHO, anyone making and selling Mosrites is only bringing the name closer to the spotlight, so there is some good in it.
Dana is giving a handcrafted touch to the Fillmore line by hand winding pick-ups, dealing with the hardware and set-up.
Loretta is having an old family friend and ex-employee of Mosrite in the later years hand build two models of Mark 1, a '65 and a 63. I guess these are made very similarly to the ones made at Jonas Ridge??? Loretta has the rights to the Semie Moseley name and "Built In Soul"-as I understand it. Her models are the Semie Moseley Signature line, using the "Mosrite of California" logo, with Semie's signature occupying headstock space where The Ventures logo would be seen. I have no idea as to the quality and have heard no reports from anyone on this forum having handled one to compare. They do look nice, but man, are they expensive. It would be cool to have a Mark 1 with Semie's signature on it instead of The Ventures, but for me, not in this lifetime.
Okay, keep following...Fillmore does not have the right to sell the name "Mosrite of California" in the USA, so the have gone to the 'Mosrite Originals' for the Dana guitars. I think, but could be wrong, this is the result of a Summary Judgement made in a court in Japan when Fillmore attempted to stop Kurokumo from making the Excellent line, which bear the logo "Mosrite of California". I don't know, but maybe this is why Kurokumo has no distribution in the USA? But then, why would a court in Japan be ruling on guitars sold in the USA? Throw in Ed Roman. A lot of things don't add up, but at least some Mosrites are being made again.

Thanks for clearing a little more up. This is the first I've heard of the signature line. Any idea how one would even get their hands on one?

Strato-rama.........thanks for your imput. I've been in a daze, to say the least, over the Mosrite saga.......as I've posted previously, I bought a new one in 1964 or 1965, a Ventures model......and at the time, I knew of no one who owned one. I've been a Ventures fan ever since "Walk-Don't Run", and from the album jackets I knew they played them....
So when I saw one hanging up in a music store, I grabbed it for around $400, or so......including the hardshell case......
I traded it in on something else.......and stopped playing in a rock band in the late 60's.......
But recently, when I stumbled across Ed Roman's website.....I got stirred back up towards them, and have been trying to get any accurate information about them for a year or so....
One would have to say that it is indeed a testimony to the design and craftsmanship of Semie Moseley, to have "his" guitar so copied and sought-after.......and the funny thing is, unless one was already familiar with mosrite, they are still fairly unknown about.....
I was thinking about one of Ed Roman's 1966 Mark I's, but for $2200, or whatever they go for now.....I'd rather get a Hallmark custom 60 for $999.....basically the same or better playing guitar, looks every bit as good as mosrite, and at least we know where they are coming from.......

Hi Roger,
If you were seriously considering a '66 RI, call Artie at Front Porch Music and get one of the Dana Moseley(Semie Moseley's daughter who worked for her dad) assembled Fillmores--same model as Ed Roman's, except better, because Dana handwinds the pickups the way Daddy taught her. And, because you are a member of this Forum, believe me, you will want to deal with Artie , because members get a little price break.
I have a Hallmark 60 Custom, and can vouch for the quality, so I don't want to un-sell you there, just want you to be aware that there are other sources of Mosrites than Ed Roman, and much better prices are to be had, if you know what I mean.
To contact Front Porch, go to the sticky thread at the top of this board, Modern Mosrites & Clones, called Mosrites at Front Porch Music.
I don't envy you, because after you talk to Artie, and Bob Shade at Hallmark, you will have a very tough decision to make.
Sorry to veer off topic here, but just trying to help out fellow Mosrite fans/players.

Roger. I also owned a Mosrite in the early 70's and had a hard time with the thin neck. I presently own a Hallmark Custom 60 and couldn't be more pleased the neck is wider 1 5/8" and deeper 3/4" ,frets are also slightly taller. John

Here are some interesting production pictures I found surfing through a link Paul Veenture posted in another thread. It is photos of Jesus Diaz Huipe making "Semi Moseley Signature" Mark I s under the Loretta/Swing Science banner.

http://images.google.nl/imgres?imgurl=h ... s%3Disch:1

I'd love to get ahold of one of them Loretta Mosrites to see if it stands up to the Fillmores. I have a feeling that she'd pretty true to the design & produce a quality product.

From the pictures, the "Mosrite US Custom Shop" appears to be in Japan. Not that this in any way affects the quality of the product, it just seems to be a misrepresentation.