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Best Mosrite style guitar?

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2018 9:11 pm
by MR. Howell
OK new guy here. What is the best Mosrite style? It must have the exact Mosrite neck profile. What are the best you know of thanks. :?

Re: Best Mosrite style guitar?

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2018 8:34 am
by LoveyX
Welcome to the forum!
Feel free to visit the introduction page and tell us about yourself.
But to answer your question, the best Mosrite style guitar according to the general consensus here is the Hallmark Custom 60.
If you can get your hands on a Kurokumo or Fillmore copy they are good too, but can be very expensive, sometimes more than a vintage Mosrite would run you...
Probably the best bang for the buck in a Mosrite style guitar with some nice updates is the Hallmark.

Re: Best Mosrite style guitar?

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2018 10:48 pm
by MR. Howell
What about Dillon?

Re: Best Mosrite style guitar?

Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2018 5:40 am
by Tronman
For the exact same neck profile, I'd go with one of Dana Moseley's Mosrites. It's the real deal. But even though I like the sound. I don't like the Mosrite neck profile, so I went with a Hallmark 65 Custom at 1/3 the price. It's easier to play chords and sounds great, especially if you put on a pair of Dana-Mo pickups. Then it sounds exactly like a Mosrite.

Re: Best Mosrite style guitar?

Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:13 am
by MozRite
MR. Howell wrote:What about Dillon?


I had a Dillion but to be fair it was a circa 2000 model so it was an early one and I can't comment on the new ones. For what it was it was a fine guitar. It didn't feel like a Mosrite and didn't sound like one but on it's own it felt and sounded really good, but if you want a Mosrite style guitar that sounds and feels then it won't be it with the Dillion. I ended up selling it to a friend and about 5 years ago I saw some of the new Dillions on eBay and wanted one. The new trem although not a Mosrite trem, looked pretty interesting and good.

I actually had purchased some Ed Elliot Mosrite pickups just to install in the Dillion but never got around to it. Would it have sounded like a Mosrite if I had installed them? I don't know.

But if you want close to a Mosrite without spending on a Mosrite then the Hallmark by all accounts. I never played one so I can't tell you from experience but I can tell you from what I read that people are saying these are just like but a bit better than vintage Mosrites.

Re: Best Mosrite style guitar?

Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:18 am
by MozRite
I recently got a Japanese Mosrite which is called a Mosrite Avenger. I love it. Feels awesome and sounds spot on. You can find them on eBay for the range of about $800 to $1,100. If shipped from Japan expect $120 shipping or if from the US maybe $50 to $60 shipping charge. Some come with cases and some don't. Some are less than $800 and some more, but the normal range is the range I stated. Mind was from N. California and I am in So Cal so the shipping was fast to get to me and $50. It was $600 so it was less than some.

So I may suggest a Hallmark if you want to avoid any possible issues a vintage guitar can have or I can suggest a Mosrite Avenger which are late '60s to probably early '70s. These are made by Firstman.

Oh wait I can suggest a Morales made by Zen-On which became Firstman. Moralese Mosrites were made from about 1967 to 1969 then they became Firstman Mosrite Avengers. These can be had for about $500 plus shipping. I have one and the trem is good and the sound is good BUT it doesn't really sound like a Mosrite because it's made of Mahogany which is a really heavy wood which changes the sound. So I suggest this if you want a good guitar for a good price that sounds good in it's own right but if you need it to sound like a Mosrite I don't suggest Morales. Same with Dillion.

Re: Best Mosrite style guitar?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 9:34 pm
by 101Volts
I'm not 100% certain but doesn't the vibrato (I'm not calling it a "Tremolo") effect the tone? Supposedly, it gives a chime sound to the instrument? If so, isn't a Hallmark closer?

- Austin

Re: Best Mosrite style guitar?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:29 pm
by MozRite
I agree with 101Volts that the vibrato does affect the tone. Just listen to a Strat Trem (sorry calling it a trem since everyone does) and Jag/Jazzmaster trem sound very different. The Mosrite/Hallmark vibrato sounds a lot different than the Bigsby and Strat and Jag/Jazzmaster. I love the Mosrite unit, it gives a very unique effect.