What do I have?

[jfine]

Great story! And it's cool that your mom remembers so many details about ordering that guitar--does she play?
By '74, Semie was back in production, with distribution by Pacific Music Supply, but those had a slightly bigger headstock--yours has the '60's style. The '74 production models also used the new Mosrite humbucking pickups with two rows of pole screws, yours has the late-'60's type single-coils. The lack of a logo and the special-order white pickguard seems to indicate that the guitar was ordered from someone who was assembling Mosrites from leftover '60's parts, and may not have been affiliated with the new Mosrite company that Semie was starting up, although Semie did a lot of special-order stuff too--but if that guitar had been built on his watch, it surely would have had a logo--unless it was an under-the-table deal to get around the distributor. Maybe Buck Owens or his organization was selling those? I've never heard of such a thing, but in the convoluted history of Mosrite, almost anything's possible! I bought a new Mosrite, a Stereo 350, in '74, and it had all the standard features as shown in the catalog that Pacific Music Supply put out that year--the humbuckers, wider neck and bigger frets, and Grover tuners. The Ventures Model/Mark I in the catalog had the humbuckers and Grovers too. The Pacific Music deal didn't last too long--maybe a year or so.

[Tate98]

Keep in mind I know ZERO about guitars....

Is there anything easy to take apart that might give better info? When I say easy, think of an 8 year old with a screw driver... hehe I definitely don't want to mess anything up... break anything... or not be able to easily get it back together.

[Dennisthe Menace]

Keep in mind I know ZERO about guitars....
Is there anything easy to take apart that might give better info? When I say easy, think of an 8 year old with a screw driver... hehe I definitely don't want to mess anything up... break anything... or not be able to easily get it back together.

First of all, I would tell the 8 year old to use a phillips screwdriver to remove the pickguard. Be extra careful removing the guard from under the strings.
Now look for a series of numbers on the potentiometers (pot controls). These will only tell you the exact week and year the pots were manufactured,but
it will give you a better idea of when the guitar was built..... .

[dubtrub]

use a phillips screwdriver to remove the pickguard. Be extra careful removing the guard from under the strings.
Now look for a series of numbers on the potentiometers (pot controls). These will only tell you the exact week and year the pots were manufactured,but
it will give you a better idea of when the guitar was built..... . [/i]

Next you'll have to plug the numbers into a site that can translate those number codes.

http://www.guitardaterproject.org/potcodereader.aspx

[Dennisthe Menace]

Thanks Danny, I only forgot the most important part....

[Tate98]

Ok. Got the phillips.... But what's a Pots?

[Dennisthe Menace]

Pots=Potentiometers (Volume and Tone controls)....

[Tate98]

134?809 BA81 can't tell what's between the 4 and 8.

Anything else that might give a sign or idea?

[MOSDAN]

Jfine,
I have a white Mosrite, built in the seventies, with a white pickguard. As you said, the usual colored pickguard for the Mosrites is not white but I have seen 4 with white pickguards including mine. Please see the guitar closest to the door in the photo. Since this picture was taken I have collected other Mosrites as I am somewhat of a Mosrite nut. Please note that some of these are Semie made, some are made by Dana Moseley(Semie's daughter), and some are Kurokumo. I am the original owner and first purchaser of the white guitar so I know it's history and yes it is a great guitar. The 2 characters in the photo are my band members walking in perfect time.
Mosdan

[jfine]

MOSDAN--that's a great pic! I've seen pics of the blue sparkle burst one on the right--that's my favorite of the bunch. Beautiful! And the cats are cool too, as long as they don't use your guitars as scratching posts...