Still don't own a Mosrite, but want to

[Vance Directive]

My home in Illinois was recently burglarized and I lost 3 guitars. The sum value is something close to $2000. When the insurance sorts out my claim, I hope to come into a lump sum which may afford me a Mosrite. Anyone suggest a good rout to go with used Mosrites? Maybe a hollowbody might fetch lower prices than vintage Mark series guitars. I'm all ears at this early stage of the game. But I really love that Mosrite growl and a Fender-type guitar just won't suffice at this point.
Vance

[Vance Directive]

Dudes on SG101 forum tell me Hallmark Custom 60 gets to within 85% of the feel and sound of '60s vintage Mosrite Mark I, better than new Kuromoko Mosrites. Any thoughts on the matter?

[Bob Shade]

Hello Vance, I just posted a message on your other link. Here is even more info on the Hallmarks that you can check out:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hallmark ... 7076842763

[StevieSTL]

Vance, sorry to hear about the burglary. That is a bummer. I have a Mosrite Celebrity I was considering putting up for sale, it would be right under a grand. Its a Celebrity 2 faded red/orange ser # K0543. I haven't listed it yet or anything. If you are interested PM me. Thanks! -SG

[101Volts]

Hi, welcome. The Ventures I AKA "Mark I" is one of the most expensive Mosrite guitars out there at the moment, funny thing is it's behind the Slab Body Ventures II in price and demand; Johnny Ramone played that model. Semie Moseley didn't like it and then discontinued it because he thought it looked too cheap for the Mosrite brand. Yes, Celebrity (Hollow body) models are generally cheaper and the Brass Rail, while not as well known, is an expensive one. The cheaper ones you're apt to find are the German Carve Ventures II/Mark V (Same body shape, I have one) and the Celebrity models. Maybe a Combo and/or Joe Maphis Single Neck model too. If you're looking for something from later on in Mosrite years, maybe a Bluesbender or the Telecaster inspired guitar which is a 300 or 350 Mono/Stereo, depending on if you want a single or double pickup model. There are also some Ventures I/Mark I type guitars from the early 1970s which have a bunch of extra electronics and humbuckers.

- Austin

[jfine]

'60's Mosrites can be iffy in quality. The early-'60's ones were mostly hand-built, but they can be really expensive. By the mid-'60's they were cranking them out in pretty large numbers, and quality could suffer as a result, but it's certainly possible to find nice ones from any period in Mosrite's production history. The '60's ones have tiny narrow necks with almost non-existent frets, that some people (me, for instance!) find uncomfortable to play, but some people love them. I bought a Stereo 350 new in '74--its neck was wider than the '60's ones, with bigger frets, still pretty thin in profile, but much nicer to play than the '60's necks. The build quality on those early-to-mid-'70's ones was much more consistent. Mine didn't twang very well; it had Mosrite humbuckers on a mahogany body and neck, so it was quite fat-sounding. Those are pretty rare--I don't think I've seen another one for sale ever.
If what you're after is something like a Ventures model, I'd recommend a Hallmark. I've got a 60 Custom, and I like it a lot better than most of the vintage Mosrites I've tried. Some of the Fillmore stuff from Japan is quite nice--I've got a friend who has a really good one--but they're not any better than the Hallmark and usually pricier, and they seem to be hard to find. Of course they do say "Mosrite" on the headstock, but that's not a big deal for me. Now if Semie was still building them...