A 1950's 3/4 size Mosrite guitar...

[Deke Dickerson]

Here's a guitar that I remember seeing at Norm's Rare Guitars in Reseda in the early 1990's. At the time Norm wanted $800 for it, and because the guitar was a 3/4 size guitar, I didn't feel like it was worth coughing up that much money. (CHOKE) Oh well, live and learn!

Supposedly this guitar was either made for (take your pick) Jody Maphis, Larry Collins, a child of a preacher friend...all good stories but nobody knows the real story.

It turned up in Vintage Guitar magazine a while back as part of Mike Campbell's collection (from Tom Petty's band). This makes sense as Tom Petty and Mike Campbell have been paying Norm's Rare Guitar's rent for the last 25 years with all the guitars they buy from him. Of course, the person in charge of maintaining Campbell's collection identified it as a "Univox Mosrite Copy." I recognized this guitar right away from my memory of it being at Norm's.

Probably 1956-1958. A custom hand-made creation, one of a kind. It's no coincidence that when Hallmark made the Deke model guitar it looked very similar to this one....guess it stuck in my mind, ha ha!!

Deke

[Strat-o-rama]

The prototype for the Hallmark Deke Model!!!

Is it semi-hollow (or semi-solid body) like the doublenecks?

[Deke Dickerson]

I can't remember if this one had a carved back or a flat back....but these are all hollow body guitars with either a solid rail running from the neck to the tailpiece, OR some of them just had a maple block under the bridge....but they are definitely hollow guitars, not solid.

[Dennisthe Menace]

Deke,
I just came across this and was wandering if this could be the same guitar in the first post of this thread.....???
Taken from AUGUST '07 Archives of:

"Bakersfield Country Music Museum"

Today I went to the Bakersfield Country Music Museum show. They had a very touching ceremony where they gave a guitar to Johnny Burnette Jr. It was a custom built 3/4 size model that Johnny Burnette built for his son. It was made by Moserite in Bakersfield. It was owned by various people through the years: Johnny Harrell, Rockwell from Trout's, and Artie from Front Porch Music. Artie felt it should be returned to Johnny Burnette, Jr. and so it was. They found that due to it being so unique, and the history behind it, it was now worth $15,000.

The show was very entertaining, with a main act and other people sitting in. I was invited to sing by the MC, Jerry Bowen. I told him for sure next time. Theresa Spanky was one of the guest singers who did a really great job. I am pretty sure that she also sang at the Dale Watson show at Fishlips a few Sundays ago. Because she likes to sing Your Cheating Heart in G, but Hank originally recorded that song in C. She knew what key was good for her voice though, and she called G the key of George, and C was Charlie. She also did an Emmy Lou Harris number, 2 more bottles of wine.

The Bakersfield Country Music Museum has a website, so check it out.


Posted in these Groups:
Topics: bakersfield, country music

[Deke Dickerson]

Wow! That's a bizarre thing to read. First of all, I have never heard of Johnny Burnette, Jr.!! I am wondering if they are actually referring to Rocky Burnette, who is Johnny Burnette's first son, or if there is some bizarre hillbilly impostor claiming to be Johnny Burnette, jr.!?!? I went online and did a google search, it appears that Johnny had two sons, one named Rocky and one named Randy. Johnny's brother Dorsey Burnette had one son, Billy Burnette. So who the heck is Johnny Burnette Junior?

Even weirder is the story about the 3/4 size Mosrite guitar. It's not the one in the photo at the beginning of this thread. The guitar in the photo now belongs to Mike campbell, guitarist for the Tom Petty band (who bought it from norm Harris at Norm's Rare Guitars).

I will have to ask Artie about this guitar and who the heck Johnny Burnette Jr. is next time I see him. I'm totally confused and intrigued at the same time.

Deke

[Dennisthe Menace]

Thanks Deke, that's EXACTLY what I was wandering about.....you had also posted:

Even weirder is the story about the 3/4 size Mosrite guitar. It's not the one in the photo at the beginning of this thread. The guitar in the photo now belongs to Mike campbell, guitarist for the Tom Petty band (who bought it from norm Harris at Norm's Rare Guitars).

BTW, I had mentioned in another post for those members not familiar with Mike and Tom, that they are BIG TIME GTR COLLECTORS. Tom had actually had Uncle Semie restore a MARK V, which was refinned in Candy Apple Red back in 1988-89. It was actually the cover of 'SPIN MAGAZINE' back in '89 for his ALBUM and Single Release of "Won't Back Down".....