
I'm 70 years old



Living in NYC I would see once in a while a Mosrite The Ventures model bass in various pawn shops but even then I couldn't afford them. Being sort of ignorant I passed on a beauty because it was hanging in the window of a pawn shop with the strings loosened and I thought it be a problem instrument.


I bought a copy of the LP "PLAY ELECTRIC BASS with the VENTURES" in the 4-LP series "PLAY GUITAR WITH THE VENTURES," the bass LP was Volume 4. Using the GUITAR PHONICS SYSTEM I taught myself how to play 'cause my desire was to learn mostly TOP 40 hits and songs with easy bass lines such as found on some reggae songs which had influenced me after having seen a '60s reggae concert with a variety of Jamaican artists. I bought an LP titled "THIS IS REGGAE MUSIC" and I just had to learn the bass to "I Shot The Sheriff" by The Wailers (Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Bob Marley), and "Concrete Jungle" (also by The Wailers) with a very emotional guitar solo that almost makes me levitate!

I learned to play a few tunes but I never played with anyone. But I did drag my big Fender bass amp with 4 speaker cabinet to a friend's apartment to celebrate my 40th birthday in 1978. I played for my friends "Birthday," by The Beatles, and The Bee Gees' "Night Fever." I picked "Night Fever" 'cause I like the song but the bass lines were hard to discern so it was more of a challenge to learn them.

Next stop: my wife and I moved to L.A. in '78 but I don't remember what I did with the Mosrite, I must have sold it. I started acquiring basses again including another Mosrite model, the Joe Maphis one. I sold that one to a member of The Angry Samoans and acquired a J.K. Lado and, finally, a beauty, an ARIA PRO II Black 'n' Gold.

In 1981 I went to a lounge I thought was called The Westwood but I'm not sure, to see The Ventures. Finally, a fantasy come true. Prior to going I had drawn a bass drum head with The Ventures logo. I took photos of the concert and found my way backstage which took the members by surprise. I whipped out the sketch and they all autographed it.

I got a job working for a music publication and one day we got the mail belonging to another business in the building next to us. I was asked to take it to them and when the office door opened my jaw dropped 'cause it was The Ventures' drummer, Mel Taylor! I lost my speech and finally called him by the guitarist's name (Nokie Edwards)!



Finally, one day while shopping at Robinson's, the department store, I went to the cashier's line and lo and behold in front of me was Mel! We had a good laugh when I explained my shocking surprise when he opened the office door, etc.

Last year, I saw that The Ventures were going to play in NYC and I had acquired a copy of the above bass LP and the photos I took of their 1981 gig and waited at the entrance to the venue as I wasn't really going to attend since Mel had died and The Ventures were no longer playing Mosrites.



Yesterday, still with the Mosrite blood in me and this time not really able to afford a Mosrite The Ventures Model bass



Long live Mosrite! Long live The Ventures!

Univoxer
