Mosrite Ventures Mark 1 '65-'67 color scheme?

[ElTwang]

What options were there?

Sunburst/white pickguard
Red/white pickguard
Blue/white pickguard
White/tortoise pickguard
White/black pickguard ???
Black/white pickguard

Anyone know if any of these colors were more in favour than others? Seems like there are many sunbursts out there.

[Bob K]

I have collected data on hundreds of Ventures Mosrites including serial numbers, pot dates, type of tail piece, number of screws in the pick guard, etc, etc..... Based on pot dates I have 140 guitars with serial numbers between 0858 and 4966. It is an arbitrary cutoff between '64 and '65 and also between '67 and 68. The last number I have before he started putting a V in front of the serial number is 4966. I believe number 5000 may have been the first one with a V (I don't have that one in my data). At any rate, based on these 140 guitars the colors break down as follows:

Sunburst 55
Metallic blue 14
Pearl white 13
Metallic red 20
Black 6
Red, white & blue striped 3
All of the rest were in small numbers:
non-metallic red
non-metallic blue
red sparkle
cherry sunburst
some refins

Hope this gives you some idea.
Bob

[Dennisthe Menace]

Bob posted:

I have collected data on hundreds of Ventures Mosrites including serial numbers, pot dates, type of tail piece, number of screws in the pick guard, etc, etc..... Based on pot dates I have 140 guitars with serial numbers between 0858 and 4966. It is an arbitrary cutoff between '64 and '65 and also between '67 and 68. The last number I have before he started putting a V in front of the serial number is 4966. I believe number 5000 may have been the first one with a V (I don't have that one in my data). At any rate, based on these 140 guitars the colors break down as follows:

Bob, I'd be VERY INTERESTED to find out from you if you have any data on my '63 S/N# 0038.
After conversing with Tym over in Australia, he had E-Mailed me with this info.....

Hey Dennis,

I'd love to se some pics of your Mosrite.

I have a listing here of the "most" of the first 355 Mosrite Ventures sold.

The weird thing is , I have every other number in the 30's except 38 ?

I can tell you that 37 was sold FROM the factory on 2-10-64 to Gene's Music
centre and 39 was sold 4-20-64 to Horners music company.

There must have been the end of the run somewhere in there as there's over 8
weeks separating the two. Weather yours was in the earlier batch or the
later , I don't know.

Sorry I can't be more help.

See ya , Tim.


Tym guitars
33 Fern street
Buranda, Brisbane
Australia. 4102
61 7 3891 2185
Tues-Fri, 9am-6pm. Sat 11am-3pm
http://www.tymguitars.com.au
ABN:94563414949

[Bob K]

Bob posted:

Bob, I'd be VERY INTERESTED to find out from you if you have any data on my '63 S/N# 0038.
After conversing with Tym over in Australia, he had E-Mailed with this info.....

Sorry Dennis, I don't have yours. I have info on 57 of the first 200 made. Some of the very first ones didn't have a serial number. The closest ones in my data are 26, 28, 31, 36, 39 (mine), and 49. It's nice to know some history on mine however. How about the rest of mine?
Bob

[Dennisthe Menace]

Bob posted:

Bob, I'd be VERY INTERESTED to find out from you if you have any data on my '63 S/N# 0038.
After conversing with Tym over in Australia, he had E-Mailed with this info.....

Sorry Dennis, I don't have yours. I have info on 57 of the first 200 made. Some of the very first ones didn't have a serial number. The closest ones in my data are 26, 28, 31, 36, 39 (mine), and 49. It's nice to know some history on mine however. How about the rest of mine?
Bob

I saw #39. That's what inspired me to check with you to see if you might have any info, ours are right next to each other (what are the chances of that?! LOL). What can you tell me about #39?

[Bob K]

Here are two close-ups of #0039. Note that it has a black mistake plate just below the bridge, and also a solid black jack plate. I think he used whatever scrap of plastic he had for these at first. It also has a wood nut. The case is carmel colored with square corners and a red interior, just like my # 0016 and the '59 Joe Maphis.
Bob

[ElTwang]

Super info, Bob! Have you got any pics of a cherry sunburst?

[Bob K]

Super info, Bob! Have you got any pics of a cherry sunburst?

Sorry, no pictures of this color. I think I have only seen 2 Ventures models this color and they were all original (not refins). I used to have a mid 70's Ventures style with humbuckers that was cherry sunburst.
Bob

[MWaldorf]

Bob,
How is the mistake plate attached? Also, is the wood nut sized similarly to the later metal ones? Is the string spacing the same?
Thanks for sharing!
Mel

[Dennisthe Menace]

Here are two close-ups of #0039. Note that it has a black mistake plate just below the bridge, and also a solid black jack plate. I think he used whatever scrap of plastic he had for these at first. It also has a wood nut. The case is carmel colored with square corners and a red interior, just like my # 0016 and the '59 Joe Maphis.
Bob

Bob, that's VERY INTERESTING! Like you mentioned about the solid black jack plate, mine was either a "cream" or a very yellowed out white one which had spider web cracks in which Semie had replaced back in '90 when he refinned and restored the guitar. However, mine does not have the small mistake plate on it, so I'm not sure if he was just using up everything he had to get the guitars out to the music stores, in which he might of still had some bodies laying around with the mistake cut?? And as for the nut, again, I don't know if mine had the wood nut on it and was replaced "many moons" ago when he came out with the metal version. I KNOW that I don't have the original case you are talking about. My case is the Brown Alligator with the Red interior and EVEN has the Body Inserts to keep the guitar from bouncing around in the case. I'm guessing that one of the owners before me replaced the case with the "more modern" looking version, but at least it IS from the right time era .
p.s. ...uhm, you wouldn't be interested in selling one of those "worn out, beat-up, out dated, ragged looking, Carmel cases", would you??...??...??

.........I didn't think so .