New Kid in Town

[Reverend_Crash]

Ok, so….I’m not really a kid, but I’m new to this forum, so here is my introduction!

My name is Crash…nickname anyway…and I live in Northeast Tennessee. If you imagine the kind of armpit area where Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina kind of butt together…that’s where I live. I spent about 12 years in Nashville after college but I moved back here a few years ago when my dad passed away. My mom was in the early stages of a Parkinson’s at the time and needed some help. She has now progressed to the later stages and is in hospice care, with me as her full time caregiver with a nurse who visits a couple of times a week. It’s kind of funny, I talk about my 12 years in Nashville like people I have known who have done prison time.

I have been fascinated with guitars for as long as I can remember. I remember being a little kid and going to JC Penney with my mom and grandmother, and they had a little area with musical instruments at the time, and if I could just catch a glance while I was there, I would be stoked beyond belief. When the big thick catalogs would come in the mail at Christmas time, I would immediately turn to the section with musical instruments they always had 3 electric guitars. The “student” model, a strat copy, and the “professional” Les Paul-ish model. I remember seeing that LP and thinking people who have that guitar must’ve really made it.

I, like a lot of you, am a huge Ramones fan. I learned how to play guitar playing along with the Ramones “loco live” album, the second 2 Rancid albums, The first Danzig, and the first Rage Against the Machine album. I would load them in the CD changer and play along for hours…or until I got it right.

Johnny Ramone was my first introduction to Mosrite Guitars when I got the pin up of his Ventures Slab body out of guitar world in the 90’s. Since then, I always thought Mosrite guitars were bad-ass and wanted to own one. I didn’t think I ever would because I’m inpatient. I have one “nice” guitar (A Les Paul) and 16 or 17 other guitars, mostly less expensive guitars that I have modded, or cool weird Japanese “department store” guitars that I’m still in love with from my trips to the mall as a kid. I’m inpatient, and I’d rather buy 2 or 3 guitars that I can MAKE cool, than save up for a “nice” guitar.

Well, I finally got lucky and picked up a Mosrite Celebrity III from on reverb for an amazing price. The only thing…it’s been totally stripped. It’s just a husk. BUT now I have an awesome guitar that I get to put back together.

I figure at first I’m going to put it together so I can play it. I’m not going to sink money into sourcing vintage parts. I’ll use correct stuff where I can, but I figure once I get it resurrected, I can enjoy playing it while I’m taking my time getting the vintage correct parts.

The only thing I have gotten for it so far is a set of pickups, but next week I’m hoping to order a String Guide from Bob at Hallmark Guitars and a set of Tuners. I have a bridge and tailpiece that I can use for now…so I’ll at least be up and going.

I’m glad I was allowed in to the forum and look forward to getting to know some folks, learning more about Mosrite guitars, and hopefully getting help sourcing parts, etc for some of you.

So there is my introduction…it’s long and boring…but it’s me!!!

Super glad to be here!!

[Dino Boreanaz]

Welcome Crash!

Glad to have yet another Ramones fan on board! My collection is not as extensive, weird, or cool as yours. I've had my JR Hallmark for almost 10 years now and I still love it as much as the day I got it as a gift from my wife. It's definitely my "number 1" and I can't imagine being without it.

Good luck with your Mosrite project, I hope you'll enjoy the process just as much as the finished product. And best wishes to you and your mom.