The Story of Mosrite Guitars, Part Three

by Tim Brennan

This is the third and final part of a series of articles that discuss the life and contributions to guitar building of the late Semie Moselely, founder of Mosrite Guitars. Semie began his guitar making career in California, offering some of the most beautifully designed guitars ever produced. Moselely's life is a piece of guitar history and a story that carries us over the crests and through the troughs of the world's most famous surf guitars - the Mosrite Ventures models.

Into the '80s

After moving the factory from Oklahoma City in ’76 to Yuba City, California in ’77, then to Carson City, Nevada in ’79 and later to an old school building in Jonas Ridge, North Carolina in 1981, Mosrite production picked up again thanks to orders from Japan.

A chance meeting with a Japanese Mosrite enthusiast at a guitar show insured that owner of Mosrite guitars, Semie Moseley, could start making bigger production runs again, thanks to the financial input for (unofficial) Ventures model reproductions. However, after building 300 guitars of the 700 guitar order, in November 1983 the factory burned down. Semie had little insurance on the building, so production had to shut down yet again. Above is a photo of the Mosrite factory at Jonas Ridge, NC, as it stands today.

Details around this time are sketchy, but Semie continued to build Mosrites on a custom basis at a building in Morganton, North Carolina. Production was fairly small through the ‘80s until the new factory was eventually set up in an old Wal-Mart building in Boonville, Arkansas on March 9, 1991.

During this period in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s Semie made Venture model “reissues”, including copies of the early ’63 sidejack, set neck guitars and the new V88 and M88. The V88’s were Ventures reissues with Mosrite 1988 on the headstock and like most Mosrites throughout the ‘80s were signed by Semie either on the back of the headstock or the back of the neck – sometimes both. As was the M88 which was a Ventures model shape with no scratch plate or German carve. In 1987, Mosrite also built the 25th Anniversary Ventures model. This was a Ventures reproduction with a metallic silver body and “sunburst” black and silver scratchplate with an “M” embossed into it. Only 7 were finished of the originally planned 25 guitars.

Mosrite was back and the number of models were increasing quickly. Vibramute vibratos were back on most Ventures shaped models with a rarer Semie Moselely labeled Vibramute appearing on some guitars thoughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, as shown below.

During the 1980s, there were quite a few Ventures shaped guitars being made with and without German carves and scratch plates. The VII and VIII carve top models with no scratch plate were made around 1984 until the end of the ‘80s.

One guitar was made in 1989 when the State of Arkansas helped Semie move to Leachville, Arkansas. But then political action by unbelievers in Arkansas failed to follow through with financing. Semie returned to Jonas Ridge, North Carolina.

In 1991 the State of Arkansas put money up for Semie to relocate Mosrite to Boonvile, Arkansas. There Semie would have been very successful, even though he had recently had a car accident that took his leg (It was reattached!), but things were looking up for the business. He had 15 employees that had built Gretsch guitars.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck again three months after the move when Semie was diagnosed with multiple myaloma cancer of the bone.

Andy Moselely, Semie’s brother, went to the factory to help out after Semie died, but Loretta (Semie’s widow) had already taken charge and informed Andy that she could keep things going by herself.

There were many “new” models in the works during the early ‘90s, including a slab body Ventures shape Mosrite with the timber and aluminum hard tailpiece aimed at a cheaper market.

Also in full production were the ’63 sidejacks, as well as ’64 and ’64 reissues using the Ventures logos. A Nokie (Nokie Edwards – Lead Guitarist, Ventures) model was made in small numbers that has become quite collectible now due to the Ventures association and the very small production run.

The last Mosrite production run to be made was in 1993 and was made up of the 30th Anniversary Nokie models. These were set neck, fully bound Ventures re-issues based on the early ’63 sidejack models.

Semie had died in August 1992. His dreams were carried on for awhile with the help of his staff and Loretta, but in 1994 everything shut down for what was maybe – hopefully not! – the last time.

[Editor's Note: Fact or urban legend? Modern Guitars confirmed with John Rutledge, Semie's General Manager during the '50s and '60s and Noke Edwards, lead guitarist for the Ventures, the story that Semie flipped a Fender Stratocaster on to its back and outlined it to arrive at the signature Mosrite Ventures model guitar.]

Related Articles
The Story of Mosrite Guitars, Part Two
The Story of Mosrite Guitars, Part One

Contact Information
Company: Tym's Guitars
Contact: Tim Brennan
Address and hours: 33 Fern Street, Buranda, QLD, Australia. 4102 Tues.-Fri., 9am-6pm
Telephone: +1 61 7 3891 2185 (Australia)
Website: www.tymguitars.com.au

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