Brand

Used Mosrite guitars

Semie Moseley learned guitar building at Rickenbacker under Roger Rossmeisl, where he picked up the German carve, and worked with Paul Bigsby before he and his brother Andy started Mosrite in 1956. The money came from the Rev. Ray Boatright, whose name makes up the rest of the brand. At first they built custom guitars and double-necks for country players like Joe Maphis and Larry Collins. The Ventures Model of 1963 made the name, and The Ventures' popularity made Mosrite a craze in Japan. Moseley made nearly everything in-house except the tuners, from pickups to roller bridges and vibratos. After the Ventures deal ended in 1967, a distribution deal with Thomas Organ went wrong and Mosrite went bankrupt in 1968–1969. Moseley restarted several times, in California, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Arkansas, until his death in 1992. Japanese makers including Firstman, Kurokumo and Fillmore have built Mosrites and close copies since the late 1960s. In a listing, look for Mosrite of California on the headstock, a serial stamped at the end of the fretboard and Mosrite-made hardware.

4 guitars we cover.