mosriteforum.com

Hey all,
I'm new to the forum. Just purchased an old ('64?) Mosrite bass for real cheap but man is it in need of a little abuse counseling! Thanks to all the excellent info on this site, I've concluded that it's a '64 body, due to the neck bolt double- screw situation, but probably a later pickup ( Mosrite of California w/trademark). There's no serial on the fretboard, and it doesn't look to have been sanded. Any stamps have been stripped from the neck pocket but "Jack" is pencilled on the neck extension. The original Centralab harness is there but no dates on the pots (may be on top but they're gunked up with solder). It seems to have been Pearl White originally, then black, then "Grampa's Workshop Brown", probably shellac.



...so the story is this woman bought out the contents of a guitar repair shop in Bakersfield, Ca. called Picker's Supply, the guy passed on and his wife was selling the shop.His name was Claude Crisswell. If this rings a bell for any of you Bakersfield folks, please let me know.
thanks you guys,
Jim

Welcome and congrats! I remembered seeing that one in the completed auctions listing and thinking to myself 'someone got a fantastic deal on a fantastic project.' I'd say you are right that the bulk of it appears to be a '64. The pickup and case are later. If that pickguard is original then the bass was most likely pearl white in its former life. Unfortunately Bakersfield was littered with Mosrite parts and people who knew how to slap 'em together, but when restored, whether original or not, you surely will have something that justifies the elbow grease, and then some.

Adam

Thanks Adam,
Yeah, I just happened to be browsing when the thing popped up. The pickguard is beveled at an angle, it's my understanding Mosrite pickguards were all beveled straight, no? Thanks for your info!
Jim

The pickguard does appear to be a Repro. How badly has the body been sanded? Lays Guitar shop does excellent 60's style refins. If you don't want to fool with the restoration I'll give you a $100.00 for it

Well the sanding doesn't look too bad except for a little added dip on the arm rest side of the lower bout, you might be able to see it in the pic. There's no way that's original, right? And the pickguard's pretty warped, I'll probably just have a new one made up. Thanks for the tip on refinishing and the, uhhhh, offer. haha.

... here's another pic, sorry for the blur.

The pickguard looks to me like it's the old celluloid tortoise shell stock, and if that's the case there's no way it's a reproduction. However, Mosrite used that same material through the late '70s, and a bunch of the old timers like Gene Moles had some sheets of that stuff too. You do see the angled bevel as well, especially in the '70s.

aha, thank you. Maybe it's worth flattening it out.

Welcome! That bass looks like it was refinished the same way as this particular guitar though. Did you buy it from this same person?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWAX:IT

thanks,
Different seller, but yeah, it looks nastily similar. Mine's probably worse- they didn't bother to even out the drips of shellac from the body or sand anything. I think I saw a petrified hair on there too.