1976 Mosrite Aluminum Rail Bass Prototype
Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 5:05 pm
There's been a decent amount of chatter surrounding this instrument, so it seems only right to post a more or less definitive thread here. I had known about its existence for a number years by way of Bill Gruggett who told me that a bass version of the Brass Rail guitar had been prototyped with aluminum for better balance / reduced weight, but ultimately this experiment met its demise in a factory dumpster. Apparently Bill's account was only half right. Whether fated for the dumpster or not, Semie gave this bass to a Mosrite investor who kept it safe for the next thirty-odd years. And now it's mine.
According to "Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars: An Identification Guide for American Fretted Instruments" which confusingly lists four entries for the Brass Rail in its Mosrite section, a "Standard Bass" was shown at NAMM in 1977. I believe this to be that instrument.
Although the rail itself does appear gold through the yellowed clear coat, at the edges where the finish is chipped the aluminum color can be seen clearly. The pickups are extremely powerful humbuckers set in oversized wooden (or perhaps cardstock) surrounds with tortoise shell tops and brass rings. The two-piece maple neck has the standard Mosrite short scale length, but the sound is huge.
There is evidence that Mosrite did intend to make a Brass Rail bass as well, but to the best of my knowledge only a neck blank exists, and clearly neither of these instruments were put into production. Artie Niesen of Front Porch Music in Bakersfield, CA, has a similarly shaped bass in his collection with a standard adjustable trussrod neck and hardware, circa 1978, but the original greenburst finish is long gone.
Adam
