Panama Lane barn, P Street Mosrite factory & 63 Sidejack

[dubtrub]

I think what we all need is to have a good old fashion Mosrite reunion at Artie's place.

I just got back from Front Porch however Artie wasn't there today. I did meet a young man that was very helpful and knew all about me. Come to find out he has worked for Artie for nine years and is my cousin that I never met. His name is Darren Williams, so if you ever call the store and Artie isn't there ask for Darren. He knows every nook and crannie in the store. At any rate he showed me a lot of interesting Mosrite memorabilia that I would like to get my hands on a scan or photograph. So it looks like I'll be visiting the store again in the near future.

[Dennisthe Menace]

WoW Your Cousin?!?!?
OK...Darren Williams....in my books!!

[Bushers]

This is a photo from Desert Surfer's collection that he took inside Artie's Front Porch Music store here in Bakersfield. The photo hanging on the wall depicts a truck backed up to the loading ramp.

What on earth are the guitars hanging to the left of the picture of the Mosrite factory? the ones that have the 'raised' section with the controls underneath. There are 3, one in sunburst, one in blue and another darker sunburst, looks like the fretboard is at an angle to the body...

[Dennisthe Menace]

Those are the original MEL-O-BARS. The Mel-O-Bar Company had contracted out to Semie to build these guitars for them.
These particular instruments were basically a Lap Steel Guitar you could wear standing with the rest of your Band.

[Bushers]

Hmm, interesting!

While we are on the subject of oddities, take a look at this Ventures model guitar on ebay, to me it has the body of a Ventures model but the neck has the truss rod adjustment at the body end. Did Semie begin to cut costs earlier than the Ventures II model by incorporating this into some later Ventures models? It says serial #3181 and still has the binding on the fretboard..



A pretty darn pricy guitar IMO, you reckon he'll get 6k for it???

[Dennisthe Menace]

OK, actually you are getting the 2 confused, maybe because of your guitar. The Mark II and the Mark V (the Ventures II Model) never had binding on the neck. These were considered everything from a Budget Line to a Student Line. BUT, IT SURE AS heck didn't stop Kurt Cobain, Johnny Ramone, Ricky Wilson (original guitarist for B-52s), Greg Camp (Smash Mouth), and TOM PETTY (when he's not playing his other 3,000 guitars) from playing them!
The Truss Rod Adjustment was not moved to the Headstock on the Ventures and the Ventures II Model until very late '65.

BTW, Cobain's "Gospel" Mark V sold for a whopping $135,000!!!
Also:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybcXQ6U2tNE

[Bushers]

Dennis, now you got me confused! I am aware of the simularities of the MKII and MKV, the guitar in the picture is neither yet has the truss rod adjustment at the body...!? I know the MKII and V never had bindings but this is a Ventures model...

I guess I'm getting confused because I thought that the truss rod adjustment was at the neck on earlier models!! Scratch this then!!

Every day is a learning day!!

So, you think 6K is a steal???

[dubtrub]

So, you think 6K is a steal???

Six grand sounds about four grand over priced but who knows.

I didn't examine it very close but on first impression it looks like a pre '66. The Ventures (Mark 1) model changed to headstock trussrod adjustments in early 1966. I don't know the purpose because to me it definitely was not an improvement. It weakens the headstock, but does make it easier to adjust the trussrod. Semie made guitars both ways in later years and I think he finally settled on trussrod adjustments at the body just as he originally started in the '50s.

[Bushers]

lol, yeh I thought the same someday I'll get one like this but not at that price, to me thats a little bit stretching it!!

How much you reckon Bob's early sidejack models are worth??

[dubtrub]

How much you reckon Bob's early sidejack models are worth??

A BUNCH! Better ask him though.

Those early handmade guitars are not even in the same ballpark as the 60s assembly line models. Although judging by some of these prices popping up on eBay you would think they are a precious commodity.