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I just used one of these:



I wish I still had it.

The photograph was taken by Dezo Hoffman at his Gerrard Street studios (behind the old Sound City shop) in June 1971. We just parked the van outside in the street (you could do that in those days). I extracted the section above from the group photo at: http://www.bobbymew.com/index_htm_files/422.jpg

JN

Is that you in the photo, Jim?

Andy

It certainly is.

Or should I say was?

JN

Jim,

Great looking guitar - I had one in '66 for a short time but took it back to the shop for a refund. I found the neck width too small for my liking in comparison to the Strat and Marvin - hang about, let's be honest, I was short of readies at the time and something had to go!

You were a good-looking guitarist, Jim! You must also be much younger than me. When I think of the Ventures' sound, I think of Jazzmasters and guitarists with cropped hair! That's a full decade before the date of your photo.

I have a Ventures-model Mossrite, made in Japan, on long-term loan by a Japanese friend. This has "Ventures" on the head stock and is fitted with very light gauge strings. It has quite a growl to it, but I play so few post-1963 Ventures pieces that I hardly use it. Yes, I find the thin neck hard to get used to as well.

Andy

So, how does the sound of a Mosrite compare with a BURNS Marvin? Mmmmmmmmmmmm

Bill

I actually got to try a genuine Mosrite in a shop in Adelaide in the mid '70's and I loved the slim neck! The thing almost played itself...

I was playing it acoustically and was just about to try it through an amp, when a guy who had been watching me asked me if I wanted to join a band...so I put the Mosrite back on the wall and went off discussing business (yes, I joined the band, playing bass in a jazz trio, but that's another story!

Needless to say, when I next went to that shop, the Mosrite was gone....I would have bought it though, I think!

'Roach,

I fell in love with the Mosrite on sight in the music store (the one near Central that closed down early '80's, were agents for Guild and others) but I did give it up for money reasons, had to have a car to carry the AC50 to gigs!

Regards

Hi Bill,

Slightly off topic here, but were you referring to "Wilson's Capitol Music Store" in Pitt St, Central, around the corner from the Capitol Theatre?

If so, that was a great store. That's where my parents bought my first guitar in January 1961 (I was 11yo) - a Hoyer F-hole archtop acoustic guitar for $53 (pounds) on HP, and I've still got it. In late 1962, my dear folks bought me my '62 Fender Strat (fiesta red, slab rosewood) for $215 (pounds) on HP, and I still have that one too.

I vaguely recall that Wilson's eventually sold Mosrites as well, and my dear friend Clive Disbery, whom you might know (sadly no longer with us), a huge Ventures fan and great guitarist, bought his from there.

Ah, memories ...

regards, bruce