Wilson Bros guitars

[George Geddes]

For anyway who might be interested...

Promenade Music in Morecambe have some Wilson Bros guitars (as in Don Wilson of the Ventures) - including a couple of Mosrite-style ones - reduced to £199.

Before you ask... No I didn't buy one. Personally, I think Mosrites are even uglier than Rickenbackers.

George

[grayn]

I actually bought 3 of the very specially priced, Wilson Bros guitars, from Promenade.
As you'll see in the photo below, I got 2 VM-65s and a VM-100.
I'm sure these guitars were made in Aria's Korean factory, as I have 2 of the Aria Diamond, Mosrite style, guitars and they have a lot of similarities.

I too thought that Mosrites looked clunky and ugly but once I played the red Aria, I completely changed my mind.
Both the Arias and the Wilson Bros guitars are excellent value and are very nice guitars, in their own right.
They are well finished and the P90 style pickups have a great tone. Especially for surf music, for which they look the part, too.

[geoff1711]

I bought an Aria diamond earlier this year and it plays very well and sounds great, I think I paid £165, I also looked at the Eastwood version but it looked heavier and clunkier, it did have a Jazz/Jag trem whereas the Diamond has a Strat type neither of which are the same as the Mosrite, but I think the pitch change is gentler with the Jazz/Jag trem and is probably closer to the Mosrite.

The trem comparison is similar to the difference between Strat and Burns, and I think, that if you listen to tracks recorder on the Burns you can hear this lesser pitch variation.

Oddly the Aria Diamond on sale in the USA has the other trem, and I think it gives the guitar a more balanced look similar to the difference between a Marvin and Marquee.

Geoff

[geoff1711]

On the other hand I love Ricks but have never had one, the 12 strings in particular, but they seem to suit Byrds and Beatle style numbers and as I can no longer hit the high notes I doubt I'll ever have one now!!!

Geoff

[geoff1711]

Another thought I keep seeing a Jazzmaster style guitar on Ebay made or marketed by Tuscany Guitars, anybody got one?

Geoff

[grayn]

I think the Aria Diamond with a Jazzmaster style bridge/trem is the DM-1, which is discontinued here.
The one I have (DM-380) is still available and is such top value. But yes, I'd have liked one with the JM trem.

I've not tried a Tuscany JM but the Ventures JM style VM-100 is a very nice guitar. lovely, playable neck and warm pickups.

On the subject of trems I think the Burns Rezo-Tube trem is far better than the Jazzmaster style trem. Just as smooth but better pitch range and sensitivity.

[twangtone]

I had an Aria DM-380 for a time but found it very heavy. Altough at first glance they look like the Mosrites the Ventures used to play but they are really quite different. Apart from the fact that the DM-380 has a Strat style tremolo the neck is all wrong, the frets are too large and it feels very "chunky" compared to the real thing. They're OK if you like that sort of thing but they don't play or sound like the real thing. I'd be very interested in trying a Wilson "Mosrite" , they're endorsed by the Ventures and could be better than the DM-380.

[JimN]

I think the Aria Diamond with a Jazzmaster style bridge/trem is the DM-1, which is discontinued here. The one I have (DM-380) is still available and is such top value. But yes, I'd have liked one with the JM trem. I've not tried a Tuscany JM but the Ventures JM style VM-100 is a very nice guitar. lovely, playable neck and warm pickups. On the subject of trems I think the Burns Rezo-Tube trem is far better than the Jazzmaster style trem. Just as smooth but better pitch range and sensitivity.

I would think that "Tuscany" is just a seller's brand-name, badge-engineered onto the guitars.

These "Xaviere" guitars have a good reputation in the USA (where they are sold by the "Guitar Fetish" company) and look excellent value at $229 (c. £146.00). Of course, there'd be shipping and VAT on top of that if imported here.

http://store.guitarfetish.com/XV-JT100-Offset-Alder-Body-Alnico-JM90-Pickups-Vintage-Sunburst_p_2205.html

JN

[grayn]

I had an Aria DM-380 for a time but found it very heavy. Altough at first glance they look like the Mosrites the Ventures used to play but they are really quite different. Apart from the fact that the DM-380 has a Strat style tremolo the neck is all wrong, the frets are too large and it feels very "chunky" compared to the real thing. They're OK if you like that sort of thing but they don't play or sound like the real thing. I'd be very interested in trying a Wilson "Mosrite" , they're endorsed by the Ventures and could be better than the DM-380.

I'm not sure you'd like the Wilson Bros guitars either.
The guys from the Ventures didn't like the very narrow necks on the Mosrites and didn't use them for long.
The Wilson Bros Ventures guitars are very nicely finished and the necks on the VM-65 is more Gibson like, than the Aria DM-380.

The Aria Diamond guitars go back to the 60s themselves. I don't think they are intended to be faithful copies of Mosrites.

I do like "that sort of thing", especially at such a low cost. I don't find them heavy at all and find them refreshingly different from many of the far more expensive guitars, I have owned.

[geoff1711]

I think the bulk of the Mosrite trem could have an a bearing on the sound, and I also recall reading that they had fairly powerful pickups, as far as the Aria is concerned the P90 style pickups do the job well and I like the chunkier frets, but then my favourite Strats also have chunkier frets, and it takes me a while to get used to my Hank Strat and Burns guitars which have more of a 60's profile.

Each to their own I guess and no two guitars are ever the same.

Geoff