Mosrite Ventures Mark I Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1966), made in California, serial # 4738, sunburst lacquer finish, basswood body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original brown leather covered hard shell case.
Nothing says "1960s California Cool" more than an original Mosrite Ventures model! This very hip 1960s hot-rod 6-string would have been right at home on the Sunset Strip or indeed in any garage in America in that just pre-heavy era. This 1966 example still carries the "Ventures Model" logo on the headstock which persisted up through mid-1968, with a mix of earlier and later features typical of this year.
This Mark I's stylish liquid-art body is decked out in the standard vibrant sunburst finish with the trademark "German curve" carved around the edge. Ventures-era appointments include a cool mint green nitro pickguard, Mosrite logo pickups and knobs, proprietary metal switch tip, elaborate adjustable roller bridge, and metal-button "Safe-Ti-Slot" Kluson deluxe tuners on the black-faced headstock carrying white "The Ventures Model" and "Mosrite of California" logos. The neck finish matches the body, a cool touch discontinued not long after. The truss rod adjusts at the headstock, a newer feature at the time. The pots dates are not legible, but the combination of features and the serial number suggest the guitar was assembled sometime in mid/late 1966.
The typically Mosrite neck is very slim and fast, with the low frets and super low action typical of these. The single coil Mosrite-logo pickups are hot and snarly; although often typecast as "surf" instruments Mosrites were also used effectively for heavier sounds by bands including Iron Butterfly and the MC5. The original Ventures models are by far the most collectible of Mosrite's production instruments and nice examples are often hard to find in the US due to the longstanding fascination with them overseas, especially in Japan. This Ventures model Mark I remains a very stylish piece of '60s California cool...paisley shirt and tinted granny glasses optional!
Overall length is 38 in. (96.5 cm.), 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 1/2 in. (622 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/2 in. (38 mm.).
This guitar remains in largely quite clean condition overall, all original except for a replaced trem arm. The original finish shows some mostly small dings, dents, and chips overall, but has a great patina with totally unfaded vibrant color to the 3-tone sunburst. The only real finish flaw is the lacquer on the back of the neck has chips and some flaked areas of finish mostly along the edges under the binding and a more heavily flaked spot up by the nut with some darker color applied to the bare wood in spots.
The hardware is all original except for the trem arm, which is a Mosrite style piece but not original to this guitar. The original frets are very low and flat (all Mosrites originally came that way) but show only very light wear, and this is an excellent player with a versatile and fairly hot sound. It is still housed in the original rectangular alligator-grain HSC, relatively clean but with a replaced handle. Overall Excellent - Condition.
