Willie Moseley - Bakersfield Guitars: The Illustrated History

This one took me a bit further, distance wise, and took a bit longer, time-wise.

Im not getting any younger, either. The upand-down flight itinerary from Birmingham to DallasFort Worth to Phoenix to Bakersfield and back made me feel like a jet lagged kangaroo.

Moreover, I apparently have a case of basophobia thats increasing in intensity, which means that I will never, ever drive on California State Highway 178 from Bakersfield to Lake Isabella again (even though the scenery was spectacular). If for some reason I was compelled to make another sojourn to visit with Ed Sanner in that mountain community, Id have to swing around the long way, through Tehachapi, via Highway 14.

Those episodes noted, the cooperation of everyone who participated in the research for a history book about guitars made in Bakersfield and the surrounding area made such travels worth the effort.

Once again, the initial and primary individual to thank is my life partner, Gail. For decades, the Missus has been fully aware of my incessant urge to develop and nurture writing projects, and her ongoing tolerance of my proclivities is perpetually appreciated.

It was gratifying whenever one interviewee or instrument owner referred me to someone else who had some recollections or instruments or photos or memorabilia that might be appropriate for consideration of inclusion with this project. Such a word-of-mouth, domino phenomenon has happened with previous books as well, and its always an encouraging experience.

So my sincere appreciation and thanks go out to the following sources: The Bob Shade collection, Larr Collins and his collection, the Scotty Allen collection, the Marc Lipco collection, the Artie Niesen collection, the Adam Tober collection, the Carter Granat collection, Marshall Crenshaw, Heritage Auctions, Skinner Inc., Michael G. Stewart, Steve The Surfin Librarian Soest, the Bill Gruggett estate, Jim Shaw at Buck Owens Productions, the Buck Owens Private Foundation, Tommy Shaw, Joseph Deas, Ed Sanner, Ed King (RIP), George Bunnell, John Morton, John Selby Smith, Ted Smith, Hallmark Guitars, Aaron Piscopo, the Kern County Museum, Jim Phillips, Eugene Moles, Bob Spalding, Jack Clutter at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Steve Brown at vintaxe.com, Robert Price, Wayne Jarrett, Jeff Carlisi, Stan Ellis, Tony Brown, Jorma Kaukonen, Angie Pentz, Tim Bogert (RIP), Del Halterman, Fred Newell, Mike Gutierrez, Gordy Lupo, Chuck Seaton, Dusty Wheeler, Davie Allan, Tony Bacon, Jackson Smith, Steve Mayer, Pierre Laflamme, Jay Rosen Sibila Savage, Bob Haggard, Jim Page, Leni Sinclair, Roger Fritz, Ralph Scaffidi, Jr., Susan Scaffidi, Peter Sca Bryce Martin, John Majdalani, Daniel Escauiza, and Fiona Taylor.

Thanks once again to Colonel Glenn Mackey, US Air Force, Retired, for his now-standard presubmission perusal of the text.

Heres a tip of the headstock to Rie Fujita and Warren Moseley for translation of Japanese resource material. And of course, heres the usual read-between-the-lines salute to the Messrs. Spilman for perpetually encouraging my writing aspirations.

When the 1960s guitar boom erupted, the closest I got to owning a Mosrite instrument in those times was a gold-leaf Semie Moseley business card, displaying the round semi-starburst Mosrite logo. I do not recall where and how I acquired it back then, and of course, I wish I still had it.

And as detailed herein, the Ventures and Mosrite guitars were indeed the first bandbrand association that many teenage Baby Boomersparticularly those of us who played in garage bandswould recall. However, the Ventures brief, half-decade association with Mosrite ended in an unfortunate dissolution, and the band and the guitar company were never able to reconcile.

The history of Bakersfield guitars may cite Semie Moseley as the keystone figure in its chronology, but ther were other builderssome of whom are still unknownwho participated in a unique era of American guitar building in a unique locale.

I hope you enjoy reading their stories and viewing their instruments, as well as examining a few of the very cool modern guitars and basses that have been inspired by the original Bakersfield brands and designs.

W. G. M.

To their credit, the Ventures would continue to autograph Mosrite instruments in spite of their decades-long divorce, thus validating Bob Bogles 1996 rumination about a perpetual stereotype between the band and the brand. Mel Taylor died in August 1996, Bogle died in June 2009, Nokie Edwards died in March 2018, and Gerry McGee (who had first replaced Nokie in 1968) died in October 2019. As of this writing, founding Ventures guitarist Don Wilson is retired, and the touring band consists of Bob Spalding, Leon Taylor (Mels son), Luke Griffin, and Ia Spalding (Bobs son).

The Ventures were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. The Ramones were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, their first year of eligibility. John Cummingss (Johnny Ramone) white mongrel Mosrite guitar is now on display at that facility in Cleveland, Ohio.

Cummings succumbed to prostate cancer in September 2004. An eight-foot statute of the guitarist (playing a Mosrite Ventures II guitar) was erected in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and dedicated in 2005.

In January 2015, one of Cummingss Mosrite guitars, a red modified Ventures Model Mark I, sold at auction for over $71,000. It had been autographed by the guitarist in 1990.

The front cover of Glen Campbells 2008 album Meet Glen Campbell included a posterized photo of the legendary singer-guitarist

John Johnny Ramone Cummingss Mongrel Mosrite Ventures II.

Photo by Sam Howzit / Wikimedia Commons

Ventures Mark V signed by Don Wilson, Gerry McGee, Leon Taylor, and Bob Bogle. Its Pearl White finish has yellowed over the decades.

Willie G. Moseley

Photo by Donmike10 / Wikimedia Commons

playing what appeared to be a Mosrite Ventures Model Mark I. Campbell passed away in 2018 afte an extended public battle with Alzheimers disease.

Marshall Crenshaw has continued to stay active as a touring and recording artist. Releases in 2020 included a new two-CD live set, as well as a reis-sue of a 1996 album titled Miracle of Science, with new artwork and bonus tracks. Crenshaw was also producing a documentary about legendary record producer Tom Wilson, and was gigging on occasion with a legendary New Jersey rock band.

Im doing shows as a guest vocalist with the Smithereens, he said. They were recently inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. As far as Mosrites go, right now I have a Dave Alexanderstyle Ventures bass in black, and a blue Ventures twelve-string, which is my official Smithereens guitar, a least up to now.

Courtesy of Bob Shade

Marshall Crenshaw wields his Mosrite Mark XII in concert.

Courtesy of Gayle Miller