NGD : Mosrite-type. NEW PICS!!!!

[FrankenFretter]

I've been wanting a Mosrite Ventures model for a while, a few years at least. The real thing = lots of $, so...which knockoff to get?


I'd been looking at the Eastwood Sidejacks, but had read some mixed reviews. Someone on the AGF forum posted that they'd tried the Sidejack side by side with an Aria DM-380 (A.K.A Diamond). The Diamond was judged to be superior and for less money. I started looking with intention at that point, and found one on Amazon for $234 in my favorite finish for this model, CAR (Candy Apple Red). I worked an extra on-call shift a few weeks ago to earn the extra money, and then promptly ordered it on payday. It got here just over a week ago.


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8013/7468974208_e18594b162_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54283110@N06/7468974208/) Aria Dm-380 (Diamond) still in the box. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54283110@N06/7468974208/) by FrankenFretter (http://www.flickr.com/people/54283110@N06/), on Flickr


I inspected it thoroughly upon arrival, and found no flaws. Fit and finish are perfect. There was a slight buzz around the 5th fret area when I first got it, but after a string change and an extra spring in the tremolo, the buzz is gone. No sharp frets, no wonkiness in the controls, no issues with the nut. The stock P90s are fine, but nothing to get too horny over. Nice, but just average nice, not outstanding. Brighter than my Tele Custom II, but not quite as "ballsy".


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7266/7468971618_1aa724fb05_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54283110@N06/7468971618/) Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54283110@N06/7468971618/) by FrankenFretter (http://www.flickr.com/people/54283110@N06/), on Flickr


I believe that I'll take the pickups out of my Tele and throw them in this Diamond. I will use my new Harpmaster (http://www.harpmasterpickups.com/) True Vintage P90s in the Tele. That's what I'm thinking at this point, anyway.


I'll post better pics later, this is all I have at the moment. She's a beauty, that's for sure!

More photos, finally have some real summer weather here:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o53GpUrGsrA/T_jCWY5ZA3I/AAAAAAAABbU/IGlo8rWGIi4/s640/100_2543.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-e23NoD26ET4/T_jChh6lz1I/AAAAAAAABbU/UmxVQXPm8hI/s640/100_2544.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-elcI3_9jxsw/T_jCfKVfsrI/AAAAAAAABbU/9EgM-KuqM6Q/s640/100_2545.JPGhttps://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-gndiysnuKZ0/T_jCltTX37I/AAAAAAAABbU/WAI4lN0e394/s640/100_2546.JPGhttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JOoCAIXkKZY/T_jCxxyXMbI/AAAAAAAABbU/TBiIARtm_q0/s640/100_2548.JPG

[Stig]

That is a beauty.

[R_of_G]

Very nice acquisition! I wish you years of enjoyment with it.

[Bookkeeper's Son]

Quite cool ! Have you played Walk Don't Run on it yet? Seeing a Mosrite brings back a good memory - the very first good guitar I played was a Mosrite (a real one; this was the 60s). I was hanging out in my favorite Philly music store (Zapf's) when the Mosrite rep came in to sell his line. He invited me to play the sample he had with him. It totally blew me away.

[FrankenFretter]

I don't know any surf music...yet. I do have a ton of Ventures stuff, so I'll have to find something that seems about my speed and work on that.

Street price for a new Mosrite similar to the Aria is over $3K. Used Ventures models from the 60s run a little less, but not much. I couldn't justify spending that much on something that only gets played in my attic. This Aria is definitely fun to play, and after the addition of the additional spring in the trem, it's working very smoothly without going out of tune.

[Tig]

Very cool! :AOK

I saw an Aria bass in Mosrite configuration on CL recently, but I couldn't even consider it right now.

[FrankenFretter]

Very cool! :AOK

I saw an Aria bass in Mosrite configuration on CL recently, but I couldn't even consider it right now.

Hello Music had the DMB-380 (the bass that matches) for less than $200 a few days ago. I don't have the free cash for that right now either, but that's a good price.

Doug, I think I'm anticipating your upcoming NGD almost as much as you are. Those Gretschs are beautiful.

[Brian Krashpad]

Congrats! I'm a Mosrite fan too! By coincidence I recently picked up an old (1970) Matsumoku-made Aria Mosrite bass copy for ubercheap (seller was primarily a keyboardist, bless his pointy li'l head).

https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/401809_10150944155413879_1265252797_a.jpg

For some reason the current Aria bass uses a Jazz Bass pickup configuration, iirc.

[FrankenFretter]

Congrats! I'm a Mosrite fan too! By coincidence I recently picked up an old (1970) Matsumoku-made Aria Mosrite bass copy for ubercheap (seller was primarily a keyboardist, bless his pointy li'l head).

https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/401809_10150944155413879_1265252797_a.jpg

For some reason the current Aria bass uses a Jazz Bass pickup configuration, iirc.

Cool bass, Brian! Yes, the new ones look like this:

http://www.google.com/url?source=imglanding&ct=img&q=http://www.ariausa.com/images/tabimg_dmb380_3.jpg&sa=X&ei=3MjxT9THOIK2qQHrr83-AQ&ved=0CAkQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNHRoe-dTErMLm74o74j2sRgtC99dg

Still, not bad.

[NWBasser]

Cool bass, Brian! Yes, the new ones look like this:

http://www.google.com/url?source=imglanding&ct=img&q=http://www.ariausa.com/images/tabimg_dmb380_3.jpg&sa=X&ei=3MjxT9THOIK2qQHrr83-AQ&ved=0CAkQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNHRoe-dTErMLm74o74j2sRgtC99dg

Still, not bad.

Nuttin' wrong with jazz bass pickups.

Except that they should reside in a jazz bass!

[mapka]

Very nice Sean. I have a couple of Ventures songs written out I'll PDF to you (Walk Don't Run and The Lonely Bull)! We'll make a Venture out of you still! :-)

[FrankenFretter]

Very nice Sean. I have a couple of Ventures songs written out I'll PDF to you (Walk Don't Run and The Lonely Bull)! We'll make a Venture out of you still! :-)

Thanks, Mark. Looking forward to it!

I find that I tend to turn up the reverb a lot when I play this one. It begs for cleans with lots of reverb. Now I need a tremolo pedal...

[syo]

Very nice, Sean. Congrats!

Several times I've nearly bought a reissue model myself. Perhaps I will someday.

The Ventures were huge in Japan and the real deal Mosrites bring in top dollar (err...yen!)
The one one with the case on this page, http://www.tcgakki.com/search/?result&cp=0&kw=mosrite&gclid=CNHG_cz9_7ACFQ4rpAodn1UwCg goes for around $15,000!

[mapka]

Thanks, Mark. Looking forward to it!

I find that I tend to turn up the reverb a lot when I play this one. It begs for cleans with lots of reverb. Now I need a tremolo pedal...

Can help you with that Sean! :-)

[FrankenFretter]

Very nice, Sean. Congrats!

Several times I've nearly bought a reissue model myself. Perhaps I will someday.

The Ventures were huge in Japan and the real deal Mosrites bring in top dollar (err...yen!)
The one one with the case on this page, http://www.tcgakki.com/search/?result&cp=0&kw=mosrite&gclid=CNHG_cz9_7ACFQ4rpAodn1UwCg goes for around $15,000!

Thanks, Michael!
Most of the original Ventures models I found on US eBay were more in the 2-3k range, but I don't think I saw any with cases. I do really like the Ventures model Mosrites, but if I were going to spend that much, it would probably be for a vintage Tele or LP.


Can help you with that Sean! :-)

Oh yeah, that's right! Might take you up on that sometime in the not-so-distant future!

[FrankenFretter]

Finally got some outside shots, posted above in first post. Summer finally reached Oregon, apparently. ;)

[MAXIFUNK]

NICE AXE congrats!!!

[Stig]

It reminds me of my first electric - a Univox Hi-Flyer. Somehow, the strat-style bridge puts me off a little. I wish they offered a different tailpiece; either the classic Jag/Jazzmaster style from the Univox, or a Bigsby type, like on Mosrites.

[FrankenFretter]

It reminds me of my first electric - a Univox Hi-Flyer. Somehow, the strat-style bridge puts me off a little. I wish they offered a different tailpiece; either the classic Jag/Jazzmaster style from the Univox, or a Bigsby type, like on Mosrites.

I had a JM type trem on an SX I owned, and I hated it. Buzz city. Bigsby would be nice, but I'm okay with the two-point Strat type.