1957 MOSRITE SPECIAL DOUBLENECK GUITAR

First offered for $49, 900 Buy It Now, this 1957 Mosrite Special double neck electric guitar was let go for a mere $9,300.  Very low considering  that it is a one-of-a-kind special ordered, hand-made instrument and one of Semie Moseley's early production guitars. While very similar to the first and most famous Joe Maphis’ Mosrite, this example appears to feature more enhanced binding patterns, and probably required more time, which would have resultantly made it more expensive.














It was made for the previous/original owner, Doyle Burgess, who happened to be very close friends with Semie Moseley since late-boyhood. While Doyle Burgess might not ring a bell, he was an active professional live guitar player in the Southern California country circuit. Moseley had apprenticed at Rickenbacker, and under direct personal supervision of Paul Bigsby. During this time he made very few instruments, and mostly modified others. Moseley definitely applied his learned crafting skills, and created extravagant yet refined electric guitars. His early guitars featured a German carve (adopted from Roger Rossmeisl of Rickenbacker,) and heavily inlayed pickguards, arm rests, and fingerboards (influenced by Bigsby.) More like a Bigsby instrument than a Rickenbacker, Moseley's Mosrite Special is in some ways more grand and bold than even the fanciest, yet understated, Paul Bigsby instrument.

This guitar features 2 necks: a 14" scale length maple neck, and a 23.25" scale length maple neck, Brazilian rosewood fingerboards with numerous diamond inlays, a 2.75" maple body(from top binding to back binding, not including the protrusion of the carved back and top,) 3 Carvin pickups, original pickguard and arm rest floral and music note design pattern, original Kluson tuning machines, an added Bigsby vibrato, and original tailpiece for the 14" scale neck, original truss rod covers, original strap pins, and the original brown alligator case.

This guitar was recently purchased from the widow of the original owner, who had been a close friend of Semie's since the early 1950's. It is assume he managed all of the modifications of the guitar, including: a changed bridge, a changed Bigsby vibrato, and a poor attempt at securing the small neck to the body.