SOLD - Mosrite Joe Maphis Bass 1967 £1295
£1450
Sutton Coldfield

Sarlscharisma · April 20, 2021

Mosrite Joe Maphis Bass 1967. Price drop £1295

MOSRITE

MARK X

MODEL # 502

a/k/a

“JOE MAPHIS BASS”

RARE EARLY PIECE

FEATURES:

1. Semi Hollow body.

2. Bound Spruce top.

3. Walnut back.

4. Body depth: 1 ½”.

5. Neck: 3 piece laminated Maple.

6. Scale: 30 ¼”.

7. 20 Frets.

8. Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard.

9. Fixed Bridge with Chrome cover.

10. Volume and Tone Controls.

11. 3 way Selector.

12. AND THE FAMOUS MOSRITE “DUCKFOOT” TUNERS. The coolest tuners ever put on a guitar.

TIMELINE OF THE JOE MAPHIS MODEL BASS:

1963-1965: The VENTURES Bass. One pickup.

1966-1969: The VENTURES Bass. Two pickups.

1967: Bust up with The Ventures. Bass now known as MARK X, Model 103. “Duckfoot” tuners introduced.

1967: Joe Maphis becomes MOSRITE endorser and VENTURES guitars become “Joe Maphis” models. The bass become the MARK X, Model 502.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (from Vintage Guitar magazine):

“Mention the Ventures to a pop-music aficionado and the conversation will likely focus on the surf-music phenomenon of the early 1960s or – if that person also happens to be instrument-savvy – the band’s affiliation with Mosrite guitars and basses. Though the partnership lasted only a half-decade, the Ventures have been perpetually associated with Mosrite, as bassist Bob Bogle noted in a 1997 interview with VG. “[The association with the brand] will probably follow us around for the rest of our lives,” he said. “We can’t seem to shake the connection.” A closer look back, of course, reveals more, including the fact that although the band recorded surf instrumentals as the music reached its peak, it actually preceded the genre, charting with “Walk Don’t Run” in 1960. Nonetheless, the Ventures and Mosrite are the first band/brand association recalled by many a babyboomer guitarist. The single-pickup version of the Ventures Model bass was part of the Mosrite line from 1963 to’65, while the two-pickup was offered from ’66 to ’69. The single-pickup example you see here is exactly like the one on the cover of the 1965 album The Ventures Knock Me Out!; its body has the classic Mosrite profile, M-notch headstock, planaria-head truss-rod cover, metal nut, zero fret, thin bolt-on neck with 20 frets (joining the body at the 18th), tiny fretboard markers, 301/4″ scale, adjustable/intonatable bridge with large silo-shaped saddles (covered here by a handrest), “German carve” around its body (as found on most Mosrite solidbodies), and a wood-trimmed tailpiece. A 1965 Mosrite flyer hyped the Ventures Model with a bold-faced proclamation, “The finest performance demands the finest instrument!!” and showed the quartet of Don Wilson, Nokie Edwards, Mel Taylor, and Bogle in matching outfits with matching instruments. Other copy says, “A quality instrument, designed especially for the demanding professional musician and the amateur who desires the finest.” Around the time the two-pickup Ventures models were introduced, the company had switched to “duckfoot” tuners on its basses. When the Ventures’ affiliation with Mosrite ended in a controversial flameout in ’67, the guitar and bass models were continued as the Mark series (the bass was the Mark X Model 103). Mosrite hooked up with another notable guitarist, Joe Maphis, for a signature series of instruments, and the bass in that aggregation was known as the Mark X Model 502. Maphis-series basses had the same neck, short scale, and features as the Ventures Model, but with slightly larger bodies that were a combination of a hollowed-out walnut base (with a depth of an inch and a half) with a spruce top that was, according to factory literature, “music grade.” The bass had binding (called “purfling” in the ’67 catalog) where the top and base joined. “

INFORMATION about this guitar:

It is in Very Good cosmetic condition with the usual scratches, dents, dings, and other marks that come from being a played and dragged along guitar for 47 years. The finish cracks are abundant but have almost turned this guitar into an art piece. Look at the photos to see the concentric patterns that have formed on it. Pretty cool I think.

It is in excellent operating condition and still has that special “thump and sustain” that can only come from one of these basses. The “German Carve” semi-acoustic body with no “escape holes, aka, “F” holes combined with a “music grade Spruce top” (their words) and a hollowed out Walnut body really makes this a one of a kind bass guitar. To me, and others, it is one of the most underappreciated bass guitars ever built in the USA and is significantly undervalued. Once more people play and hear this bass guitar, the more in demand it will be.

A great and legendary MADE IN THE USA MOSRITE guitar.

ALL ORIGINAL. There is small hole in the lower horn (see pic) which I guess is where an additional strap button was located. The bass was originally purchased from California, USA and is in great condition for a 54 year old bass. Lots of wear marks but nothing excessive. Only other point of note is that there is some warpage on the pick guard.

Check out some Arcade Fire for how this bass sounds - it is use extensively in their back catalogue.

Collection preferred but if you really want to have this shipped it will be at the buyers cost and risk.