Doug’s Mosrite Ventures Mark II

So, you’re 16 and starting a band with your mates. You go to the local guitar store and buy the cheapest guitar that you can afford. Sound familiar? Well, how many of you found out 40 years later that your ‘student’ guitar that you’ve kept all those years  is now worth  A HELL OF A LOT OF MONEY?!!! 

A few days ago I received a message from Doug, who had read Tim’s Mosrite Ventures Mark II guitarnerd story. Doug said he had a red Mosrite Mark II that he’d owned since the 60’s and had only played about 12 times, and was wondering what it was worth. First thing I thought was… no way could this be a slab bodied Mark II. Maybe Doug had the more common Mark V, which while still being a great guitar, were nowhere near as rare. The Mark V was the Mark II’s replacement when Semi decided the Mark II’s were too cheap looking and canned them.

I emailed Doug back and asked if he could send me a photo to confirm the model. This is what I got back…

Holy snapping duck sh*t!!!! No doubt about it, this was a real first generation Mark II in near mint condition. The Johnny Ramone guitar. The holy grail of Mosrites. I emailed Doug back for more info & pics, and this is what he sent.

“It was somewhere between 1966 and 1968 and I was playing in a three piece Junior High School Band. We were terrible but a big hit withpeople our age. I was playing a Silvertone solid body and decided it was time to make the big move and get a real, Brand Name guitar. I originally looked at both Fender and Gibson and decided I didn’t play well enough to meet the price tag.”

“The clerk in the store mentioned Mosrite and said they had a unit that was pretty good and easy to play. I bought it. Don’t remember the exact amount but think it was in the 125.00 – 175.00 dollar range with the case.”

“The band survived about two more years or until someone finally told us we stunk and that ended my career. So, the guitar and the trademark alligator case remains in the closet until today. The case has lost the handle, most of them do I am told, but is in otherwise great condition.”

“The guitar has a few dings and the finish is checking but all original except the strings. It is the traditional Candy Apple Red, slab body Ventures II. It managed to survive an offer of 600.00 some 15 years ago and I am glad to still be its original owner. Enjoy the pictures of what I am told is a fairly rare classic.”

Thanks Doug for sharing your amazingly rare guitar with us. So, if any of you have a mum, dad, uncle, aunt, neighbour, mail man or garbage collector who played in a band in the sixties with their mates, ask them if they still have their old guitar tucked away in their closet. And then be very, very, VERY nice to them.

Now, please excuse me. I have to call some distant relatives.