Description
This is an extremely rare, (due to its blue finish), Mosrite Celebrity III electric guitar made in 1968 in the USA at the Bakersfield, California factory. It is a beautiful, double cutaway, thin, hollow body instrument. The features include a rare, blue finish, white binding on the body, two single coil pickups, two bound f-holes, an adjustable metal bridge with individually adjustable saddles, a trapeze-style tailpiece made of metal and wood, two metal strap pins, a raised white pickguard with a black stripe around the edge and another guard plate on which all of the electronics except for the pickups are mounted. Mosrite guitars were first established in the late 1950’s after Semi Moseley left Rickenbacker and joined Ray Boatwright. They merged their last names to create the name Mosrite. It is said that Mosrite began making their first Celebrities around late 1965. This guitar is a beautiful find that you do not want to miss because of the extremely rare blue finish is very rare. Get your hands on this piece of guitar history.Description from VintageSilvertones.com
CONDITION:
This guitar is 100% original except for the pickup selection switch that we replaced with a period correct silver metal switch. The white switch that came with the guitar is included in the case also. This guitar is in good condition. There are some scrapes to the finish around the edges near the binding, two tiny, barely noticeable divots under bridge near the low E string, about ten tiny spots of wear scattered across the back, one line of crazing coming down from the bass f hole about 2 inches, one small line of crazing, about an inch coming up from the top pickup on the bass side, and another line of crazing between the bridge pickup and the bridge near the high E string. There is minor crazing on the back. This guitar looks cool, plays fantastic and sounds great.
TUNERS:
The all original, closed back, individual, deluxe tuners with silver, chrome buttons, which are a unique, flat, diamond, septagram shape are smooth and in great working order.Description from VintageSilvertones.com
NECK:
Very thin, straight, bolt-on neck, with 22 very low, Mosrite “speed frets” plus a zero fret and a metal nut on an Indian rosewood fingerboard and a 24.5″ scale. The frets are marked by two small dot inlays per marked fret except for the twelfth fret which has three tiny dots. There is fret wear on the first three frets, but that does not effect the tone or playability of the instrument. The headstock, featuring an M shape on the top and silkscreened logos, has very slight wear on the top back edges. The neck, which is kept straight with an adjustable truss rod, has one small spot of wear on the back. The action is fast.
PICKUPS:
The two high performing pickups are in good working condition. The neck pickup has a clean, clear, warm bell-like tone while the bridge has a crispier, treblier, smooth tone. This guitar is good for a myriad of styles, including jazz, rock, funk, blues, and country. This Mosrite has silver, “M” stamped, hat-type volume and tone knobs marked with “T” and “V” indicators along with the numbers 1-5 on the base of the knob. Each pickup shares one volume and one tone pot. It also has a three-way toggle to select the neck, bridge or both pickups. All electronics work properly. Description from VintageSilvertones.com
The Dimensions are:
Overall length: 41″Description from VintageSilvertones.com
Body width: 16.5″
Body thickness: 1 7/8″ with neck 2.5″Description from VintageSilvertones.com
Scale: 24.5″Description from VintageSilvertones.com
Width of the nut: 1 5/8″ (depth 1 3/8″ approx)
String height at 12th fret: 1/16″Description from VintageSilvertones.com
Here’s the original description from a 1967 Mosrite promotional catalog:
CELEBRITY III – 6 STRING GUITARDescription from VintageSilvertones.com
Finest close grained maple top with curly maple back and sides. Double bound body, hand rubbed and polished to a transparent high lustre. Laminated, slim, fast, low action mahogany neck. Indian rosewood fingerboard with nickel silver frets, adjustable truss rod. Covered Kluson chrome plated machine heads. Bound “F” holes. Adjustable bridge with individual tuning for each string. Two high performance pick-ups, and 3-position pick-up selector switch. Chrome plated trapeze tailpieceDescription from VintageSilvertones.com
