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Bakersfield Guitars book

Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 6:17 pm
by dubtrub
Does anyone have this book or maybe reviewed it? Is it a worth while purchase?

https://www.amazon.com/Bakersfield-Guit ... 1493060627

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Re: Bakersfield Guitars book

Posted: Wed May 18, 2022 10:23 pm
by GattonFan
It was a gift I received at Christmas (picked it out myself). It is a great source of information about those Bakersfield builders. I enjoy it.
Dennis

Re: Bakersfield Guitars book

Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 7:42 am
by dubtrub
Thanks Dennis, it's a little on the expensive side and wanted to be sure before jumping in and buying it. I have too many books that I've looked at/read once then put it away forever. I'm guessing it's probably information a lot of us already know but was hoping it would be a good reference all in one place.

Re: Bakersfield Guitars book

Posted: Fri May 20, 2022 4:29 am
by ElTwang
I really enjoy/enjoyed it. Worth a purchase.

Re: Bakersfield Guitars book

Posted: Fri May 20, 2022 4:58 am
by Sarah93003
Can someone tell us how many pages of the book are devote to Mosrite? Also, is Willie G. Moseley any relation to Semie?

Re: Bakersfield Guitars book

Posted: Fri May 20, 2022 1:33 pm
by dunlop
I picked up a copy -- There is quite a lot of Mosrite info in here - I would say a the first 10o pages or so of the book are generally about Mosrite and Semie (though it may be a lot of stuff that those of you who are so familiar with Mosrites may already know.) There is a lot on the musicians that played them and a lot of company history and music history. There are some nice pictures as well. I probably would have liked it more with less about the musicians and more about the guitars but I am enjoying it. Willie Moseley is a writer for vintage guitar magazine. From his intro he doesn't sound like he is related but I am honestly unclear about that.

Re: Bakersfield Guitars book

Posted: Fri May 20, 2022 7:38 pm
by GattonFan
A good addition to any library about the guitars and builders fo Bakersfield and beyond. They are pricey, and that’s why I asked for it as a gift, since they tell me I’m hard to buy for. :D

Re: Bakersfield Guitars book

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 11:47 pm
by mosriteer
Liked the book but wish they had more details on the Mosrite Ventures models and their variations. The one thing that bothered me on the Celebrity section was a line to the effect that only 10 Celebrities with two bolts for attaching the neck were made. This is simply not true, as I have two of these in my collection and have seen pics of many more of these earlier two-bolted Celebs. Not much on the Mosrite amps either. An interview with Ed Elliott and pics of some of his builds would have been nice. As many on this forum know, Ed worked for Semie and follows Semie's hand building tradition - a true keeper of the flame. I was kind of hoping that this book would be the ultimate tome on Mosrites - it isn't that but still worth having.
-Kanad

Re: Bakersfield Guitars book

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2022 10:45 am
by Sarah93003
mosriteer wrote:Liked the book but wish they had more details on the Mosrite Ventures models and their variations. The one thing that bothered me on the Celebrity section was a line to the effect that only 10 Celebrities with two bolts for attaching the neck were made. This is simply not true, as I have two of these in my collection and have seen pics of many more of these earlier two-bolted Celebs. Not much on the Mosrite amps either. An interview with Ed Elliott and pics of some of his builds would have been nice. As many on this forum know, Ed worked for Semie and follows Semie's hand building tradition - a true keeper of the flame. I was kind of hoping that this book would be the ultimate tome on Mosrites - it isn't that but still worth having.
-Kanad


I can say with zero uncertainty that they made a lot more of the two bolt (mortise and tenon joint) variety. It's around 850. There were not many set neck Celebrities made. I remember folks saying that was only ten made. But, since that time I've encountered 12 set necks. I remember a call I had with Andy Moseley once and he told me they built in batches of 25. Since then I've thought in terms of the batch size. I will have to look for the book. Perhaps the author may consider a 2nd edition where corrections and additions can be made. I have a fair bit of information on the amps.

Re: Bakersfield Guitars book

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2022 8:41 am
by Bob Shade
Willie G. Moseley has no relation to Semie Moseley. It is a coincidence. Yes there were more than that number in the 2 bolt neck series however minor of a detail that is. Keep in mind, Mosrite is one of those brands not much was ever written on.......also, I think just about every guitar book I have ever read has a flaw in the historical notes.

Anyway, this is more Mosrite goodness in one place than you will find anywhere. Pictures of super rare models, and alot of facts that I am sure 99% of even Mosrite super fans may not have known.

I think you can find it for as little as $35.00 on the net if you look around. Not bad for a highly specialized book with over 400 color pictures.