Semie Moseley
Encyclopedia
Semie Moseley was a luthier
, and the founder of Mosrite
guitars.
He was born in Durant, Oklahoma
in 1935. His family migrated to California along a path similar to many "Bakersfield Okies", first moving to Chandler, Arizona
in 1938, and two years later in Bakersfield, California
. Semie’s mother worked in a dry cleaner’s shop, his father with the Southern Pacific Railroad.
In Bakersfield, Moseley started playing guitar in an evangelical group at age 13.
Semie and his brother Andy experimented with guitars since teen-age years, refinishing instruments and building new necks.
In 1954 Semie built a triple-neck guitar in his garage (the longest neck was a standard guitar, the second-longest neck an octave higher, the shortest was an eight-string mandolin). He presented a double-neck to Joe Maphis
, a Los Angeles
-area TV performer. By 1956, with an investment from Reverend Ray Boatright, a local Los Angeles minister, Semie and Andy started their company, Mosrite of California. Semie, who built guitars for the L.A.-based Rickenbacker
company, said to his co-workers that he was making his own product, and he was fired by Rickenbacker.
When they began, their production was all custom, handmade guitars, built in garages, tin storage sheds, wherever the Moseleys could put equipment.
In 1959, Andy moved to Nashville, Tennessee
for a year to popularize the Mosrite name and sold a few to Grand Ole Opry
entertainers, people, and to road musicians. Andy said: "And that’s how we kept the factory going at the time: custom guitars".
He and Andy also got into the recording business by establishing Mosrite Records. They signed Barbara Mandrell
, a teenage daughter of Irby Mandrell, an Oceanside, California
music-store owner who sold Mosrite guitars. They also signed guitarist Ronny Sessions and others.
At the peak of production in 1968, Semie and his brother Andy, with their crew of 107 employees were making 1,000 Mosrite guitars per month which included acoustics, standard electrics, double-necks, triple-necks, basses, dobros, even mandolins.
Mosrite of California went bankrupt in late 1968 after they contracted with a competitor to market their guitars. After this, the they tried to deal directly with stores, and they sold 280 guitars in 1969 before they came to the shop one day and found their doors pad-locked.
Two years after his bankruptcy, Semie was able to get back the Mosrite name, and in 1970 he started making guitars again in Pumpkin Center
near Bakersfield. He moved his factory three times in the next 20 years, to Oklahoma City
in the mid-70s, to the township of Jonas Ridge, in Burke County, North Carolina
in 1981, and to Booneville, Arkansas
in 1991.
Six months after moving to Arkansas, Semie Moseley became ill with bone cancer and six weeks later, in August 1992, he died.
Semie's daughter, Dana, is also a luthier and continues to build Mosrite guitars. She also helps kick off the monthly "Mosrite Jam" in Bakersfield.
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
, and the founder of Mosrite
Mosrite
Mosrite is an American guitar manufacturing company, based in Bakersfield, California, from the late 1950s to the early 1990s. Founded by Semie Moseley, Mosrite guitars were played by many rock and roll and country artists....
guitars.
He was born in Durant, Oklahoma
Durant, Oklahoma
Durant is a city in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 15,877 at the 2010 census. Durant is the principal city of the Durant Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 42,416 in 2010...
in 1935. His family migrated to California along a path similar to many "Bakersfield Okies", first moving to Chandler, Arizona
Chandler, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the Census of 2010, there were 236,123 people, 86,924 households, and 60,212 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American, 8.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 8.3%...
in 1938, and two years later in Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
. Semie’s mother worked in a dry cleaner’s shop, his father with the Southern Pacific Railroad.
In Bakersfield, Moseley started playing guitar in an evangelical group at age 13.
Semie and his brother Andy experimented with guitars since teen-age years, refinishing instruments and building new necks.
Joe Maphis
Joe Maphis, born Otis W. Maphis , was an American country music guitarist. He married singer Rose Lee Maphis in 1948....
, a Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-area TV performer. By 1956, with an investment from Reverend Ray Boatright, a local Los Angeles minister, Semie and Andy started their company, Mosrite of California. Semie, who built guitars for the L.A.-based Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker International Corporation, also known as Rickenbacker, is an electric and bass guitar manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California...
company, said to his co-workers that he was making his own product, and he was fired by Rickenbacker.
When they began, their production was all custom, handmade guitars, built in garages, tin storage sheds, wherever the Moseleys could put equipment.
In 1959, Andy moved to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
for a year to popularize the Mosrite name and sold a few to Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
entertainers, people, and to road musicians. Andy said: "And that’s how we kept the factory going at the time: custom guitars".
He and Andy also got into the recording business by establishing Mosrite Records. They signed Barbara Mandrell
Barbara Mandrell
Barbara Ann Mandrell is an American country music singer best known for a 1970s–1980s series of Top 10 hits and TV shows that helped her become one of country's most successful female vocalists of the 1970s and 1980s...
, a teenage daughter of Irby Mandrell, an Oceanside, California
Oceanside, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Oceanside had a population of 167,086. The population density was 3,961.8 people per square mile...
music-store owner who sold Mosrite guitars. They also signed guitarist Ronny Sessions and others.
At the peak of production in 1968, Semie and his brother Andy, with their crew of 107 employees were making 1,000 Mosrite guitars per month which included acoustics, standard electrics, double-necks, triple-necks, basses, dobros, even mandolins.
Mosrite of California went bankrupt in late 1968 after they contracted with a competitor to market their guitars. After this, the they tried to deal directly with stores, and they sold 280 guitars in 1969 before they came to the shop one day and found their doors pad-locked.
Two years after his bankruptcy, Semie was able to get back the Mosrite name, and in 1970 he started making guitars again in Pumpkin Center
Pumpkin Center, Kern County, California
Pumpkin Center is an unincorporated community in Kern County, California. It is located south-southwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 351 feet .A post office opened in Pumpkin Center in 1945....
near Bakersfield. He moved his factory three times in the next 20 years, to Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
in the mid-70s, to the township of Jonas Ridge, in Burke County, North Carolina
Burke County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 89,148 people, 34,528 households, and 24,342 families residing in the county. The population density was 176 people per square mile . There were 37,427 housing units at an average density of 74 per square mile...
in 1981, and to Booneville, Arkansas
Booneville, Arkansas
Booneville is a city in Logan County, Arkansas, United States, and the county seat of its southern district. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 4,082....
in 1991.
Six months after moving to Arkansas, Semie Moseley became ill with bone cancer and six weeks later, in August 1992, he died.
Semie's daughter, Dana, is also a luthier and continues to build Mosrite guitars. She also helps kick off the monthly "Mosrite Jam" in Bakersfield.
Further reading
- Landers, Rick; Brennan, Tim, "The Story of Mosrite Guitars, Part One". Modern Guitars magazine, January 18, 2005
External links
- The Mosrite Gospel guitar, North American Instruments, 2000. With some personal notes on its builder.
- "Mosrite History", Tym Guitars, Australia.