“More than the return of an iconic instrument”: Mosrite Guitars – the underdog firm loved by Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, and Johnny Ramone – is back

Mosrite Guitars is back in business after being acquired by lap-steel guitar makers Sho-Bud, ushering in a new era for the cult brand.

The company was founded by Semie Moseley in Bakersfield, California, in 1956. Having cut his luthiery teeth at Rickenbacker in Los Angeles, his namesake firm gained notoriety throughout the ‘60s, establishing a presence in the surf rock, grunge and punk rock scenes.

Johnny Ramone was a fan, Kurt Cobain recorded much of Nevermind with a 1960s Gospel Mark IV, and Jimi Hendrix had a Joe Maphis 12/6 Doubleneck. It wasn’t short of advocates.

However, a series of tragedies left the business in the hands of Moseley’s daughter, Dana, by the early ’90s. It continued to operate on a smaller scale, though its website went offline in 2020.

Six years later, the firm has been given a new lease of life, and the revived Mosrite brand is celebrating with the launch of the Mosrite Mark II.

The quirky, house-of-mirrors-esque model is made with a choice of either a solid basswood or alder body. That’s then paired with a bolt-on, one-piece maple neck and rosewood fingerboard with 22 narrow vintage frets, and an ever-cool zero fret to keep the original's mojo intact.

Built to the slightly peculiar 24 5/8" scale – a slightly shorter take on 24.75" designs, as seen on various Gretsch models over the years – it also offers SH configured Seymour Duncan pickups, Volume and Tone dials, and a three-way pickup switch.

Its hardware specs are rounded out by a TonePros TOM bridge and tailpiece, along with Grover tuners, delivering oodles of vintage chic.

Right- and left-handed models are available in White, Blue, Red, Gold, and Black colorways, shipping with a hardcase for $2,750.00.

“The Mosrite Mark II reissue represents more than the return of an iconic instrument. It is a continuation of a legacy shaped by an extraordinary luthier and innovator, Semie Moseley,” says General Counsel of Sho-Bud, Fred Waid. “Sho-Bud is committed to honoring Semie's vision.”

“This is a personal project for us,” Sho-Bud’s co-CEO, Dawn Jackson, extends. “Semie Moseley wasn't just a legendary builder. Sho-Bud and Mosrite had a close connection through our father, David Jackson, who collaborated on projects with Semie. This fusion is a way of reconnecting those roots and carrying them forward with respect and intention.”

The guitars are shipping with an estimated six-month turnaround as production gets underway, with Mark I and Gospel models also promised to follow.

See Sho-Bud for more.