Mosrite pedal steel guitar?

John Williamson · From: Georgia, USA

I have come across an oddity. It appears to be a custom guitar made by Mosrite for Barbara Mandrell. I did find this old video on Youtube of what looks like her playing Slippery Elm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iskLvDD4ccY The front neck is C6 tuning. Don't know what the back neck is yet. Has anyone seen or know of this guitar? Any information would be great.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

The guitar looks to be part Sho~Bud.

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Gonna go out on a limb here and suggest there aren't many more just like that one. Congratulations on an incredible find.

Rich Peterson · From: Moorhead, MN

Semie did a few one-off things. I've seen a Mosrite deep-body rockabilly/jazz guitar.

Darvin Willhoite · From: Roxton, Tx. USA

I own a deep body Mosrite Gospel guitar. These weren't one offs, he built a lot of them but very few seem to have survived. Mine was built in 1972 and is still in near showroom condition.

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Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, a restored MSA Classic SS, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Also a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored Rose S10, named the "Blue Bird". Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also have a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks, and a showroom condition Sho-Bud Super Pro.

Mel Bergman · From: Camarillo, California, USA

As a Mosrite fella, I have never heard of this. Excellent! And I thought it was cool that my ZB was made in the old Mosrite factory!

Igor Fiksman · From: Georgia, USA

Super cool. Love seeing those one of a kind historic instruments. Each one has a story to tell. I wonder what is sounds like, also curious about lack of metal sideplates. I recall a discussion on the forum that had several builders state categorically that an all wood body couldn't sustain the pressures from all the D10 pulls and remain tunable. Surely, if Barbara Mandrell took delivery of such a guitar, it had to be a very playable instrument, she had amazing steel chops.
Edited: Silly me, didn't realize there was a video clip in the thread. Interesting sounding guitar, almost acoustic quality to it. Don't think she was using pedals much in that clip. Couldn't tell because of the curtain.Neat
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SHO-BUD Professional SD-10 Black, SHO-BUD Pro III Custom D-10 Red, Goodrich Matchbox 6A, Steeler's Choice seat, Quilter Steelaire Amps.

Lee Jeffriess · From: Vallejo California

I think it was made by Chuck Wright

Lee Jeffriess · From: Vallejo California

John, can we see close up pics of the bell cranks and changer fingers etc

Bill L. Wilson · From: Oklahoma, USA

When I first started hanging out in Oklahoma City about 1975, I was introduced to Semie Mosley by a mutual friend. My friend, Jerry Short, had known Semie from their days in California and had been given a Gospel Guitar, and a MoBro resonator guitar and he still owns them both. Semie had a shop in the back of Dean Lemmons furniture store on 29th St. in OKC. He refinished an old Fender Bass for me, showed me around his shop, and him being told by my friend that I played pedal steel, showed me some real different looking steels he was working on. One in particular was a real stand out, the body a hollowed out solid piece of what looked like mahogany about 4" thick, and the size of a Sho-Bud or Emmons with a rounded off nose like a surf board and a square back,It had no undercarriage, pedal rods, or any metal in it. The top was carved, on the order of a Les Paul, and totally in the rough in stage, but still cool looking. I think his idea was an acoustic type instrument that would vibrate and be amplified with a pickup. I don't think he ever did anything with it, but he sure had a lot of ideas. I just remember, stuff stacked everywhere and a lot of sawdust. Fun times meeting a legend like Semie, and a real nice man.

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

About 25 years ago, Jerry Blanton came up to me at a gig and told me about a guitar he was planning built out of solid maple in its entirety, carved from a block. I thought it interesting and asked how he'd put in his standard undercarriage. He said all the parts... all of them... would be maple, bellcranks, changer, everything.

My nephew was getting into wood carving at the time and I asked Jerry, in jest, if he was gonna carve it out of a solid block of wood like a ball in a cage hanging from a chain, and he said "no, that would be crazy." Laughing

I love steel guitar builders! They're cut from a different block of wood. Smile

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My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

John Williamson · From: Georgia, USA

Took a few more pictures and measurements. Although the racks look like Sho Bud, they are not. They are longer by about 1/2 inch and the pedals move both necks at the same time. The rack is V shaped and the rod holes are all drilled by hand. The changer is also very different. Like the Sho Bud The Professional, it has 1 hole raise and 1 hole lower. The leg sockets are larger than standard as well. Unfortunately the legs and pedal rods were missing when I found it. Everything else appears original. Including 50 years of goop. After looking around on the parts, it is without a doubt all hand built.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

The top sure looks a lot better than the bottom. Whoa!

John Williamson · From: Georgia, USA

Although there is only a 6 pedal, pedal bar with it. There are 8 racks? I now think this pedal bar did not come with this steel. Wish I knew what the original one looked like.

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

Lee J, my thoughts are Jon Frye made it.
The pickups look Jon Frye, as well as the use of the later Permanent pedal rack. Jon had in his shop/garage Sho-Bud cabinets without pedals racks. The way the two necks are joined and shaped, the keyheads and the woods chosen also look Frye. The guitar reminds me a little of the pedal steelJon made for Eddie Bush of the Royal Hawaiians.
Both Jon and Semie did work at Bigsby's shop.

(Edited to make better sense. Original post written one handed on phone)
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

Andy DePaule · From: Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon

Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

I think that may be dog or cat hair, not spider webs Andy, ugh.
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Henry Matthews

D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Looks like a de rigeur cigarette burn between the pegheads. Makes for more authenticity.
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My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Andy DePaule · From: Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon

Andy DePaule · From: Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon

Sho Bud Parts, Maybe not?
At first I thought they were Sho Bud racks, but in the close up they are not the same as any I've seen in my limited experience.
It also has no barrels.
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Inlaid Star Guitar 2006 by Mark Giles. SD-10 4+5 in E9th; http://luthiersupply.com/instrument-gallery.html
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

The foot pedals sure look to be Sho~Bud.

John Williamson · From: Georgia, USA

I am now pretty sure the pedal board that came with the steel is not the correct one. Originally had 8 pedals. Looking for any old pictures that might show what should be there.

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

The rack I was referring to was the cast aluminum pedal rack. Not the racks underneath.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

Andy DePaule · From: Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon

That's strange because people I've ever spoken to always refer to them as Sho Bud Rack & Barrels?
No barrels on the pedal rack?
They don't say that about the Fingertip's or the Permanent and they have pedal bars.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I think most people do refer to those as racks.
You may well know better than me with your experience.
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Inlaid Star Guitar 2006 by Mark Giles. SD-10 4+5 in E9th; http://luthiersupply.com/instrument-gallery.html
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project.

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

Pedal rack. The thing the pedals are attached to.

If you say you can't say pedal rack because the racks are the activating mechanism under the guitar, then how can you say pedal bar? You play the strings with picks and a bar. You don't use one of those cages under the guitar.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

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