"Sing To The Angels"… Semie Moseley's 1990 Prototype "Triple-Pickup Gospel V-1" Guitar.

1990 Mosrite Gospel Victory 1 (Three Pickup Prototype).

This 1990 prototype, three-pickup, 'triple-bound', side-jack "Gospel" model is signed and dated by Semie Moseley on the back of the headstock. The guitar weighs just 8.30 lbs. and has a nut width of just under 1 5/8 inches and a scale length of 24.50 inches. Solid alder (two-piece) three-tone sunburst body (1.75 inches thick). 'German Carved' top with triple binding (white/black/white) on top edge. One-piece medium-to-thin profile rock-maple neck with a 'slab' rosewood fretboard. Brass nut, zero fret and 22 original thin 'speed' frets with small white dot position markers and small white dot side markers. Specially shaped "Gospel" headstock with black decal "Gospel logo" and "Gospel Guitar U.S.A. / by Semie Moseley". Individual Grover Roto-Matic tuners with half-moon shaped metal buttons. Four-bolt die-cast metal neck plate with Mosrite logo and "Semie Moseley". Three Mosrite single coil pickups with black plastic covers and "Mosrite of California", with outputs of 11.90k and 12.02k and 11.78k, respectively. Five-layer white over black plastic pickguard with five screws and a second 'raised' five layer black over white plastic pickguard secured by two screws. Two two-way (pull-off) volume controls + three-way pickup selector switch, all on main pickguard. The 'pull' positions on the volume controls give various options for the middle pickup. Mosrite metal 'hat type' knobs. Jack socket on treble-side of body. Mosrite bridge with six individually adjustable saddles and chrome-plated die-cast "Mosrite Vibramute" tailpiece. The back of the headstock is signed by Semie Moseley in blue ink "Semie Moseley 1990". This guitar comes from Semi Moseley's own collection and is in mint (9.50) condition. Housed in it's original three-latch rectangular black hardshell case with black leather ends and black plush lining (9.25). Inside the case pocket is the original Mosrite (Jonas Ridge, NC) printed hang-tag which has Model "3 Pickup / V-1 Gospel / Sunburst" written in ink. The Mosrite factory was located in Jonas Ridge, NC from 1981 until Semie's death in 1993.

The Gospel models were produced in various years and have experienced many and varied changes in the style of construction. While some of the later, solid-body Gospel guitars have a unique flat face body with rounded edges, the first prototypes, created in the mid-60s, were hollow, and based loosely on the Celebrity model. Notable differences include the mildly scalloped headstock that had the "Gospel" trademark and sign of the Cross, but not the Mosrite name. Hardware was solid brass, hand polished and chromed. Only two of the original Gospel prototypes survived the manufacturing process, as they were handcrafted by Semie, himself, using violin joints, rather than the serrated form blocks used to join most hollow body guitar sides to the top and back. The original Gospel guitars both had arched backs, as well as tops, with bound "F" holes. The transparent Blue Gospel, numbered GA009, was Semie's own personal guitar, used by him when playing on Gospel music tours. The all blonde Gospel was given to Semie's founding partner, the Reverend Ray Boatright. The Reverend was attacked in front of his church in Watts, he was killed, and the guitar was smashed. Thus, the only surviving original mid 60s "GA" prototype is Semie's Blue Gospel Guitar.

After the death of Reverend Boatright, Semie continued to play on Gospel Music Tours and also to develop more styles of Gospel Guitars, never quite matching the original prototypes. In the 1970s, he modified some Celebrity models and made Gospel guitars out of them. Semie always had the philosophy that Gospel musicians were doing the Lord's work and should have the very best instruments possible, even if they couldn't afford to pay very much. Throughout the years, Semie Moseley, and the Mosrite Guitar Company, made many versions and models of Gospel guitars. They were never made consistently, in production runs, often changed from week to week, and were never manufactured in large numbers. Still, the original "GA" series prototype was said to sound so beautifully bell-like as to "Sing To The Angels".