"I have about 100 guitars. I like to have a lot of different things to play around with" (Mick Mars)

1991 Mosrite [Vibramute Model] specially built for Mick Mars of Mötley Crüe by Semie Mosely

This 'unique' custom color 'Metallic blue/purple with elaborate flame pinstriping'. This [Vibramute] model was specially built by Semie Mosely for Mick Mars of Mötley Crüe in 1991 and is inscribed by Semie on the back of the headstock. This amazing guitar weighs just 7.80 lbs. and has a  14 inch-wide and 1 3/4 inch-deep solid alder body with a German Carved' top with scalloped edge on the treble cutaway, the treble bout and the bass cutaway - extending half-way down the bass top edge. Three-piece rock-maple neck with a nut width of 1 11/16 inches, a scale length of 24.75 inches and a very fast medium-to-thin profile. Single-bound 'slab' rosewood fretboard with serial number ""MOT-I" inlaid in white at the end of the fretboard. Metal nut, zero fret and 22 original 'jumbo' frets with small double clay dot position markers (triple dots at the 12th fret) and small black dot side markers. Additionally there is a large "M" inlaid in white at the 5th fret and a matching "C" inlaid in white at the 3rd  fret (Mötley Crüe). Specially shaped "Ventures" headstock with black decal "Mosrite logo" and "Mosrite of California". Specific shaped single-layer black plastic truss-rod cover secured by two screws. Inside the truss-rod opening is the original strip of purple cloth - see note below. Individual 'Kluson' deluxe tuners with oval metal buttons. The truss-rod adjustment is on the body end of the neck. Four-bolt metal neck plate. Two Mosrite humbucking pickups, each with twelve adjustable pole-pieces and black plastic covers (and surrounds) stamped with "Mosrite of California", with outputs of 11.54k and 11.50k. Custom painted 'Blue/Purple/Pinstripe' over three-layer white over black plastic pickguard with six screws. Two controls (one volume, one tone) plus three-way pickup selector switch, all on pickguard. Mosrite seven-sided black plastic control knobs with engraved white pointers. Mosrite bridge with six individually adjustable saddles and chrome and gold-plated die-cast "Mosrite Vibramute" tailpiece. The back of the headstock is inscribed by Semie Moseley "Built by Semie Mosely 1991". The guitar is in near mint (9.25+) condition with just two very small marks/indentations on the top bass edge. Housed in the original Mosrite three-latch, rectangular black hardshell case with black leather ends and black plush lining (9.25).

"1991 Serial # MOT-1. Semie Moseley Vibramute. Rosewood with binding and M C inlay. Metallic blue/purple, flame pinstriping. Two black humbuckers with polepieces. Made for Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars. Dana Moseley: "My Dad delivered it personally. In the truss rod cavity there should be a strip of cloth that Dad had his church pray over because he was concerned about giving this guitar to, (what he thought was), a Satanic group. My father was a very religious man. The story goes that two weeks later was when Mötley Cruë broke up.“ (Mosrite - The last USA Years - Customs, One-Offs, Prototypes).

It is well documented that Semie Mosely made this guitar specially for Mick Mars - although we can find nothing to show him using this guitar on stage. It is possible that he recorded with it - it is also possible that he sold it together with many other guitars in the late '90s. “I’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs over the years,” Mars explains. “The ’72 Les Paul Custom that I used to play in the early days is now hanging in a Hard Rock Café somewhere in Florida. I didn’t want to let go of that guitar, but I was forced to do it. I don’t miss the pointy guitars. They all sounded really bad to me, and I hated all of them. They just didn’t work for me… Companies kept giving me all of these different guitars to try, and I would end up trying to break them. Now they’re all either kindling or I sold them off long ago.”When Mötley Crüe hit a rough patch during the late '90s, Mars was forced to sell off many of his prized vintage guitars. Thanks to the band’s recent resurgence in popularity and much more efficient (and honest) management team, he’s been able to build up his collection once again. (Guitar World, May 4th, 2020).