Semie Moseley’s first job at Rickenbacker ended abruptly in 1955

Semie Moseley’s first job at Rickenbacker ended abruptly in 1955, when he was fired for building his own guitar in their factory. The event prompted him to start his own company with Reverend Ray Boatright, an evangelical minister. They combined their names to produce that of the new company, Mosrite. At first the business consisted mostly of custom-built instruments, but after adding other business partners, particularly the rock group, The Ventures, in the 1960s, the company expanded and was building up to 300 guitars a month. Mass production ended in 1969, when the factory closed, but Moseley continued to build custom guitars through the 1970s and '80s.