Why this $937,500 guitar is one of the most punk rock things ever.
Johnny Ramone played this Mosrite Ventures II guitar on 15 Ramones albums. He toured with it from 1977 to 1996. This was his main guitar which means it saw a lot of action. A lot of down strokes.
Often when a musician’s instrument goes up for auction, you’ll see things like stage played used to describe it. Be careful of this, it could mean that the instrument made one brief appearance to give it some value. Guitar’s that command a bigger price tag have a greater connection to the artist. Some will be credited with being used to write a specific song. The history of the instrument gives it a soul. Not to mention monetary value.
Just as Johnny wasn’t one for wardrobe changes during a set, he didn’t change his guitars much from song to song. His Mosrite Ventures II guitar was core to every performance nearly two decades. It has the bruises you’d expect from this kind of backstory including a neck with significant ware between the 1st and 5th frets. Oh and Johnny signed the back this guitar with a sharpie: Johnny Ramone. My Main Guitar, 1977-1996.
Add to all this that Mosrite Ventures II guitars are super rare to begin with. There were apparently only 100 to 150 built in 1965.
Mosrite Ventures II are as rare a Johnny Ramone guitar solo.
When the Ramones landed in 1974, the grubby, unpolished racket they produced was like nothing else. It spat in the face of prog rock. It was uncomplicated and unpretentious. The Ramone’s guitarist was the band’s biggest proponent of keeping things simple. Johnny never strayed far for the aggressive barre chords of Blitzkrieg Bop.
Johnny picked up this white Venture II in 1977 after his first blue Mosrite Venture II was stolen along with the rest of the band’s equipment. Its arrival in mid to late 1977 would mean that it wasn’t around for The Ramones first three albums. So not an OG, but from November 1977 to the band’s final show on August 6, 1996 in LA, Johnny’s main guitar did a lot of heavy lifting. Or sure there were three other instruments: drums, bass, Joey’s voice, and all of them essential, but The Ramones were a guitar band. And the distorted barre chords played in rapid succession generated from this guitar were responsible for creating a sound that became a template of punk rock.
Over the years the marketing of The Ramones has been plenty. Twenty-years after their final show the band’s t-shirts are still ubiquitous. They’ve sold more converse than they ever wore. There have been signature guitars and even other Johnny Ramone owned guitars that have been auctioned off. But this is a one of a kind piece of punk rock memorabilia that won’t soon be rivalled. Unless Johnny’s stolen blue Mosrite Venture II appears.
At press it was unknown who paid $937,500 on the Johnny Ramone guitar. Let’s hope they never use it play anything complicated.