Like all of the Murph "Squire" models... the principal design
employed by Thomas "Pat" Murphy was a "Quasi-Jazzmaster"
shaped body. This was the case for this 1966 prototype Murph
Banjo created for the renowned artist/session-player
Dick Rosmini.
"Pat" Murphy was "NOT" a guitar maker, he was a guitar creator!
Murphy is one of those iconic guitar builders who exuded the
"Surf's Up" West Coast lifestyle and attitude of the 1960's. So... Why
Not build a "Surf's Up" prototype Banjo for Dick
Rosmini. This Murph Banjo remains one of the strangest stringed
instrument in my PulseBeat Guitars collection.
Dick Rosmini
(1936-1995)
Dick Rosmini was one of the all time greats as far as stringed
instruments go. During the early 1960's, the iconic Rosmini was
considered one of the best 12-string guitarists in the world.
He was without-a-doubt a musician's - musician... because
he could play anything that had strings on it.
Dick Rosmini was a versatile banjoist and guitar player,
he also was a world class photographer for Tiffany in the
1950’s and 60’s. His photography enabled him to pursue
his ever growing music career.
Dick Rosmini has 2 stand-out recordings "Adventures For
12 String, 6 String And Banjo" released in 1964 and "A
Genuine Rosmini" released in 1969. But Dick Rosmini can
be heard on countless Guitar, Banjo and 12-String anthologies,
as well as on albums by Bob Gibson, Phil Ochs, Hoyt Axton,
Doug Dillard, and Jackie DeShannon to name a few.
Rosmini also recorded with Van Dyke Parks who describes
"Adventures For 12 String" as an "absolutely essential" album.
Jimmy Page agreed, by saying "it had the best-recorded acoustic
guitar sound I'd ever heard up until that point."