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NEWS

I have now moved the "Latest News" updates to my Facebook Page. Please head on over there and "like" my page and get all the latest updates, cool photos of new projects and much more!


July 11, 2011

M.J. FRANKS AT THE HEALDSBURG GUITAR FESTIVAL

From August 12-14, Mike Franks of M.J. Franks Guitars will be exhibiting at the prestigious Healdsburg Guitar Festival in Healdsburg, CA. The Festival features exhibits by many of the top luthiers in the world, along with workshops, vendors, and performances by an astounding array of talent from the guitar world.

If you attend the festival, please come by the M.J. Franks exhibit and say hello. For more information about the event, click the banner below...





June 7, 2011

DREW HOLCOMB AT THE M.J. FRANKS WORKSHOP

Drew Holcomb dropped by my shop recently after his concert in Troy, Michigan. I gave his Brazilian Rosewood Legacy Dreadnought a tune up and installed an LR Baggs Anthem pickup. Drew mentioned that he has played over 400 concerts with his Legacy Dread and continues to love the Legacy for his hard, no-nonsense style of playing.

If you are not familiar with Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, you need to check out their latest album “Chasing Someday which topped the iTunes chart for several weeks after its release. “ Fire & Dynamite” is a killer tune!

To check out his music, CLICK HERE.






January 05, 2011

NEW DEALER

I am happy to announce my partnership with Tommy’s Guitar Lounge in Viersen, Germany.  Established in 1976, Tommy’s Guitar Lounge is well known across Europe as THE guitar store for rare and well selected high end guitars.  Owner and founder Tommy Metz is proud to offer limited and rare instruments which reflect the unique skills and talents of small “boutique” luthiers.

Tommy’s passion for quality instruments is evident in his excellent customer service which sets him apart from the "mainstream selling" of the large companies.  As evidence of his love for his customers, Tommy offers a free pickup service from Düsseldorf Airport and a free, nice hotel room to those who desire a comfortable and joyful visit to his Guitar Lounge.

Tommy says: "I’m always looking for wonderful instruments which have been passionately crafted with attention to detail and from tonewoods which have had the chance to dry slowly over years and not 'roasted dry' in drying kilns. I am pleased to have the opportunity to offer Mike’s limited guitars in Europe.”


Contact Information:
Tommy's Guitar Lounge
Tommy Metz
Gereonsplatz 3
41747 Viersen
(49)2162-29227
www.tommys-music-shop.de


November 18, 2010

SOUND SAMPLE

Here is a music file for you to enjoy by French musician Arnaud Zeller. The song is called Dreams and was recorded on Arnaud's new M.J. Franks Cocobolo and Carpathian Spruce OMD model that I recently completed.

click here to listen


May 28, 2010

NEW DEALER

I am pleased to announce that I have added Choice Guitars in Minnetonka, Minnesota as the newest dealer for M.J. Franks Guitars. Please check the "dealer" page for all of their contact information.


March 16 , 2010

ASIA

I am pleased to announce that I have been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans (ASIA).

Established in 1988, ASIA remains a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support, resources and community to luthiers, repair technicians and stringed instrument enthusiasts worldwide. ASIA publishes its “Guitarmaker” journal quarterly and hosts the bi-annual “ASIA Symposia", which serves to bring hundreds of builders, repair technicians, vendors and enthusiasts together to exchange information, exhibit new work, find new sources, be exposed to key lectures, develop lasting friendships, and have fun.

You can learn more about ASIA (or better yet, enroll) by
clicking here.


January 25, 2010

Pete Goble Guitar

I recently had the privilege to complete a commission for Bluegrass Legend Pete Goble. You can’t be a fan of Bluegrass Music and not be familiar with at least some of the classic songs that Pete has written over the years for artists such as the Osborne Brothers, Jimmy Martin, The Country Gentlemen, Doyle Lawson, Hot Rize, J.D. Crowe and Mountain Heart. Pete has been awarded the Songwriter of the Year Award by the International Bluegrass Music Association for his song “Colleen Malone” and “Fiddler’s Green” which was recorded by Tim O’Brien.



Pete’s guitar is a traditional styled Legacy Dreadnought. He chose Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood for the back & sides and Adirondack Spruce for the top & braces. The bindings are Grained Ivoroid with an Abalone top purfling. The headplate is inlayed with a classic “Flowerpot” in Abalone and Mother-of-Pearl. The guitar is voiced for Bluegrass flatpicking and Pete insisted that it be a “Banjo Killer!”

It has been a great pleasure and privilege for me to get to know Pete. I am looking forward to the release of his next CD this year.
For more on Pete Goble, click the link below:

http://www.mjfranksguitar.com/news_images/TS-Fall-06-10.pdf


December 26, 2008

Coopers Glen Music Festival Exhibition

We will be exhibiting our acoustic and resonator guitars at the Coopers Glen Music Festival in beautiful Kalamazoo, Michigan on Saturday, January 10th. The exhibitor’s portion of the festival will be from 11:00 – 6:00 PM. The exhibitor’s portion of the Festival has been organized by Bryan Galloup of the Galloup School of Lutherie and will feature the works of Michigan and surrounding area Luthiers. For more information, including the well-known performers, please visit Coopers Glen website by clicking here.


November 16, 2008

Sound Pure Recording Studios and Guitar Boutique Now Open

Durham, NC, November 3, 2008 – Sound Pure LLC announced today that the new Commercial Recording Studios, and Guitar Boutique are now fully operational and open for business. This unique 8,000 square foot facility is housed in a completely redeveloped, early 1900’s all brick building, and represents 2 ½ years of Sound Pure’s redevelopment effort.

The multi-room recording studios feature a nearly 1,000 square foot live room coupled with a large A-Control Room together sufficient to handle orchestral- sized productions, as well as large recording seminars and clinics. The large live A-Room features a new 7-foot Steinway Grand Piano. Both Control Rooms have Pro Tools HD-3 rigs, with an elaborate outboard collection, centered by a Digidesign D-command in the A-room, and a Toft 32-Channel Analog console in the B-room.

The studios lie in the same facility as their incredible guitar and amplifier collection, featuring new instruments from numerous hard-to-find extremely high-end boutique guitar manufacturers, which can be made available for studio use by arrangement. Sound Pure intends to fill a niche in the pro audio world by combining the greatest modern guitar collection publicly available to Sound Pure’s clients for sale, testing, and recording along with a serious commercial recording facility. They intend to drastically educate the boutique guitar world of a huge variety of guitar recording techniques and high end audio products, and
simultaneously be able to recommend to Sound Pure’s pro audio clients the best hand-built high-end guitars for their studio or application.

Sound Pure built the facility utilizing studio components exclusively from suppliers that they represent. The Sound Pure team built, wired, and outfit the entire studio infrastructure themselves, utilizing what they feel are modern-day best-practices. Sound Pure intends to use the facility so that each aspect of the infrastructure can easily be shared and explained to their professional audio clientele who are looking to build their own project, home, or professional studios.


Sound Pure’s core business is primarily professional audio and boutique guitar & amp sales. Therefore, they’ve built this facility with a serious emphasis on making it available to its pro audio customers for A/B comparisons, shootouts, seminars, as well as to provide this recorded sample content on its website at www.soundpure.com. Hence the large control room and very large outboard gear and microphone collection, feature many of the high-end microphone and outboard manufacturers that Sound Pure represents. The studios were designed to be exceptionally neutral, but not “dead” sounding, in order to provide the ideal environment for multipurpose tracking, as well as to test the latest professional audio equipment.

The room acoustics combine weathered, exposed masonry-brick from the building’s original shell, coupled with carefully positioned random-width rough-sawn lumber, and a fabric ceiling. The lumber is positioned to serve as sloped slat-wall absorption, with diffusive properties, that also helps redirect sound up to the elaborate ceiling bass trapping system. The rough exposed lumber interacts with the brick acoustically and cosmetically to provide an old-world look, and at the same time a very neutral and controlled reflection.

The rest of the facility consists of lounges, offices, warehouses, 2 kitchens, many of which are also wired with built-in microphone wall boxes. Even the all-masonry, untreated studio lobby featuring 750 square feet of an outrageously live wet sound, and the entryway with near 30ft ceilings are wired for recording.

Sound Pure intends to host numerous gatherings, open-house nights, manufacturer seminars, and live concert events at this new impressive facility. Please inquire with Sound Pure about the upcoming calendar of events.

The site sits at 808 Washington St. in downtown Durham, NC, on the same block as the Durham Athletic Ball Park, made famous from the film Kevin Costner film Bull Durham.

Sound Pure Facility
808 Washington St.
Durham, NC 27701


May 14 , 2008

From the Buffalo Brothers website: "One of our favorite inspirational singer/songwriters, Kevin Click, putting his new M.J. Franks with a Madagascar Rosewood body and Adirondack spruce top through its paces. Kevin is an early adopter for Franks guitars and believe us, he is very, very picky about his guitars. And he loves his new M.J. Franks. Kevin's latest CD, "Beautiful Loss" is available at kevinclick.com."



April 20, 2008

I am excited to announce the addition of several available models; the 00-12 and 000-12, which are faithful renditions of the timeless Martin slot-head designs, the 0000(M) Grand Auditorium and the unique BFG-Jumbo.” Please stay tuned for pictures and specifications.


November 28, 2007

I am excited to announce the newest dealer in the M.J. Franks Guitars family, Sound Pure in Durham, NC. Sound Pure is a completely high end boutique for guitars, and professional recording studio products.  They have been in business for close to 10 years, and are currently completing construction on an 8,000 square ft. facility that will house a 3,000 square ft. Class A recording studio, and a 5,000 square ft. building consisting of a boutique guitar and amp showroom, offices, and small warehouse.

 

Sound Pure represents the best modern built guitars, and all of the greatest audio equipment available today to record them.  
 
You can check out their listings for M.J. Franks Guitars by clicking here or call them toll free at (888) 528-9703


April 3, 2007

I am pleased to announce that Meridian Music Company of Carmel, Indiana is now an authorized dealer of M.J. Franks Guitars. Meridian Music’s Guitar Shop offers high end acoustic and electric guitars, amplifiers and accessories. Established in 1989, Meridian Music Company is Indiana’s exclusive home for both Steinway & Sons piano and the Steinway-designed Boston piano.  In addition to the upscale Guitar Shop, Meridian Music Company’s new 2-story facility houses a huge piano showroom and over a hundred music instructors for every instrument imaginable. Their main recital room seats 120 people!
 
You can visit Meridian Music Company on the web at www.meridianmusicguitars.com and check their inventory of quality fretted instruments.


Left: Aaron Ronsdell with Franks Roundneck Resonator. Center: Guitar Shop Manager Jason Beatty.
Right: Chris Kersey with Franks “Bearclaw” Legacy Dreadnought.


Meridian Music Company’s new Carmel, Indiana facility.


March 15, 2007

In February of 2007, I completed a special OM-S guitar for Bob Page, the owner of Buffalo Brothers Guitars in Carlsbad, CA and Old Time Music in San Diego. Bob’s guitar was built using a beautiful set of highly flamed, old-growth Brazilian Rosewood and master grade Adirondack Spruce. The top braces were cut from the same billet of wood as the top. The headstock overlay was cut from matching flamed Brazilian Rosewood with script inlay in Abalone Pearl. Matching Abalone Pearl was used for the diamonds & squares fingerboard position markers. Fine Herringbone purfling accents the top and soundhole. Grained Ivoroid body bindings and a hand-cut celluloid tortoise pickguard add a vintage look to the instrument.
 
Bob expressed his delight with the sound and playability of the guitar and will be keeping it for his personal collection.
 
You can visit Buffalo Brothers online at buffalobrosguitars.com or click here to go directly to the M.J. Franks section.




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October 10, 2006

Welcome to the official M.J.Franks Guitars website. I'm not sure exactly why people alway say "the official website." I mean, it's not like anyone is trying to pass off some other website full of weird guitar photos as the "official site" or anything like that. So, we'll just say, welcome to the M.J. Franks Guitars website! I'm glad you're here. I hope you enjoy my guitars as much as I enjoy building them and I hope that one day we have a chance to create a guitar that meets or exceeds your desires in an instrument.

Sincerely,
Mike Franks


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