MEET THE MASTERS

Mike Franks (M.J. Franks) lives in Rochester Hills, Michigan where his life-long passion of fine woodworking has led him to the building of exquisitely fine guitars. He has spent most of his life relentlessly perfecting his skills as a craftsman. He has done professional antiques restoration, woodcarving, furniture building, and the restoration of classic cars and boats--just to name a few of the crafts he has done to perfection.

Mike fell in love with Bluegrass Music at an early age and scoured flea markets and second-hand stores in his native Ohio for repairable or restorable fiddles, guitars, and mandolins. After repairing and refurbishing the instruments, Mike sold or gave them to his musician friends. In later years after building his first guitar, Mike spent time apprenticing with a Master Luthier and Inlay Artist and began building guitars professionally.

An engineer by trade, Mike constructs his instruments with the belief that fine, repeatable acoustics have everything to do with solid design, choice materials, and exacting construction. To say that Mike is a perfectionist regarding the fit and finish of his instruments is an understatement. His selection of materials is as painstaking as his building style. Old-Growth Brazilian Rosewood and Master Grade Adirondack Spruce are favorites as well as Mahogany, Spruce, and Koa. Mike builds about ten steel strings and an occasional Resonator guitar per year. A majority of his customers are professional musicians.

A resident of Rochester Hills, Michigan, Mike is an instrument-rated pilot and enjoys flying. Mike also constructed his first full-sized airplane almost entirely of wood as well.

Mike loves living in Michigan and enjoying the outdoors with his wife Debbie and two teen-aged children.