M.J. Franks Guitars

I Ordered a Cirrus Guitar!

I can mark off another item on my bucket list. This morning, I went to the Cirrus Guitars shop and ordered myself an acoustic guitar made to my specifications!

I had blogged about Cirrus Guitars previously (https://luegra.design.blog/2023/10/28/cirrus-guitars/), and have been thinking about getting a guitar from there ever since. With money that could have spent on a bigger TV or some other item that does not really strike my fancy, I love guitars so much that it was what I wanted to treat myself to. I contacted Mike Franks, owner/luthier for Cirrus, a few weeks back, we scheduled a meeting this morning, and I went to the shop in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

Mike was extremely friendly, and was grateful that I paid for the guitar in full rather than just a down payment. The shop is Heaven if you are a guitar enthusiast like me. Acoustic guitars in every stage of construction line the walls and workbenches. He has a special paint booth, and the whole shop is well ventilated and humidified. He also has a room set up for taking photos of his finished guitars, and a space where he holds small house concerts.

The best part of his tour was seeing some of the guitars that he is making for bluegrass artists. One guitar is a special left-handed model under his M.J. Franks brand of guitars for Jamie Johnson of The Grascals. He is also making a custom dreadnaught for John Bryan of The Grascals as well.

He related a great story of how he once heard an Osborne Brothers tune on the radio that moved him deeply, then fast forward two decades, and Joe Miller of Bobby Osborne and the Rocky Top Xpress requested a guitar made for him. When it was finished, Franks took it to Nashville to present it to Miller at the Grand Ole Opry. He was then sitting on stage at the Opry when Miller performed with the band, and had that song dedicated to him that evening.

Franks knows how special bluegrass artists are, not only with the care and concern they have with acoustic instruments, but how much they appreciate the people around them, be they fans, promoters, or luthiers. You can see in all of the work he puts in every guitar that his respect goes equally back to the artist.

My guitar should be ready in about three months, and I am in no big rush. I know that I will fall in love with the guitar, simply because I see the quality work that goes into Cirrus guitars. Franks has stated that I should stop by the shop in a few weeks to see the progress. Despite the rainy weather going on today, the day was fantastic for me!

http://www.cirrusguitars.com/

Chew on it and comment.

There is a new acoustic guitar company opening up – and it is near my house!!!

Well, it is about an hour drive from where I live, to be honest. However, this is great news to see another luthier starting up in the Detroit area. Cirrus Guitar (https://www.cirrusguitars.com/) is the partnership of Mike Franks (of M.J. Franks Guitars) and Tobin McGlassion (of McGlassion Guitars) that will make high-quality, hand-made acoustic guitars at an affordable price.

They have opened up shop in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and from the looks at their website, they have a good idea of what is needed in the acoustic guitar market. As of now, they are making three models: a Dreadnaught, an OO body, and a OOO 14-fret version. All will have basic features, with options available at additional costs. Prices for these guitars (with case) will start at $2,150.00.

What caught my attention was that they will offer two scale lengths at no additional cost. There will be the standard 25.4-inch scale, as well as the shorter 24.9-inch scale. Because of my smaller hands and slight arthritis, I have always wanted a shorter scale fretboard on a Dreadnaught body. Martin has offered such models, but the price has been way out of reach for me. This looks like it would be a great alternative.

The guitars will be built in the same shop as M.J. Franks Guitars, but with a different attitude. Of course, they are looking at getting these guitars into a players’ market. A M.J. Franks guitar starts at $3,850.00. At nearly half the price, a Cirrus guitar is a great alternative to the more boutique guitars.

In an interview with Bluegrass Today, Franks states that for Cirrus, he will be buying wood in bulk, and wood that may have some minor blemishes that would not be found on his Franks guitars. Personally, a small blemish can be ignored if the guitar has a great tone and feels comfortable at the same time.

Franks’ bluegrass connection comes from building one of his first guitars for Bobby Osborne’s guitarist Joe Miller, and being good friends with songwriter Pete Goble, who also lived in the Detroit area before passing away in 2018.

I will be checking out this Cirrus over the next few weeks, and seriously considering getting myself that Dreadnaught with a short-scale neck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZr0Q-mzxlA&t=2s

Chew on it and comment.