12/19/2023
I am very saddened to learn of Frank's death. Coming into the shop today, there are so many things around that make me think of him. He was a kind and brilliant man, and a wonderful friend and mentor.
When Brian hired me on (thanks Brian!), I could tell Frank wasn't too sure about me at first. I didn't go through the usual steps to be in repairs at Gryphon, and was pretty green in a lot of ways. Once I started full time, I was lucky enough to have a bench right next to Frank, sharing a trash can. Our benches were the messy side of the shop, much to everyone else's dismay. We learned to laugh a lot together, both loving the silly British humor we were raised on.
Frank was sometimes known to take his first Gen iPod, (the one with a firewire charger), and put it on shuffle for the entire work day. It was mostly old big band music, some country and the occasional weird electric 60s Jim & Jesse tune. "Who's this one, Frank?"
Years went by, and one day I saw him throw the iPod in our shared trash can. I was a bit shocked, and fished it out.
"Did you throw this away Frank?!"
The charger was beginning to be fritzy, and the battery was dead.
"Keep it if you want it, bud".
I still have it and play music at the shop to spend time with him again. I will continue to do this as long as it works.
I know he's on the guitar repair Mt. Rushmore, and not a day goes by in my shop where I don't think about him. (I sometimes have imaginary conversations with him, when I get stuck on something). But a lot of what I remember will be how silly and funny he was.
I was excited to send him a video of the Frank-o-matic magnet-sander I just made, but I didn't get to it because I was still making some tweaks to the bearings etc. The one at Gryphon was one of the coolest tools he came up with, and a few guitars came in recently that were crying out for some hard to reach interior cleanup. I wish I would've sent a video down to him.
Thinking of all of you down there at Gryphon and hoping you are all out raising a glass to him.
I feel very lucky to have spent the time I did with him, and to have made him laugh. Rest in Peace Frank ❤️
❤️📷
