daver - Posted - 12/18/2023:  04:50:44

From the Gryphon Strings Facebook page:

"We are devastated to announce that Frank Ford, the co-founder of Gryphon Stringed Instruments, passed away Sunday afternoon after a brief illness. He was loved by those who were fortunate to know him and work beside him and he was respected by those in the wider luthier community who benefited from his generous spirit. He will be missed."

Easily 80% of what I know about lutherie I learned from Frank's website. What generosity with his knowledge and time to the world. I regret that I never met the man yet I remain grateful for all he shared. Condolences to family and friends.

badger - Posted - 12/18/2023:  07:45:11

So sorry to hear this - a real blow to the entire Bay Area music community. Condolences to his family and loved ones.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 12/18/2023:  08:05:16

Oh no! I was down there several weeks ago and he was in his usual spot in a chair in the repair room behind the retail area. I've had a handful of conversations with Frank over the years - a true fountain of knowledge when it come to guitars and a good guy. 

Rest in Peace Frank Ford. 

 

Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 12/18/2023 08:07:20

Terry Harris - Posted - 12/18/2023:  09:07:54

This is petty terrible news. Like Daver, much of what I've learned as a builder came from his FRETS.com website. He did a repair for me on a build I was stuck on. It had a rattle I could not locate and convinced him to look it over. He didn't like people sending him repairs through the mail or UPS but I convinced him to look it over and he located and fixed the problem. He scolded me about me learning to build before I had learned to repair. He was right. I still hate repairs but I will do them in small amounts.
I still use his website as a great recourse.
The man was a gem and a legend and was very kind to me