Paul Jacobs, working at the checkout counter near a display of handmade "Frank's Cranks" string winders, noted he'd seen many local music stores shutter since he was a music-loving teen in the 1960s. On a recent Wednesday afternoon visit, Ford and Johnston did indeed imbue a paternal air of pride as they introduced their staff members (many of whom are also musicians and instrument builders in their own right). But more than that, they have let me be a part of their clan," she said. "They have helped me immeasurably with everything from referring students, fixing instruments and guiding me with my silly projects. She described Gryphon as a "pop-and-pop" shop with a close-knit, family feeling. Roz Lorenzato, who's been teaching guitar, mandolin, banjo and bass for 14 years, told the Weekly she still considers herself a "newbie" compared to how long some have been there. "I credit them with the store's great success."
#GRYPHON STRINGED INSTRUMENTS HOW TO#
Frank and Richard set the tone at the store and they know how to make things work," she said. "The students, many of whom are from the local community, are an interesting, motivated group of people," she said, describing Gryphon as a welcoming, non-threatening environment for musicians of all levels. Lisa Sanchez has been coming down from San Francisco twice a week since 1992 to teach guitar at Gryphon. The Gryphon Carolers, which grew out of McComb and Ed Johnson's classes, have been entertaining the community annually during the holidays since 1975.
#GRYPHON STRINGED INSTRUMENTS PLUS#
Rare in a society where independent, brick-and-mortar shops seem increasingly endangered, Gryphon is going strong, employing around 15 staffers plus hosting a similar number of music instructors, including Carol McComb, who's been teaching group vocal and guitar lessons at Gryphon for decades, and Jack Tuttle, a noted teacher whose children practically grew up at Gryphon (noted musician Molly Tuttle's photo on the cover of Acoustic Guitar Magazine is framed and displayed at the shop). They occupied only the front half until 1994, when they expanded to fill the entire cavernous space. A few years later, they moved from El Camino Real to their current location at the corner of Park Boulevard and Lambert Avenue. They also met many friends who were music teachers seeking room to give lessons, so they decided to search for a bigger space that could serve that need. In 1973 they rented a tiny Palo Alto storefront and also began selling used and new instruments (today they still sell mostly acoustic fretted instruments, including guitars, mandolins, basses, banjos and ukuleles, but also a few select electrics) and accessories. "We settled on that because it was the coolest-looking one that had a name that wasn't so unwieldy," Ford said.Īfter a few years, it became apparent that their homespun model wasn't sustainable and that there was a market for skilled repair work. Searching for a name, they picked Gryphon, inspired by the mythological beast.
In 1969, they decided to become a "not exactly very formal business," based on a handshake partnership. He and Johnston began getting together at Ford's Margarita Avenue home and building instruments from scratch. Gryphon, Frank said with a grin, is just another Palo Alto garage startup.
"We found ourselves almost talking in code, boring the crap out of everyone around us, not talking about music itself but the instruments," he laughed.ĭespite the friendship-at-first-sight, young Ford and Johnston never expected that mutual music geekery to form a partnership that's lasted half a century, but the homemade luthier business they founded in 1969, Gryphon Stringed Instruments, has expanded into a flourishing repair shop, retail store and local music hub that's this week celebrating its 50th anniversary. He was really surprised to meet somebody who, upon getting his first guitar, started modifying it right away," Ford recalled. "I was startled to find somebody who knew so much about old instruments.
When Frank Ford and Richard Johnston first met as college students back in the 1960s, introduced by a mutual friend, it was evident they were kindred spirits.
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