Instrumental

Guess what I got to do yesterday? I got to see and hold the newly finished Kansas City Irish Fest mandolin, funded by a KCIF grant and built by luthier Mark Franzke. This thing, if it's possible, is even more beautiful in person that in its photographs. That's Mark there holding it. He explained to me why he'd made certain design choices to make this ideally suited to Irish music and the needs of Irish players. The mere fact that Mark built it by hand makes me me even more like a talentless gobshite than I usually do, and that's saying something. It's spectacular. It's amazing. And it's yours, if you're the high bidder.

We're going to be auctioning if off beginning Irish Fest weekend. Proceeds will go to setting up an traditional music scholarship fund. And if you're an acoustic player, whether in Irish, Bluegrass or any other kind of music and would like to have Mark custom build your next instrument (he builds tenor banjos, too) you can contact him here.