Franchin Guitars Reviews 10

I ordered a two-tone burst finish Mars model (their modern-spec Tele style) directly through the Franchins Guitar official website. From the moment I paid until the build was fully completed, the total turnaround was around 7 months.

The build quality is excellent; the craftsmanship, paintwork, and relic work details exceeded my expectations. Communication with the team was smooth and responsive throughout, and the range of customization options covered exactly what I was looking for.

One very notable thing to mention: the finish is incredibly thin — much thinner and softer than the nitrocellulose lacquer you’ll find on production models from Gibson or Fender. You can get a visible scratch just by running your fingernail lightly across it, with hardly any pressure needed. Personally I don’t mind this, but it’s definitely something that comes down to personal preference.

My only real criticism is the lead time — 7 months is far longer than the 2–3 months they state upfront. That said, the quality of the final guitar absolutely makes up for the extra waiting time. If you’re happy to be patient, you’ll get a truly special instrument.

I initially asked them if it was possible to create a replica of Gilmour's Red Strat body, a Vintage Reiusse '57 famously produced in Fullerton in the early 1980s, for my 2007 American Vintage stratocaster. They managed to faithfully recreate all the fundamental characteristics of the original model: from thickness, to bevels, curves and, above all, painting. They also professionally reassembled the tool: complete fret-leveling, crowning and high-level final setup. They also worked very well on the unfortunately accidental repair of the potentiometers of the EMG set. I was very satisfied with the finished instrument: a real craftsman product created by a highly professional team, worked and assembled with great care and passion!

Ordered a Franchin body to see if it could be a good european alternative to MJT. The body looks nice enough. Could not get the finish to craquelé though because of the very thin layer of finish. When installing the neck I found the pocket to be too shallow - tried both musikraft and allparts. Had to install a one degree shim to get the saddles down to a normal level. I send two message to adress this problem to which I received no replies. Will keep ordering from MJT - great product and customer service.

Waiting time was about 7 months for an Neptune body (Jazzmaster style) without any information in the meantime. Website says 3-5 months...
Painting job and woodwork was ok but showed some flaws that were not meant to be relic (circles from polish, scattered wood in the cavities). Had to sand the cavities myself again to be even. Ordered a light relic job and even this went strange. Kind of small ice picks here and there that looked just not natural to me. I think for the price (449€) it´s ok if you are able to do some work afterwards. For one who expects an perfect done body there are alternatives or you have to send your exact expectations to them and hope for the best.

What can I say except hats off to this company? I ordered a Jupiter body in Fiesta Red with a light relic.
The build quality, paint & relic job are exceptionally well done and as someone else has commented before me, I also think the quality is on par with Fender Custom Shop.
I selected the priority version when ordering and the whole process from order to delivery was completed in less than 1 month. Absolutely fantastic!
I would also like to emphasize the very friendly and professional contact.
Thank you for everything, I am a VERY satisfied customer! 5/5

Same quality as Fender custom shop. I recommend.