MOST OF US know that vintage acoustic guitars can be a little inconsistent in quality. We accept that some are diamonds, while others don't shine quite so brightly. After all, isn't that part of the mystique of things built the old-fashioned way? The trouble with that theory is that, while everyone loves a nice, resonant old guitar, no one wants to own one of the bad ones. And that really summarizes what modern luthiers are trying to do through the union of handcraft and technology today: make better guitars, more consistently.
Few companies embody this approach as completely as Furch. In fact, the company, which is based in the Czech Republic, has revolution in its blood. Founder František Furch built his first guitar in 1981 because so few good acoustics were available.
"Back then, Czechoslovakia was under a tight communist regime," he explains, "which didn't allow us to travel almost anywhere, let alone to the countries of the Western Bloc. Quality instruments were available in Western European countries, but due to travel bans, these were not accessible to us at all. On top of that, even if one managed to get a permit to travel outside the country, most of us couldn't afford to purchase them, due to the financial situation."
Basic nylon-string guitars, made in the countries of the former Soviet Union, were available to Czech musicians, but, as an avid fan of U.S. bluegrass and country music (an underground activity at that time), František realized the only way he could obtain a good steel-string guitar was to build it himself. He eventually did this using reclaimed wood from an old piano, which he paired with a fibreglass body inspired by Ovation acoustic guitars, which were becoming popular in the West at that time. Soon, musician friends from the underground bluegrass and country community started taking an interest in his guitars.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
How I Wrote..."Year of the Cat"
AI Stewart reflects on his beguiling hit, some 10 years in the making.
UAFX
Teletronix LA-2A Studio Compressor
LINE 6
POD Express
MAN OF STEEL
He brought the Dobro to centerstage with his dazzling talent. As he drops his first album in seven years, Jerry Douglas reflects on his gear, career and induction in the Bluegrass Hall of Fame.
HIGH TIME
The new MC5 album took more than 50 years to arrive. The band members have all passed on, but the celebration is just beginning.
58 YEARS OF GUITAR PLAYER
As Guitar Player moves full-time to its online home, we look back at some of its greatest stories in print.
DRAGON TALES
In a Guitar Player exclusive, Jimmy Page sheds light on the amplifiers behind his Led Zeppelin tone and how they live again in his line of Sundragon signature amps.
CLOSER TO HOME
Rehearsal space, studio, vessel and abode Diego Garcia's boat is the home base for his new album, as well as his musical life as the seafaring Spanish guitarist Twanguero.
Funk Noir
With The Black Album, Prince made his greatest-and most infamousmusical statement.
Medium Cool
Striking the middle ground between its Thinline brethren, Gibson's ES-345TD remains a versatile, if underrated, gem.
