Question for Furch/Stonebridge owners

[Rosewood99]

I’ve been intrigued with the brand and I’ve heard so many good things. What other manufacturer would you say its tone compares to. Is it more of a Taylor vibe, Martin or something else?

[Brevver2]

Not an owner but I recently trialed a spruce/walnut OM and a cedar/mahogany OM. They felt lightly built and were responsive and loud. Tonewise they were quite modern sounding so definitely closer to Taylor than Martin. They were both brand new instruments which was certainly a factor but I found them to be too bright and stiff. Might be perfect for someone else though but my preference is for darker/warmer instruments.

[Rosewood99]

Thanks, that's helpful. I, too, gravitate to slightly darker and warmer tones so maybe Furch is not for me.

[rule18]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

Thanks, that's helpful. I, too, gravitate to slightly darker and warmer tones so maybe Furch is not for me.

Barry @TBman might have something to say on this topic, he just adopted a Yellow.. I might have something to say on the matter in a few days...

[llew]

Roger Schmidt at Brickhouse Guitars in Kitchener, Ontario is a wealth of information on Furch/Stonebridge guitars. They are AD's for both as well as some other fine builders.
https://brickhouseguitars.com

[Brevver2]

One thing I'd like to add though is that I've recently come to question some of my first impressions of guitars. I've done a few setups lately and it's come to my attention how much the action and strings actually contribute to the tone. I find high action (which is usually the case on factory set guitars) results in a sharper transient/attack. This introduces a brightness/harshness that I wouldn't like on even my favourite guitars. I also hate the zing of fresh phosphor bronze strings (which also come with most new guitars). It's quite possible that the bright sound I was hearing on those Furch oms could be completely balanced with a lower action and better/older strings. It did, however, make it very hard for me to vibe with either instrument.

[Aimelie]

Originally Posted by rule18

Barry @TBman might have something to say on this topic, he just adopted a Yellow.. I might have something to say on the matter in a few days...

Cool!

To the OP, I found a big difference in tone going to the Yellow GC-CR (cedar over EIR) after trying a spruce topped Blue. Much rounder and balanced sound to my ears—and as you’ve suggested, strings can make all the difference (although, I quite like the Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze that came on my Yellow).

TBman did a guitar sound comparison thread that was interesting (on the subject of strings and how much impact they have on tone). Could be worth checking out.

In any case, IMO Furch makes really outstanding guitars and in their price range, I think they are very hard to beat.

ETA—the song in my signature is played on my Yellow (however, it was recorded directly from the LR Baggs Anthem pickup...TBman has recordings of his Yellow in his forum signature, but his are done with a proper microphone setup).

[rule18]

Originally Posted by Aimelie

Cool!

I hope it's a cool as I think it's going to be (should be tomorrow!!).

Your song sounds really nice through the Anthem, do you remember the position of the mix fader between the mic and the pickup?

[Shadowfox]

They sound like how I wanted Taylor to sound. They are richer than Taylor, but incredibly well balanced even in their dreads.

Since it is a smaller operation, the attention to detail can be much higher than Taylor's. Maybe it would be akin to what R Taylor was a few years ago.

They do Ceder wonderfully, as well as Cocobolo, and Walnut. THey also have a radiused top, so it makes harmonics far more easily.

[rgregg48]

They have their own vibe.
If I had to compare its a cross between
A custom luthier built and perhaps Larrivee

[Benjo]

I recently bought a Furch GC-CR 12-string and overall my impressions are positive. (I bought it from Heartbreaker Guitars online had a good buying experience with them. They took the time to answer my questions and followed up with the Furch dealer to get answers to some of my questions.)

The Good:
- really.really comfortable neck, most comfortable neck on a 12-string I've played
- overall very playable, as in like a 6-string in terms of ability to fret and play Barre chords without working too hard and without the action being too low (you could still play slide on it, in other words)
- pretty good value for the money ( $2.5k) and I expect you get more for your money than with bigger names or boutiques
- the LR Bags amplification sounds good
-comes w extra bridge pins and a shim, which is a nice touch, and the Hiscox case seems solid
- intonation is good all across the fretboard
- can take .13-.53 sets, which some 12-strings cannot


The Meh:
- not a fan of how obtrusive the LR Baggs EQ is on the upper bout. This is not a guitar for acoustic guitar purists. I habe to wonder if a giant hunk of plastic in the top of the guitar detracts from the tone and sound. I bet it does bc it would inhibit the vibration of the body.
- the shiny finish makes it look kind of cheap
- the quality of the sound just can't compare to the more expensive Lowdens or Santa Cruzes I've played, but the Furch costs about a third as much. Sounds good for strumming but only average for more sophisticated playing. If you play into bass notes to get more depth to the sound then they overplayand distort. This is the biggest drawback of the instrument. Based on it, Furch can't be evaluated as in the same league as a Lowden F or Santa Cruz OM Grand.
- the tuners are plastic and feel cheap, ditto the bridge pins
- its heavy
- no 15th and 17th fret markers on the neck (which I addressed by adding a dab of whiteout on the side of the neck)
- arrived producing a sitar-like buzz on the 4th string octave, which I remedied by putting a little graphite in the nut slot)
- 6th bridge pin does not want to come out at all...I am not looking forward to having to pry it out once I restring



Overall, I'm glad I bought it. I'm 5' 8" and can't play jumbos so this is the best mid price range 12-string guitar larger than an OM I have ever owned (I've owned a Taylor, a Guild, a Breedlove, and briefly a Lowden S and a Santa Cruz F). It doesn't have the bottom or fullness of the Taylor LKSM I owned but its a smaller, thinner body. I'm not in love with it. I'd never record with it and the unamplified sound doesn't inspire me like my Lowden does. I will be selling it once I can afford a Lowden 12-string, but it is a solid, reasonably priced and playable midrange guitar that is a good choice for someone wanting a playable 12-string that is ready to gig with. After sampling and owning like 6 different mid-range to high-end 12-strings, its no small compliment to the Furch to say its the most comfortable of all of them so far to play fingerstyle and classical music on.

Its good that Furch is around because they seem to offer a decent alternative to the Taylors and the Martins and Breedloves in the same price range.

[Tannin]

THose are really useful observations, Benjo. Thanks for posting.

[Benjo]

Sure thing, you are most welcome. I figured that a candid no-nonsense evaluation would be helpful to folks.

[Aimelie]

Originally Posted by rule18

I hope it's a cool as I think it's going to be (should be tomorrow!!).

Your song sounds really nice through the Anthem, do you remember the position of the mix fader between the mic and the pickup?

Thank you.

Yes, it was set at about 60% mic/40% pickup.

[fregly]

My GA Blue is a step up from the Larrivees I have had and better than what Taylor does generally. Not quite boutique level however. My Halcyon is a better instrument; much lighter and livelier, and fits in the upper tier, while the Furch feels as though perhaps it has too much mass in the top or something. Still a very good guitar overall with a pleasing voice and a smart choice over some of the big factory names.