Furch Violet GC-EM (43 mm, LRB1)

The FURCH Violet GC-EM electro-acoustic steel-string acoustic guitar (43 mm, LRB1) is a Grand Auditorium with cutaway, solid Englemann spruce top, solid African mahogany back and sides, solid African mahogany neck, Brankowood fingerboard and LR Baggs pre-amp. Englemann is a superior quality spruce. Less dense and paler than Sitka or Adirondack, it generates a noticeably more present midrange, a softer attack and remarkable clarity, helping to give the guitar a more vintage sound. BrankoWood is the invention of Australian scientist Branko Hermescee. It took him two decades to develop a revolutionary process endorsed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). BrankoWood is made from short-cycle pine from New Zealand. The wood is first dried to bring its moisture content down to 10%, then impregnated with catalysts and pigments in pressurized vats, followed by a second drying phase to bring its moisture content down to 2 or 3%, before a second pressurized impregnation, this time with resin.
The 3rd phase consists in compressing the material to lose up to 40% of its mass and densify it. Depending on the level of compression, the result is Pale BrankoWood (Spruce equivalent), Brown BrankoWood (Rosewood equivalent) or Black BrankoWood (Ebony equivalent). Lastly, fine sanding for a perfect look and feel. Furch guitars are extremely well positioned, and have nothing to envy from equivalent models offered by leading American brands.
At Furch, it all starts with an uncompromising selection of wood species, during which environmental considerations are taken very seriously. Then comes the drying process, which the firm has spent many years developing before arriving at a perfect result. The classification of woods according to various criteria (color, grain, consistency, rigidity, etc.) also leaves nothing to chance. The soundboard and its dams play a fundamental role in the sound of the instrument and its durability. Here again, Furch draws on its thirty years of expertise to find the optimum balance between rigidity, volume, sustain and dynamics.

Varnish is not the least of the elements in the equation that makes great acoustics. Furch has gone to great lengths to develop effective protection that respects the sonic integrity of its guitars 100%. Its varnishes are splendid, but above all extremely even and consistent in thickness.