Furch OM models

ditchboy

Does anyone have any experience of them on the forum? I let one go many years ago but at the time I was chasing a Martin and my memory is very hazy. I’ve been looking at an OM Green on Guitar Guitar which is in the autumn sale. Spruce top, mahogany back and sides which is exactly what I was looking for. Up until recently I thought my next acoustic was going to be a Larrivee but my head might have been turned. 

Gta80

I had a a Furch GC-CR, albeit cedar/rosewood which I sold when I bought my Larrivee OM-05 sitka/mahogany. Furch was nice but Larry is a way, way better guitar to my ears. If I was going mahogany I'd definitely go Larrivee over Furch. Obviously best to play first and get the one you enjoy the most. 

Tannin

Hi @ditchboy. I recently had the pleasure of trying out several Furch guitars. From memory, three were grand auditoriums (or possibly OMs - there isn't much difference between those two shapes)  and one a dreadnought. There wasn't a crook one amongst them, all quality instruments - and I was playing them alongside some seriously good guitars by Maton and Guild (USA). They stood up very well in that august company. 

I liked the dreadnought a lot: it was a fairly cheap model as Furch guitars go, a Blue, in cedar and khaya (aka "African Mahogany") and I'd have been happy to take that one home. (I'm a cedar tragic.) Two of the OMs (or GAs) made little impression on me. They were good instruments in Sitka Spruce and Indian Rosewood, very playable and a good sound but not memorable. Neither one, in my view, was an upgrade on my Maton Messiah (which I had there with me and was looking to replace). The $4000 Furch (a Yellow) was obviously in the same class as the Messiah; on balance I thought the Maton was marginally the better of the two but both great. In short, three very good instruments, each one reasonably priced considering what it was. 

The final one, another Grand Auditorium, was a Furch Red Deluxe in spruce and rosewood, pretty much the top of their range and a superb instrument in every respect. All things considered, I rate it a better instrument than even the Messiah (admittedly at more than 50% higher cost). I could not fault it: as delightful an instrument as it has been my pleasure to play. 

Of course, I then bought it. Buggered if I know how I'm going to deal with the credit card bill next month, but that's a problem for another day. 

Like all good guitar makers, Furch has a "house sound". The similarities between the ones I played (in all different woods and price brackets and body shapes) were obvious. It is a distinctive crisp sound with a prominent high end. I guess I'd call it a "sizzle". Contrast with Taylor (an even more prominent high end but clean and sweet - over-sweet and over-prominent to my ear but YMMV), with Maton (balanced with glassy highs), with Guild (similar to Maton) or with Martin (rather muted high-end, big, muddy bass). 

Although my brother owns a Larivee, I have never played one. (I must go and visit soon - hell, he bought it on my recommendation and I haven't even seen it yet!) I have played guitars from most of the other big name makers and I reckon Furch is more than worthy of being numbered among them.

Put me down as a fan. (And I say that as a long-time Maton, Guild, and Martin lover.)

PS: I've had the Furch Red here at home for over a week now and it's every bit as good as I thought it was in the shop. I wouldn't say it's the best guitar I own - I have a custom Maton, a top-of-range Huon Pine Cole Clark, and a lovely local luthier-made concert-size guitar, all excellent in their own very different ways - but the Furch Red well and truly holds its own amongst them. It's as good as any. 

crunchman

I've got a Stonebridge branded Furch OM-32-SM, which is spruce/mahogany.  It's an older one before they redid the range with all the colours.

It's a very good guitar.  I prefer it to the Martin OOO-28EC that I used to have.  The V neck might not be for everyone.  I don't know the specs and neck profiles on the newer range though.

Edit: I definitely prefer Furch to the Larrivees I've played.

Tannin

^ I was a bit concerned to see that "Furch soft V" on the spec sheet.

But as soon as I picked it up, it felt lovely. I would have called it a medium-deep C - but then what I know about neck profiles you could scribble on a matchbox in texta. 

Anyway, these days Furch has two standard neck profiles for (I think) every model they make. A C and that "soft V". You can order them either way. I'm guessing that, short of ordering the one you want and waiting, the choice of neck profile is up to the retailer or the importer. 

Shadow

I have a Blue OM-CM (cedar/mahogany) which has a lovely full sound. When I tried it against others in the shop in the same price bracket the depth of sound really stood out. I'd prefer a slightly chunkier neck but it's a long way from being a deal-breaker. I owned a Larrivee OM03-R briefly but I found the sound quite characterless so I swapped it out for the Furch.

ditchboy

Thanks for the input so far everyone. I’ll potentially be able to try the Furch before I buy it. The Larrivee is likely to be more difficult to try before I buy. 

@Tannin I read that superb thread you made with the stunning red. It looks fantastic, I’m shopping in a slightly different market but on paper the green om ticks the boxes. £1200 isn’t too bad either when they’re including a hard case which they don’t as standard with the blue models. 

drofluf

I don’t think I’ve heard a bad thing said about Furch. I’ve got their “folding” guitar and I’m very impressed with it not just as a guitar but also the workmanship on it. 

thomasross20

Gta80 said:

I had a a Furch GC-CR, albeit cedar/rosewood which I sold when I bought my Larrivee OM-05 sitka/mahogany. Furch was nice but Larry is a way, way better guitar to my ears. If I was going mahogany I'd definitely go Larrivee over Furch. Obviously best to play first and get the one you enjoy the most. 

Agree NOTHING beats a Larrivee hog

Actually decided to keep my L-05 as it's low end chunk is GLORIOUS (and my P-05 12 fret is heaven). Just need to decide whether to keep the OM05 now lol. Flip flop!

I find the whole red/yellow/blue thing a bit confusing. Maybe I never learned my colours lol.

ditchboy

The further up the rainbow you get the more feckin expensive they become. That’s all you need to know. 

thomasross20

Haha true.. 

drofluf

thomasross20 said:

I find the whole red/yellow/blue thing a bit confusing. Maybe I never learned my colours lol.

In increasing price it goes:

Violet
Blue
Green
Yellow
Orange
Red
Rainbow

But not all body sizes are available in all the ranges. 

On top of that there’s also the option to specify your own preferred woods, body shape and binding etc..

thomasross20

Thanks - I think they're a decent company btw, have had contact with them and their open pore finish imo is good for tone 

Dave_Mc

Tannin said:

Hi @ditchboy. I recently had the pleasure of trying out several Furch guitars. From memory, three were grand auditoriums (or possibly OMs - there isn't much difference between those two shapes) 

I might be misremembering but I think the Furch OM models have a thinner body than the GA?

Tannin said:

 Two of the OMs (or GAs) made little impression on me. They were good instruments in Sitka Spruce and Indian Rosewood, very playable and a good sound but not memorable.

That was my feeling too when I got to try several Furches next to each other (I think they maybe were all Blue models IIRC)- one or two were great, another couple were perfectly good instruments but not quite as good- your description of "not memorable" is about right. It may well have been nothing more complicated than having been in the store a bit longer and more in need of a setup, though.

(I'm terrible with neck shape descriptions too fwiw!)

ditchboy

Neck profiles come in 3 sizes for me. Too big, too thin or just right. Other than that I’m not too fussy. 

guitarjack66

ditchboy said:

Neck profiles come in 3 sizes for me. Too big, too thin or just right. Other than that I’m not too fussy. 

Too thin,possibly and this will do.

bertie

yes I have an OM33SR (pretty sure I mentioned that in another thread)  -  tis a superb sounding guitar,  one I actually bought on impulse but with my onset dupuytrens on my fretting had,  Im struggling with the V neck