Tonewoods
We produce Furch guitars using the finest raw materials from duly verified suppliers from throughout the world. Almost 60 m3 of material is required for their production each year, while exotic wood forms almost two thirds of that amount.
We make great effort to compensate both society and nature for the consumption of these valuable raw materials through our work with the Arimae community in Panama, which comprises local families who engage in the protection of tropical forests and the planting and care of exotic woods with an emphasis on their sustainable development.
As part of our financial support we help the community take care of four hectares of cocobolo trees (dalbergia retusa), and two hectares of mahogany (swietenia macrophylla) with a total average growth of 39 m3.
Premium Quality Tonewoods
The sound of every guitar mainly depends on its construction. The species and quality of tonewoods used are an important part of it. With that in mind, we pay meticulous attention to select the best possible materials. The tonewoods used in building Furch guitars come from five continents. We have a sorting process that includes several stages during which a number of parameters are evaluated. These parameters differ slightly for tonewoods used to make the top, the sides, and the back. Our partners are the world’s leading suppliers, which guarantees that Furch instruments are made of the very best tonewoods.
To achieve optimal acoustic response, the soundboard of nearly all our guitars is made from soft tonewoods with pronounced parallel grain. The key characteristics of the soundboard on which the evaluation process is focused include rigidity, the concentricity, regularity, thickness, and cross-sectional perpendicularity of annual rings, the evenness of color across the entire top plate, and the presence of imperfections in the wood that give every soundboard a unique look.
Tonewoods used in making the soundboard of Furch guitars are classified according to quality using the following grading scale: master grade, AAA, AA, A+.
The back and sides of Furch guitars are made from tonewoods originating in various parts of the world. The density and grain patterns of these woods differ considerably, and their physical properties are consequently more diverse than the parameters of woods used in making the top plate. Tonewoods for the back are carefully assessed with regard to rigidity, grain pattern, and presence of imperfections.
Tonewoods used in making the back and sides of Furch guitars are classified according to quality using the following grading scale: master grade, AAA, AA, A.
The highest quality premium tonewoods are mainly reserved for crafting custom Rainbow Series guitars. They pass a multi-stage selection process, and their quality ranges from AAA to master grade.
