Anyone familiar with Furch?

[angorawol]

Probably a question for some European members of this forum, is there someone familiar with a Furch-mandolin.
They score very high with their guitars (and their no-nonsense approach).

[Klaus Wutscher]

I played a few Furch mandolins and I was not impressed: The ones I played were lacking everything I am looking for in a mandolin except maybe volume. But then again, the setup was really bad and the strings were a joke. Maybe decent strings and a replacement brige would be a drastic improvement but as they are they are not nearly in the same league as ,say, an Eastman (which I also tried). Their guitars are great; but given the nuber of capable mandolin luthiers in the Czek Rep., the mandolins are a dissapointment. And those strings- man, what are they thinking?

[angorawol]

I know they use Elixir-strings

[Klaus Wutscher]

Really? The ones I played had noticable light strings- much too light to get good tone imo. But that was some time ago. Anyway, they were desperately in need of a setup.

[angorawol]

I've read it on their website, it's a whole new line of 'Mandoliny', as far I could figure out 'Ceska', the English part isn't ready, yet.
Musik Productiv (http://www.musik-produktiv.de/home/home01g.asp/sid/!18121995) got it on their catalogue.
The furch website (http://www.furch.cz/cz/furchmandoliny/index.php)

[Klaus Wutscher]

This makes sense. The ones I played are at least 3-4 years old. I keep you posted if I get to play a new one.

[Dagger Gordon]

Have a look at Acoustic Music Co's web site.
They've a lot of Czech (and plenty other!) mandolins.

I've never seen any of these Czech instruments, but Furch appears to be one of the cheapest makes in the shop. Gotta count for something, I should think. On the face of it, I'd be more inclined to try Capek, Lebeda or Holoubek.

Hard to say without trying them though.

[Dagger Gordon]

I should note that Acoustic Music Co seems to have no trouble selling Furch mandolins, nearly all of them have gone!

[Greenmando]

I know they use Elixir-strings
Some shops are notorious for changing out strings and tuners. I have seen a shop pull parts from a new mando off the wall to get a repair/set up out quickly. I have no idea what was later replaced on it.

[angorawol]

Furch is becoming more and more popular in Europe in the guitarscene, and everybody knows that mr. Furch was a mandoline-maker, it was written in all the reviews. So now he's back where he started, a mandolin-maker.

[Taylor815]

Furch is becoming more and more popular in Europe in the guitarscene, and everybody knows that mr. Furch was a mandoline-maker, it was written in all the reviews. So now he's back where he started, a mandolin-maker.
Well, he´s a good guitar-maker too.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/Taylor815/Furch-front-side.jpg