Stonebridge/Furch Guitars

[toom]

Has anybody tried them? They seem to have a growing reputation for quality at a reasonable price.



A wonderful piece played by Antoine Dufour (and Tommy Gauthier on thumbs) on a Stonebridge guitar .

[rickS]

Hi Toom, timely post for me, as I've lately been sizing up the Stonebridge GS 23CR - I've had one of the MIC Stanford Performers (PSD 28 rosewood dread) for a year or so, & can't believe how good it sounds, & the Stonebridges are supposedly even better ( I'm intrigued by the ageing process they use on the topwood) - those that have them certainly enthuse about them - let us know if you get to grips with one..

[honeyboy]

Diana Jones plays a Stonebridge guitar - her sisters husband used to be the UK rep for the importer..

Pony

Extract from a recent interview with Diana Jones talking about Stonebridge Guitars

DJ: Well, right now I'm spending a little time with my family, and yeah, just kind of hanging out with them. Actually, it's funny, my brother-in-law works for a guitar company out of the Czech Republic--well, he actually is a rep, so he reps a bunch of different lines, and he reps this one line that I fell in love with, they're handmade guitars out of Prague. He got me an endorsement deal with them.

DJ: So I'm going to Wales tomorrow, which is where the main office is, and I'm going to go try out a bunch of guitars and choose the one I want. [laughs]

PM: So what is this company called?

DJ: The guitars are called Stonebridge Guitars. And they're named after the Charles Bridge, in Prague, which is made out of stone, and built in the 1300s.

DJ: And the guy who makes them--I forget his name offhand because it's Czech and it's hard to remember. But he started making guitars way back in the late '70s. And the Czech Republic was communist, so it was illegal to have your own business. So he had to make them sort of under the cover of night for years, and then was just able, in the last few years to start the company. And he employs 40 people now. And the guitars I've played so far are better than the Martin I've got. They're unbelievable, yeah.

PM: Where does his wood come from?

DJ: It's all from that area.

DJ: I think it's all within that region. It's the usual suspects, mahogany, rosewood. I'm sure the rosewood is important, and then spruce.

PM: He's using spruce tops, of course, not cedar tops.

DJ: Both, actually. He's got a couple of different lines. He's got a bluegrass line, and then he's got sort of an acoustic line.

PM: And what are you after? Are you after a dreadnaught or an auditorium size, or a little guitar?

DJ: I kind of like the smaller ones. Mine is a double O.

DJ: 0018 Martin. It's an Elizabeth Cotten copy. They did a vintage line, and that was one of them. I think I like the smaller body ones. I'm playing sort of an auditorium size right now that belongs to my brother-in-law, just kind of checking it out. It's smaller bodied. It's not as small as my double 0, but it's pretty small, and it's just so well balanced, and the bass sound is just amazing for the size it is.

[toom]

I've just got the guitar, a D 22CM - like this


Very good, resonant, clear, good action, great to play and sounds lovely. Now for a bit of selling .....anybody fancies a Martin 000-28EC £1595)or NRP polychrome tricone (£1395), let me know.