František Furch made the first Furch branded guitar in 1981 in a small unofficial garage workshop, in what was then Czechoslovakia. At that time the communist government disallowed all private companies, so Furch was forced to make his guitars in secret. His first guitar was made while he was still a teenager – which consisted of banjo made from an old drum body. Later in the 1980s František Furch became well known amongst Czech guitarists as a maker of quality instruments. The Velvet Revolution of 1989 and subsequent fall of communism finally enabled František to officially form Furch Guitars and he took on his first employee in a small 20m² workshop.

In the 1990s the company expanded to employ 25 luthiers and began to export guitars outside the Czech Republic. The company expanded again at the turn of the 21st century moving into a 16th century mill building in the village of Velké Němčice, which was soon transformed into a modern factory facility staffed by more than 40 employees. Nowadays the company is run by both František and his son Petr, and they continue to produce a range of top class instruments specializing in steel string and nylon stringed acoustic guitars.

Source: Furch Guitars website (28 February 2017)