Furch Guitars has just unveiled a piece of acoustic guitar engineering that could put your local tech out of business, or at least make the a little quieter.
It’s called the CNR System Active, and its a bolt-on neck joint innovation that promises a “consistently optimal neck setup” no matter the environmental conditions, and it allows players to make easy adjustments to the truss rod and to string height – as in, a turn of the screw easy, a setup in seconds.
All you need is a 5mm adjustable Allen wrench, and the Allen key that’s included with the guitar. Set it up to taste and then the system is designed to compensate for changes in humidity and temperature to keep the guitar setup.
“With the CNR System Active, your guitar will always feel and play exactly the way you want,” says Petr Furch in the promo bumf. Furthermore, Furch sees this as a win for online retailers, effectively deskilling the acoustic setup process, taking the risk out of neck adjustments, increasing consumer confidence when buying online (your setup should similarly be resistant to travel conditions when the guitar is shipped).
It is a bold claim. But let’s look at how this works. At the heart of the CNR System Active design is the Expansion Element, a block of solid wood secured by an adjustable screw at the neck heel. This screw is accessible via the soundhole. This Expansion Element block sympathetically expands and contracts with the soundboard as it in response to changes in humidity, maintaining the correct neck angle.
“This movement is then transferred to automatically adjust the neck angle, ensuring consistent string action,” says Furch. “It was designed to work in harmony with the instrument, so players no longer need to worry about fluctuating playability due to weather changes.”
The new design features an update on the L-shaped alloy supports of the older CNR system to strengthen the heel-to-fingerboard structure and transfer string tension to the Expansion Element. “The updated L-shaped structure is now 60mm longer and 45 per cent stronger, significantly enhancing neck stability and optimising the transfer of string tension,” says Furch.
The two-way truss rod is easily adjustable, again, via the soundhole, and neck relief is supported by the truss rod’s carbon fibre casing. An eccentric screw is positioned above the Expansion Element to secure the lateral position of the neck, and there is an Expansion gap that allows for neck angle movement, adjusting for humidity.
See the diagram below for a cross-section of what this looks like inside the instrument. Furch says there is no audible difference in the tone of the instrument.
“Despite the significant improvements in playability, we naturally had concerns about how the system might impact the sound,” says Furch. “Introducing an expansion gap behind the heel could theoretically affect resonance. However, the tension of the strings and the transfer of acoustic waves primarily occur in the upper part of the neck. We ensured that resonance is channelled effectively through this area, particularly beneath the fretboard.”
After years of research and testing, we are thrilled to bring this technology to our customers
The big question is when will this neck system be available on Furch acoustics? It has thus far only been available on the 2024 Limited Edition Dc-LR, available direct from the Furch site, priced from €3,499. Petr Furch says they are in the process of rolling it out across all guitar in their lineup.
“All new Furch guitars, starting with a Blue Gc-CM unit with serial number 126,202, and above, are equipped with this system,” he says. “After years of research and testing, we are thrilled to bring this technology to our customers, allowing them to experience even more performance from their Furch guitars, whether on stage, in the studio, or at home.”
For more details, head over to Furch Guitars.
