Travellin' Light

The latest travel guitar from the renowned Czech builder may look small, but it packs a punch and benefits from some revolutionary new technology

- Words David Mead Photography Phil Barker

Back in issue 517 we reviewed Furch’s innovative Little Jane travel guitar, which came with a detachable neck that fitted inside the instrument’s body.

It also came with a diminutive gigbag meaning it was possible to stow the guitar away in an aircraft’s overhead locker and avoid the somewhat capricious attitude that some airlines have towards passengers travelling with guitars. What made the Little Jane even more remarkable was that when you reassemble the guitar it stays in tune. We tested it and, sure enough, once the neck was reattached to the body, and with only the very slightest tweak, it was up to pitch and ready to play.

The guitar itself was a joy to spend time with, experiencing none of the tonal compromises inherent in some of the travel guitars that have ventured our way. At the time, we thought that it would be a great little instrument even without the detachable neck side of things. And that’s almost exactly what we have in the Pioneer-ER a. But even here, Furch’s boffins have not rested on earlier laurels Furch’s Pioneer comes with a Booster Soundport, comprising five slots cut into the upper bout, which, the company says, reduces air pressure in the body and allows the top to move more freely and the guitar comes with a device built in to combat the changes that sometimes happen when a guitar is exposed to variations in humidity or temperature levels. According to Furch, along with a dual-action truss rod encased in a rigid carbon structure, “the system is further enhanced by a solid-wood expansion element that automatically adjusts the neck angle to maintain consistent string action over time. It minimises the need for costly, time-consuming neck resets and eliminates maintenance concerns.”