to cut-away or not to cut-away - purchase decision

[prone to wander]

Hey folks,
I'm wondering what your opinions are of cut-aways.

Do you think they significantly sacrifice sound quality?
Is it worth the extra cost?

I'm in the market for a new guitar ($600-$1000 range) with pick-up and can't decide if I should go with or without the cutaway. My current guitar (a cheap Aria) has a cut-away, but I only play up in the high frets once in a while. I may start playing up in that range more as I improve, but who knows. I also know that with some skill, you can still play in the high frets even without a cutaway (don't know how true this is--i guess bar chording would be out).

I'd appreciate your comments. cheers.

[suttree]

i don't think the presence nor lack of a cutaway should really be a major factor in the decision, unless you are playing leads. just buy the one you like to play the most.

edit* scratch that. it doesn't matter even if you're playing lead. almost all the same notes are all below the twelfth fret, too.

[ronmac]

As with all things guitar there is some debate about the effect on tone any modification has. Almost all high end guitar players and luthiers I have read or talked to say the difference a cutaway makes is indistinguishable from a standard model. I believe that individual nuances of tone and volume from the same make and model are more likely attributable to the wood and construction tolerances.

Most players can develop technique that gets them to where they want to go. Many Classical players play above the guitar body, and they only have 12 frets clear to work with.

The bottom line for me is the sound and feel of the instrument. Whether it has a cutaway or not is way down the list of wants/needs.

[simescan]

Yeah,.......what Ron said!......

[prone to wander]

Thanks for the solid advice.

[zontar]

solid advice.
:smile::rolleyes:

"solid" advice--I thought you asked for acoustic advice...

(Sorry--it's late, and I couldn't resist.)

[exhaust_49]

I don't solo on my acoustic so I have to say non-cutaway. I also much perfer the look of a dread without a cutaway.

[Jeff Flowerday]

I think a cutaway tightens the guitar's responsiveness up a bit. Not quite as open sounding.

That said cutaways can be handy in certain situations and I don't think they make the guitar look bad at all.

[david henman]

Call me superficial, but I hate the look of a cutaway on an acoustic guitar enough that I probably wouldn't ever buy one.

...oddly enough, i prefer the look of a cutaway.

-dh

[rollingdam]

The only thing a cutaway adds to an acoustic is cost.

[Mahogany Martin]

...oddly enough, i prefer the look of a cutaway.

-dh

Same here. And I find that having the cutaway on the acoustic is inviting to get up the neck to toy around. Once in a while I'll put my big fingers on those small frets and do some scales or just pluck notes; I like the sound of the notes in that area. But otherwise as a beginner/intermediate player, I don't find the cutaway a necessity and when I play the acoustic, mainly folk stuff, I rearly get up there.

Martin

[Tybone]

I faced this decision around Christmas when I was acoustic shopping. I went for the cutaway, specifically and Larrivee LV-09e. To me it did sound different that the non cutaway models. The projection was different as the sound came of the top. It was a tad brighter too.

However, they put frets way up there for a reason and I for one like to play them .:rockon2: Besides, my guitar came with a Fishman onboard Aura. Once I plug it in it's all good.

Cheers
Larry

[ampaholic]

I can't remember the old blues guy who said this but it's kind of stuck with me. "There ain't no money above the 12th fret".
To be honest with you I don't find the cutaway really improves access to any great degree? The thickness of the body and neck there doesn't really permit wrapping your hand around the neck and I've questioned the practicality of it. Good for slide I guess.

[Metal#J#]

My neighbour has the same Fender acoustic as I do minus the cut-away and his is much more open sounding. However, I don't think I could live having to stuggle with the upper frets.

J

[crguitar411]

...oddly enough, i prefer the look of a cutaway.

-dh

I agree and have a Crafter cutaway Grand Auditorium model and it sure is purdy

[squick]

My best sounding dread (Larrivee D-09) is not a cutaway, but there's nothing like a cutaway for adding that extra shiver to a lead. I can't say that it adds or detracts as I don't have cutaway versions of my standard dreads to compare them to. Choose the guitar that sounds best to you and let someone else play it so that you can hear what it sounds like standing in front of it. If you're into playing lead or would like to, the cutaway offers more accessible real estate above the twelfth fret.:smilie_flagge17:

[rhh7]

My dream acoustic would be a twelve frets to the body guitar, between OOO and parlor guitar size.

[devnulljp]

I used to have a cutaway classical and hated it after a couple of weeks. It's hard to compare though as it was an $700 mass produced guitar (OK, 70,000 yen) and I replaced it with a $3000 (OK, 3000 Euro) luthier hand-built Buchet-type guitar (which is better ;-)

[Edutainment]

I like the look of a cutaway on an acoustic. I don't know how it effects the sound. I'd suggest you try a few and see what you like.

[snoglobe]

Call me superficial, but I hate the look of a cutaway on an acoustic guitar enough that I probably wouldn't ever buy one.

I have to agree. Can't stand the way it looks on an acoustic.

[Maxer]

I have no problems with how a cutaway looks on an acoustic. I think a nice-looking guitar is a nice-looking guitar, period. I have a few acoustics and they do different things, but two of them are really important to me; my Larrivée dreadnaught is for clarity and fullness of sound, and my Washburn slim-line acoustic has remarkable tone for a guitar of its dimensions and a body which, yes, enables me to easier do solo runs and even chords way up the neck.

I appreciate having both, but if I had to make a choice for just one acoustic, I'd likely pick a good dreadnaught - better projection/volume, greater tonal range.

[Maxer]

LOL

If you say so... as the net abbreviation goes, YVMV!

[onewiley3]

Hello there,
I think that to most people the difference would be unnoticeable. However, that being said, there has to be some difference as there is less soundboard surface area, therefore less soundboard to vibrate. But again, most people, myself included would not notice the difference (in my humble opinion). I once owned a Taylor 710 cutaway electric (i think it was from 1997) with rosewod back and sides and cedar top. A friend owned a 710 (I think from the same year - it was rosewood/cedar as well) without the electrics or the cutaway. WE COULD NOT DETECT ANY DIFFERENCE WHATSOEVER IN THE TONE. Yes, I know every guitar sounds different even among the same model, but this was an example where we could NOT detect ANY difference. We restrung both guitars at the same time with D'adarrio phosphor bronze mediums. We had someone else play the guitars while we listened blindfolded. To us, they sounded the same.

[Maxer]

I must say this thread has been an education for me. I had no idea so many players think a cutaway on an acoustic is an abominable thing.

[onewiley3]

As for the appearances of a cutaway, the first time I saw one it was kinda "geez, that looks weird". After a while I decided I liked the cutaway. But I liked the venetian cutaway and hated the florentine cutaway. Now I prefer the florentine over the venetian!! Then again, my newest guitar (Larrivee OM-03R) has no cutaway at all!!