Cutaway (guitar)

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In guitar construction, a cutaway is an indentation in the body of the instrument adjacent to the neck of the instrument, designed to allow easier access to the upper frets.

Traditionally, instrument models with cutaway bodies are given a suffix C, such as the Gibson L5C or the Maton CW80C. There are two main types of cutaways: Venetian and Florentine. A Venetian cutaway has a rounded bout.^{[citation needed]} A Florentine cutaway has a sharp bout. The picture shows a Venetian cutaway.

As well as the more common lower cutaway, many instruments have an upper cutaway, sometimes smaller than the lower one and sometimes about the same size. This upper cutaway is mainly ornamental. Instruments with only a lower cutaway are known as single cutaway instruments.

Cutaway bodies are mainly of interest when discussing acoustic guitars and semi-acoustic guitars, as virtually all solid body guitars have a lower cutaway.