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-   -   Florentine vs Venetian Cutaway? (https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88923)

Dale O 11-05-2006 06:37 PM

Florentine vs Venetian Cutaway?
 
What are your thoughts on Florentine vs Venetian? I like the looks of the Florentine, but is it more fragile? Will a Florentine have less volume, it seems to make for a slightly smaller body so I wonder if it will affect volume? This question applies to a Grand Auditorium size body. What look do you prefer?

Dale

Prof_Stack 11-05-2006 06:42 PM

To me the Venetian looks more classic / timeless. The Florentine has its fans, but I'm not one of them. I don't see the point in it! :D

RogerC 11-05-2006 06:46 PM

I'm a fan of the Venetian, but that's just personal taste. I think it's less "trendy" maybe.

Jeff M 11-05-2006 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dale O (Post 1040886)
What are your thoughts on Florentine vs Venetian? I like the looks of the Florentine, but is it more fragile? Will a Florentine have less volume, it seems to make for a slightly smaller body so I wonder if it will affect volume? This question applies to a Grand Auditorium size body. What look do you prefer?

Dale

The general consensus is that cutaways have no discernable effect on the volume / tone of a guitar.

Re; fragility......no issue there either.


Get the one you like the looks of.

One more issue. Seems like the majority of folks who get a cutaway on a guitar rarely need it. If you don't find yourself playing those 18th and 20th fret notes and want to save some $$, consider not getting one.

cotten 11-05-2006 07:23 PM

I like the Florentine on a smaller bodied guitar, such as my Cotten 612c, and the Venetian on a grand auditorium, such as my 914c. As far as I can tell, the difference is in appearence only.

Do I regularly use those highest frets? No, but I do occasionally, and the cutaway helps. When I finally buy a big-bottomed dread, it will not need a cutaway, but that's OK since I don't like the looks of a cutaway on a dread, anyway.

cotten

Sage97 11-05-2006 07:26 PM

I like and have both.

Folkstrum 11-05-2006 07:29 PM

Well, by my avatar on the Omega MJ, I guess you can figure out my aesthetic preference. I like the Venetion. I'm not "big" on any "angular" artistry on a guitar. I'm not even wild on the pointy pickguard on the Taylors, and I definitely don't care for "points" on the guitar body. It is a very subjective kind of thing, I realize. I tend to prefer the softer curves on a guitar body. Both accomplish the same objective. I just like mine more "curvey". Interpret that any sexist way you wish! :wink:

ljguitar 11-05-2006 07:51 PM

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...oleCutaway.jpg

ronmac 11-05-2006 08:01 PM

Why not try something a little different, such as this design by Thomsley?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...y/DSC03165.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...y/DSC03175.jpg

Billy Boy 11-06-2006 12:08 AM

On most guitars, I prefer the venetian...it just seems to me that many florentines have an odd angle (i.e. to me, point too far away from the guitar body)...but, on some guitars, I love the look of the florentine...some luthiers just have the florentine down well and it looks great on their guitars...in fact, after seeing Joost's Nightingale with the florentine, I changed my order Ryan order from a venetian to a florentine....

Sage97 11-06-2006 09:28 AM

This one does not look too bad.

http://www.sage97.photosite.com/~pho...8513697984.jpg

Sage97 11-06-2006 09:30 AM

Neither does this one.

http://www.sage97.photosite.com/~pho...7036658000.jpg

Dale O 11-06-2006 09:45 AM

Thanks for the replies and photos. It is a tough choice, I think the solution is to have both someday:)

Dale

ljguitar 11-06-2006 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dale O (Post 1040886)
What are your thoughts on Florentine vs Venetian? I like the looks of the Florentine, but is it more fragile? Will a Florentine have less volume, it seems to make for a slightly smaller body so I wonder if it will affect volume? This question applies to a Grand Auditorium size body. What look do you prefer?

Hi Dale...
I'm sorry, I read the title with more attention than your post. I'll answer some questions...

No a properly made Florentine is not more fragile than a well made Venetian. Both can withstand normal treatment and a minor amount of mistreatment (we all have little mishaps).

No it won't have more or less volume either way...not discernible anyway. Just tap a non-cutaway guitar in the region the cutaway is cut away from and you'll see it's not a major volume producing area of the guitar's top contrasted with the area surrounding and below the bridge. Once I realized how little sound comes from there, I never really concerned myself about cutaways and sound any further.

Some builders compensate for cutaways with depth, most don't. And almost everyone acknowledges a cutaway ''must'' make some difference in the sound, but the builders and players who have and build them cannot really produce a ''scientific'' example of more or less. If it were proven scientifically to change the sound by 5%, I'd still own a cutaway for those songs that need it.

Most of us who play cutaways because we need cutaways take that into account and buy guitars which sound really good with the cutaway.

I like the elegance of the sharp point in contrast to the smooth outline of the guitar rather than something that looks like it is melting or flowing. But if you saw the way I dress, you might not put much stock in what my eye sees.

El Conquistador 11-06-2006 11:53 AM

[QUOTE=ljguitar;1041166][FONT=Lucida Console][size=2][color=darkslategray]Hi Dale...
No it won't have more or less volume either way...not discernible anyway. Just tap a non-cutaway guitar in the region the cutaway is cut away from and you'll see it's not a major volume producing area of the guitar's top contrasted with the area surrounding and below the bridge.
Most of us who play cutaways because we need cutaways take that into account and buy guitars which sound really good with the cutaway.

I don't think Volume is the issue. I suspect that what gets sacrificed for additional access to upper frets is tone.

While "most" of the volume does come from the area around the bridge, so too, most of the volume (energy) come from the woofers in a speaker. However, most of the highs (trebles) come from the tweeters, which may very well be the upper bouts. Notice I said bouts plural. If you strum a good full open E chord then lightly place you fingers over the top, while you will feel a great deal more movement below the bridge, you will also feel a significant amount of movement in the upper bouts. It seems to me, that if you eliminate one of the bouts, and you lose that added tweet. Since no 2 guitars are alike, it is impossible to A/B, however, my experience seems to be that non-cutaway guitars have more fully develped treble response.

So, if you have a 14 fret insturment and never get up to those dusty frets, I would always opt for a non-cutaway.


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