Florentine Cutaway..yay or nay? - Page 3

DenverSteve · #31 02-22-2019, 01:50 PM

I've gone back and forth over the years from nope to sure and back to nope. Then over the past 2 years I found these two and adopted an "okay on a case-by-case basis." One Florentine and one Venetian is enough for me. All the rest are full-bodied. In geographical reality - I prefer Venice to Florence - in guitars, done right in the overall design of the instrument, I could go either way.

DSC02639.jpg

chippygreen · #32 02-22-2019, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljguitar

HI jkilgour-etc

There is a reason companies offer options. Different customers like VERY different things.

There was a time people here were upset when companies did not offer Florentine cutaways and instead offered Venetian.

For me, if I were looking for a guitar, played a ton of guitars, and the best sounding one I could find had a Florentine cutaway (or no cutaway), it would still go home with me. My experience is after six months, I'm more enamored with the playability, responsiveness, projection, tone, balance, etc than what it looks like.

I own a really beautiful guitar which looks amazing and sounds better. The luthier had the forms for Florentine cutaways, and I play UP THERE a bunch, so I opted for it. I must say it's more beautiful in person than in pictures.

Most of Michael's fan frets which I have seen have Florentine cutaways (as will mine, as does my GC, which is 12 frets to the body). Per Google, it appears that 70%+ of the multiscale acoustic guitars that turn up in image searches have cutaways, with Lowdens contributing most of the traditional body shape. That said, the two Bashkins are likely to be the only cutaway guitars I have (for now)...

tippy5 · #33 02-22-2019, 02:51 PM

My first 40 years of playing I was esthetically turned off by them.
Now I love them.

zombywoof · #34 02-22-2019, 05:09 PM

When Gibson came out with a Florentine cutaway on an acoustic in 1951 the model crashed and burned. After a few years they cut production and in 1959 pulled the plug on the whole project. Me, I love the way the cutaway looks.

fitness1 · #35 02-22-2019, 05:12 PM

Love a well done florentine.....

D41Fan · #36 02-22-2019, 07:42 PM

Sorry people, I just wouldn't buy any acoustic with any cutaway...NOPE!

frankmcr · #37 02-22-2019, 08:07 PM

The Lowden Richard Thompson model - Selmer Maccaferri-ish cutaway:

https://downhomeguitars.com/wp-conte...on-21155-4.jpg

Steadfastly · #38 02-22-2019, 08:41 PM

I prefer guitars with cutaways and would take one with a cutaway over one with no cutaway. Not that I usually play that far down the neck, I just like the look better than the standard. Whether it be a Florentine or a regular cutaway would't matter to much but the Florentine does look a bit more exotic.

Garrison314 · #39 02-22-2019, 10:15 PM

I love the look of Florentine....wish I had one.

s2y · #40 02-23-2019, 06:45 AM

I generally don't get cutaways. That being said, I wouldn't mine having one something in the stable with a cutaway for playing in the upper register.

I saw this and am considering opening my wallet some day.

mondoslug · #41 02-23-2019, 10:37 AM

I vote Yay. I miss the older Taylors with the Florentine Cutaways. I had a 512c & 812C with...sniff sniff.

PHJim · #42 02-23-2019, 10:57 AM

Since this is the Acoustic Guitar Forum, I'll admit that I don't like cutaways of any kind on acoustic guitars, but I don't spend a lot of time above the 14th fret, so I don't need them. I have missed a cutaway when I was playing slide, but I don't do a lot of that these days.
It just looks silly when you watch a musician with a cutaway acoustic play a whole show without venturing past the 12th fret.
The one exception I'll make is the Selmer Macafferri. These cutaways do look cool and most folks who own one actually use it.

If this were an electric guitar forum, I might change my mind. I have a Tele with a cutaway and have owned an ES175 with a Florentine and an Epiphone Emperor with a Venetian and like them both, but I tend to venture up there a little more on the electric.

My friend Al has an ES125 with no cutaway that is a beaut, though.

Larry Pattis · #43 02-23-2019, 11:03 AM

I much prefer a well-designed Florentine cutaway to the Venetian style.

JMHO.

Glennwillow · #44 02-23-2019, 11:11 AM

I am okay with cutaways on guitars, either Florentine or Venetian. Most of my acoustic guitars don't have cutaways, and that's okay, too. As LJGuitar commented, after a while, I don't see the cutaway; I feel and hear the guitar.

From an artistic standpoint, in general I have not liked the looks of a dreadnought with a cutaway, and yet the modified dreadnought design with Florentine cutaway, to me, looks very alluring.

- Glenn

Rockpal · #45 02-02-2020, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zombywoof

When Gibson came out with a Florentine cutaway on an acoustic in 1951 the model crashed and burned. After a few years they cut production and in 1959 pulled the plug on the whole project. Me, I love the way the cutaway looks.

What body size would you say your cf 100 is? Is that a slope shouldered dread? I am curious and can’t find too much definitive. I think hubby describes it as Jumbo but the ‘reissue’ as small bodied.

I’m looking for a slope shoulder dread w a Florentine cutaway to see if it looks better than all the venetians. I agree. Those are not aesthetically pleasing to look at.

Thanks!

Rock