The Utility of the Cutaway Dread

[Pdubs76]

Originally Posted by 121

I prefer acoustic guitars with cutaways and enjoy having higher neck access.
For even better higher neck access, cutaways without the neck heel is a great improvement.

Very slick looking! I almost feel like Batman should play this guitar.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Pdubs76

Very slick looking! I almost feel like Batman should play this guitar.

It does look like a Batman guitar!!!

- Glenn

[s2y]

My dreads lack cutaways. All this talk of the forbidden dreadnought with a cutaway makes me want to order one.

[Wadcutter]

Originally Posted by Pdubs76

Very slick looking! I almost feel like Batman should play this guitar.

I’m not a cutaway guy but I must admit those are great looking guitars!

[AtomicElvis]

I agree, I've never liked a cutaway dread, it I just looks so wrong. Now, the round bodied guitars like a Grand Pacific or J200 don't look that bad with cutaways.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Wadcutter

…My issue isn’t with the look however as much as the utility of this configuration. Glennwillow’s post caused me to think about how many times have I actually seen anybody playing a cutaway dread using that part of the neck that is afforded access by the cutaway design?

Hi Wadcutter…
For me the question isn't about how useful is it, but who is it useful for.

As a player who uses a Dreadnought as my main guitar, and I play fingerstyle, and I often play above the 12th fret. I were able to go back and have the choice, I'd have had a cutaway built into it.

My OM which has the cutaway if far easier to access in frets 12-17 (and yes I do play 'up there' on any guitar). I just dumb-down my techniques on non-cutaway guitars.

The difficulty for me is not reaching fret 17 on a non-cutaway. I cannot play as detailed chord inversions or runs that high without a cutaway.

I play them on on my Strat or Tele (and do). I can play them on my OM fanned fret with cutaway.

Hope this adds to the discussion…

[Wadcutter]

Most definitely lj, thanks for the reply

[Wadcutter]

I just modified the title of this thread by deleting the word “dubious”. After thinking about It I believe it was a poor choice of words as I really wanted to just discuss the real world utility of the cutaway, and I probably shouldn’t have inserted the assumption or conclusion that the cutaway’s utility is questionable or doubtful. And I also realized after the fact that it may have been an unintended insult to all proud cutaway owners and if anyone took it that way I apologize.
All the best,
Wadcutter

[Ed66]

No worries; if we weren't discussing the merits (or lack thereof) of cutaway dreads we'd probably be stuck discussing the best methods to re-string a guitar