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Old 11-05-2006, 06:37 PM
Dale O Dale O is offline
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Default 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
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Old 11-05-2006, 06:42 PM
Prof_Stack Prof_Stack is offline
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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!
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Old 11-05-2006, 06:46 PM
RogerC RogerC is offline
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I'm a fan of the Venetian, but that's just personal taste. I think it's less "trendy" maybe.
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Old 11-05-2006, 06:49 PM
Jeff M Jeff M is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dale O View Post
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.
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Old 11-05-2006, 07:23 PM
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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
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Old 11-05-2006, 07:26 PM
Sage97 Sage97 is offline
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I like and have both.
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Old 11-05-2006, 07:29 PM
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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!
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Last edited by Folkstrum; 11-05-2006 at 07:36 PM.
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Old 11-05-2006, 07:51 PM
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Old 11-05-2006, 08:01 PM
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Why not try something a little different, such as this design by Thomsley?



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Old 11-06-2006, 12:08 AM
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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....
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Old 11-06-2006, 09:28 AM
Sage97 Sage97 is offline
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This one does not look too bad.

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Old 11-06-2006, 09:30 AM
Sage97 Sage97 is offline
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Neither does this one.

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Old 11-06-2006, 09:45 AM
Dale O Dale O is offline
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Thanks for the replies and photos. It is a tough choice, I think the solution is to have both someday

Dale
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Old 11-06-2006, 09:59 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dale O View Post
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.
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Last edited by ljguitar; 11-06-2006 at 10:01 AM. Reason: more info pertaining to the original thought of the thread...
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Old 11-06-2006, 11:53 AM
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El Conquistador El Conquistador is offline
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[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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