I’m not exactly sure what you’re asking. First off, if you’re making your first guitar you might consider skipping the cutaway. Making guitars is hard enough without complicating it the first time.

Second, Venetian cutaways are much easier than Florentine since there’s less joinery involved. Having said all that I love Florentine cutaways. I just think they’re cool.

I cut the side before bending and take the cutaway segment and set it aside, then bend the remaining piece as normal. You can see the photo of all the pieces being put in the mold. The cutaway is held in place at the heel of the neck by the heel block which is carefully shaped to account for the reverse curve. I use a small, triangular piece of mahogany to glue into the point of the cutaway to give it strength; the rest of it is done pretty conventionally. Kerfing is tricky with cutaways but those issues are solved by using Kevin’s A4 kerfing although most builders tough it out and make conventional kerfing work.

Good luck.

I am just starting off building my first guitar. I’m ok with most of it as I’ve been reading and studying for a while learning all about it. The only thing that puzzles me at the moment is the Venetian and Florentine cutaways. I see your gig but am unclear on just how they are made. Is it my understanding that on the Florentine cutaway, the right side of the guitar (one of the two side pieces) is continuous with the cutaway, or is the cutaway a separate piece? And if so, how is it joined?

Thank you so much for sharing your ideas and photos.

Victor

From the photo you cannot see what is going on behind the arm. From guessing, it looks like you are still using the top to reference the perpendicular requirements of the ledge.

Do you have a photo from the other angle? And perhaps one of the bit, etc. Is it guided by the sides, instead of the top, as presumably the sides are 90 degrees to the top, were it perfectly flat?

Thx.

JSD