Modern Classical Guitar Design Part 2: Indented Cutaway
The 'Indented Cutaway' or 'Bevelled Cutaway' is a very new design innovation for classical guitars. Find out a little more about this newcomer to classical guitar design and which luthiers are making guitars that have this idea incorporated into their design.
Bellucci guitar with an 'Indented Cutaway' from Mangore guitars.
Introduction
Access to frets past the 12th fret has gained increasing attention from luthiers and guitarists for at least a decade. I mentioned in Part 1 of my series on modern classical guitar design that an 'indented cutaway' is a somewhat modern design feature that a few luthiers are starting to incorporate into their designs.
Standard Cutaway vs Indented Cutaway
Here are two of my own guitars showing two of the most common types of cutaway. The guitars are Takamine TNV460SC on the left and a Takamine TH5C on the right. I have two video reviews of both of these guitars that you can watch farther on in this article.
Here is a full review of my Takamine TH5C Hirade model.
The Indented Cutaway
With an indented cutaway only a small section of the soundboard, back & sides is removed. The fundamental idea is that the overall sound and projection of the guitar isn't compromised but access to the higher frets is improved. This is best shown by a picture.
One of Kris Barnett's stunning guitars featuring an indented cutaway.
As you can see the smaller cutaway leaves a significant amount of the guitars' chamber undisturbed.
Pros
- Improves access to upper frets
- Visually striking
- Has an unusual and modern look
Cons
- Has an effect on the power on tone of the instrument
- Probably not as effective as a raised fretboard
- Clearly visible departure from a standard classical guitar design
- Niche design therefore it could be difficult to resell
The same Kris Barnett guitar when viewed from the rear. As you can see the indented cutaway removed minimal wood from the guitar.
My Verdict
I'd love to try one. Sadly, I haven't had the opportunity to play a guitar with an indented cutaway for two reasons:
- Very few luthiers actually make this design
- Those that do are expensive and usually have extremely long waiting lists
I think it could be a really great feature to have on your guitar but I think I'd probably choose an elevated fretboard rather than this particularly for resale purposes.
So...where can I buy one?
Here are two luthiers that make these guitars:
Check out my other articles in the
'Modern Classical Guitar Design Series':
Part 8: Fanned Frets
Part 7: Arched back
Part 6: Double Tops
Part 5: Lattice Bracing
Part 4: Armrest
Part 3: Soundports
Part 1: Elevated Fingerboard
Modern Classical Guitar Design Part 1: Elevated Fretboard
Elevated fingerboards or Raised fretboards are probably the best classical guitar innovation in recent years for player's comfort. If you're like me and you've struggled to hit those notes beyond the 12th fret and especially past the 15th fret then read this article and then more importantly - go out and buy yourself a guitar with an elevated fretboard!
Introduction
The design of the classical guitar as we know it today was bought into existence by Antonio Torres Jurado around the middle of the 19th century. This design is known as the 'Torres' and for many years it has stood unrivalled as the standard for making classical guitars. Other designs such as post-Torres and Hauser have also had an impact on classical guitar design. Their designs had traditional fretboards that run parallel to the soundboard and only provided several millimetres of clearance above the soundboard. In recent times some luthiers have begun to incorporate a bold and innovative classical guitar design aimed at making it easier for guitar players to play beyond the 12th fret of the guitar.
The Elevated Fretboard
Recently some guitar makers have moved towards a 'raised' or 'elevated' fretboard. In this instance the fretboard's distance from the soundboard is increased. This has several advantages:
- It provides easier access beyond the 12th fret
- Increased mass provides superior sustain
- The distance from the strings to the soundboard is increased providing an advantage for the right-hand
Makers that use elevated fretboard construction in their guitars include:
I had the wonderful opportunity to play a 1995 Mathias Dammann guitar when I was living in Hong Kong in 2016. The guitar featured a double top and it also had a raised fretboard. I made a video of me playing the guitar in the store. You can watch it here. I can say without hesitation that an elevated guitar fretboard is definitely the way to go. I can see no disadvantages whatsoever from having this style fretboard. There is no visual impact when viewed from the front - it is only when viewed from the side that you can see the elevation.
I play a Takamine TH5C with a cutaway at the moment so there is no requirement for a raised fretboard but when I purchase a new concert classical I'll definitely make sure that it has an elevated fretboard. I'd be a fool not to...
Check out my other articles in the
'Modern Classical Guitar Design Series':
Part 8: Fanned Frets
Part 7: Arched back
Part 6: Double Tops
Part 5: Lattice Bracing
Part 4: Armrest
Part 2: Indented Cutaway
Part 1: Elevated Fingerboard
How To Choose The Best Nylon Strings For Your Classical Guitar
Picking strings is easy - figuring out which strings best suit you and your guitar isn't so easy.
Classical Guitar Strings
Apart from your guitar itself the strings that you put on your classical guitar will have the greatest impact on your sound and tone quality.
A great set of strings can make an average guitar sound much better and conversely a poor set of strings can make a great guitar sound worse.
Classical Guitar String Considerations
When purchasing nylon strings for your classical guitar you need to consider a few things:
- Price
- Availability
- Longevity
- Gauge
- Material
Price. For most of us out there price is one the biggest considerations when choosing strings. Most of the time we just go for whatever is cheapest often at the expense of superior tone and longevity. For people like me that change strings every two week the cost can quickly escalate over the year. I personally use Augustine Regal Blue High Tension strings because they are a high-quality string that isn't too expensive and they can endure about 60 to 80 hours of playing before their tone is lost (at least to me anyway).
Availability. The worst thing is heading to your local music store or searching online only to find that your brand is gone. Sticking to established brands with a reliable track record is really important. Brand such as Hannabach, Savarez, Augustine are all fantastic makers with a long and illustrious history of making strings favoured by the world's best classical guitarists.
Longevity. This is probably the most subjective point as when classical guitar strings or any guitar strings for that matter lose their tone is undefinable. For me that point is reached when the notes don't ring true. The sound is dull, sustain is compromised, and the clarity of the note is no longer apparent. Obviously, if you rarely play your guitar your strings will last a lot longer. If you're like me and you play and practice for several hours each day your strings will need to be replaced more frequently.
Gauge. This is the thickness of your strings. In classical guitar terms this is usually measured as tension defined as high, medium, and low. It is generally understood that the higher the tension in the strings the more punch and volume your guitar will produce. The cost of this additional punch and volume is that greater effort is required to 'finger' the notes. I would say that high tension strings are more suited to experienced players or players that have exceptionally strong hands and grip strength. Beginners or people with smaller weaker hand and finger strength should choose low tension strings to begin with.
Material. Classical guitar strings are made using a wide variety of materials with bronze, silver plating, and brass being popular choices for the bass strings. Treble strings can be made from clear nylon, rectified nylon, and carbon fibre. Bear in mind that the very traditional gut strings are still available for those seeking the most traditional sound. They tend to be far more expensive than even the highest quality nylon strings and are probably worth trying if you are seeking a different sound from the majority of players on the scene.
Mix N Match
Another popular method is to mix strings from different sets to come up with your own 'unique' sound and set that suits your playing style. Many players do this and there is no reason that you can't too!
Gut strings: https://www.stringsbymail.com/classical-guitar-strings-1/pyramid-970/gut-and-gut-nylon-974/
Another classical guitar string review: http://equipboard.com/posts/best-classical-guitar-strings