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Hi can anyone point me in the direction of instructions on how to install a demi cutaway on a new build I am planning? I have tried the search facility here and MIMF and You Tube and Google searches without any success,

Cheers, Bob

Burton posted how he does one, along with the rest of his build here:

viewtopic.php?f=10117&t=29270

The cutaway part isn't obvious until well into the build, either page 4 or 5.


cheers, SteveG

Jeffrey Yong did an article in American Lutherie, issue 110/ summer 2012. Lots of pictures!

Thank you both, exactly what I was looking for! Thanks.

CHeers, Bob

So what is the point of a half cutaway? It doesn't really give better hand access compared to a normal cutaway, and it appears 10 times harder to do, requiring multiple piece neck blocks and thus incompatible with a traditional dovetail construction. Well, I'm sure it can be done but once you steam a multi piece neck block, you separate more than just the neck....

Maybe I'm just really traditional.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Looks cool......
Much better access that a non cutaway - look at the angle your hand is at playing at the dusty end.
Built with CF buttressing, like Burton does, much less chance of needing a reset.
Could also simply be built with a bolt on bolt off neck, no steaming then.
Some people like the challenge too.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

If the loss of air volume in the box affects the sound (and there's no data either way, so far as I know) then a demi-cutaway should affect it less.