Cutaway guitar

The cutaway guitar is a term for guitars with a section of material near the fretboard butt off towards the bridge, usually in the shape of a curve. This cut from the guitar reduces the weight of the guitar, allows easier access to the higher notes on the fretboard, and changes its tone.

Many models of electric and acoustic guitars have been redone to feature cutaway or double cutaway bodies, and there have been guitars created exclusively cutaway. The most famous manufactured double cutaway guitar has been the Fender Stratocaster, and the most famous single cutaway the Gibson Les Paul.

In guitar construction, a cutaway is an indentation in the body of the instrument adjacent to the neck of the instrument, designed to allow easier access to the upper frets.

Traditionally, instrument models with cutaway bodies are given a suffix C, such as the Gibson L5C or the Maton CW80C.

As well as the more common lower cutaway, many instruments have an upper cutaway, sometimes smaller than the lower one and sometimes about the same size. This upper cutaway is mainly ornamental. Instruments with only a lower cutaway are known as "single cutaway" instruments.

Cutaway bodies are mainly of interest when discussing acoustic guitars and semi-acoustic guitars, as virtually all solid body guitars have a lower cutaway.