Roland’s Cutaway

Cutaways add an extra layer of complication (and interest!) to the construction of a guitar's rim. I like my cutaways to blend seamlessly into the neck; as it all takes a wee bit of planning, I thought that you'd like to see the process.

All of the various rulers represent the centre line, position of saddle, edge of the fretboard etc.

The mould is then modified……

....and the sides bent.

There are three Honduras cedar blocks that hold the sides together; each carefully shaped and glued in place.

Once the blocks have been glued in place, the double thickness solid linings go on (easier said than done); there were photos of that part of the process in the previous post.

The sharp end of the cutaway has a “point” fitted to it; this protects the end grain of the sides from being accidentally chipped. A piece of English walnut is glued on and shaped so that it blends into the cutaway.

Meanwhile, down at the blunt end, the end graft is fitted and at this stage it’s also easier to drill the hole for the end pin.

And here is the completed rim with its top and back edges sanded to fit the soundboard and back, housing joints cut to take the end of the braces, and a couple of side braces in case of any accidental impact to the sides which could cause a split.