Cutaway?

Joyful Uke

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I've been reading the thread on the sound ports with interest. A question I've always had is: How much does a cutaway effect sound?

As with the sound ports, I would guess that the answer depends somewhat on the builder, but is there a general thought on cutaways?
 
Good question. I wonder what the reason is for a cutaway?
 
I have an ukulele with a cutaway. It's not my main one. But it does give me some extra space when I'm playing that far up the neck.
 
You won't discern any sound difference with a cutaway. Even two ukes by same luthier using same woods will sound a bit different. You will not be able to reliable attribute any sound difference to a cutaway.

Some people like the easier access to those higher frets. Others just think they look cool.
 
Cutaway gives you more room to play up the neck.

Jake Shimabukuru does just fine without a cutaway, so there's that.
 
I like my cutaway mainly cuz i usually leave strum marks in that part of the upper bout otherwise.
 
Cutaway gives you more room to play up the neck.

Jake Shimabukuro does just fine without a cutaway, so there's that.

While I'm certainly no Jake, I do play up the neck quite frequently and I do just fine too :) For what it's worth though, what I find does help far more than a cutaway when playing up the neck is having the join at the 14th fret instead of the 12th.

I've never owned a uke with a cutaway but I've test-driven a couple and couldn't really sense any impact on sound or really any practical purpose for having one - but then as others have noted, some people like the look. Personally I don't care much for it.
 
Although it's to up to the neck some people never play up there, or are quite happy getting up there in spite of the body, but just like the look of a cutaway.
 
It wont affect the sound. On a guitar it might, as guitars need as much internal volume as possible for bass response... but ukuleles are trebly instruments.

I prefer having a cutaway when given the choice. I do use that top end when soloing using pentatonic
 
It wont affect the sound. On a guitar it might, as guitars need as much internal volume as possible for bass response... but ukuleles are trebly instruments.

Would a cutaway make a tenor less suitable for low-G? According to Dirk, most(?) tenors can only barely handle low-G (resonance point, etc), and a cutaway reduces the body volume further. (Not a claim, genuinely wondering.)
 
I only use cutaway tenors, I like cutaway for all the reasons mentioned, easier to get up the neck, no scratch marks, the look. I've been through 17 ukes, all cutaway. In fact, all 10 of my bass ukes are also cutaway.

All my ukes.jpg
 
I quite like the looks of a cutaway, but then I was brought up in the electric guitar age, & they always had them. :)

They do allow a little bit more freedom to that end of the fretboard, but not as much as people make out. ;)

They aren't really needed on a small instrument like a uke. :cool:
 
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