Following on from the successful build of my second parlor guitar (P02), I decided to build a left-handed cutaway variant on the P02 body design as a gift for my son’s birthday.
Design
I chose a conventional 650mm scale length compared to the 635mm on the P02 which resulted in the bridge being pushed a bit further down the body and altered the bracing pattern slightly (as well as being reversed for the LH design). The sound hole wasn’t moved which gave room for 21 frets. I also increased the headstock angle to 12 degrees.
I was able to re-use the P02 body mould with the addition of a screw-on insert for the cutaway.
The Build
The build was basically the same process as the P01 & P02 with the exception of the cutaway which was the most tricky part requiring VERY careful bending of the rosewood. I also had to decide what decorations to do around the edges of the cutaway. I ended up putting maple edge pieces on the two cutaway side edges and continuing the abalone purfling around the cutaway on the back and front.
Dimensions:
| Scale length | 650mm |
| Total frets | 22 |
| Fret# at body | 14 |
| Body length | 497mm |
| Upper bout | 265mm |
| Waist | 215mm |
| Lower bout | 345mm |
| Total length | 1039mm |
| Rib depth | 82-100mm |
| Sound hole dia | 98mm |
| Sound hole centre from heel | 153.6mm |
| Fingerboard width at nut | 46mm |
| Fingerboard width at 12th fret | 55.4mm |
| String width at bridge | 54mm |
| Fingerboard radius | 16″ |
| Neck thickness at nut | 21mm |
| Neck thickness at heel | 25mm |
| Top radius | 25 ‘ |
| Back radius | 15′ |
| Top thickness | 2.0-2.2mm |
| Back thickness | 2.5mm nominal |
| Sides thickness | 2.2mm |
| All-up weight |
Woods:
| Top | Alpine spruce |
| Back and sides | Indian rosewood |
| Neck | Mahogany with centre maple splice |
| Fingerboard | Ebony |
| Linings | Mahogany (laminated) |
| End blocks | Mahogany |
| Top bracing (X style) | Spruce |
| Back bracing | Mahogany |
| Cross banding | Mahogany |
| Bridge | Rosewood. Ebony pins with abalone dots |
Decorations:
| Sound hole | Abalone ring |
| Purfling | bw+Abalone+wb |
| Banding | Maple |
| Back centre strip | Maple bounded by abalone & purfling |
| Neck centre strip | Maple bounded by 0.6mm black |
| Fingerboard dots | MOP |
| Headstock | Ebony facing with inlaid crossbow |
| Pick guard | Tortoise shell pattern |
Fittings:
| Tuners | Gotoh 510 18:1 |
| Nut & saddle | Bone |
| Pickup | Fishman thinline under-saddle PRO-AG1-125 |
| Strings | D’Addario XT 56-13 |