Cutaways are available. Some body shapes suit either Venetian or Florentine. Their advantage is that they afford the player unrestricted access to the upper reaches of the fretboard and create a very different aesthetic effect, as well as a difference in the overall sound of the instrument. All cutaways are complex to construct and considerable skill is required to achieve a flush junction at the heel of the neck, the edge of the fingerboard and sides.
Shown left is a Florentine cutaway on a custom built ‘00’ size instrument.