Official Luthiers Forum! :: View topic - Monitor Hole on Acoustic?

I've never played a guitar with one, but you might have better luck searching for "sound port."

Likey?

No Likey?

Construction issues?
Structural strength issues?
Can it be done retroactively, i.e., on a used guitar?

Tell me why or why not. I picked up a guitar with a monitor hole and thought I wouldn't like it.....but it sure seemed to allow me to hear the sound much better. My ears aren't what they used to be either.......

I'm thinking of someday taking this on. Just for kicks and grins.

I've noticed you folks can be somewhat opinionated. laughing6-hehe

You have the floor. beehive

Arnie

Thanks Jim......excellent insight, and beautiful work.

However, I'm somewhat surprised that you laminated the area for strength purposes. I'm not saying you're wrong. It just seems that at that particular area of the bend, there is a fair amount of inherent strength. idunno

However, I'm somewhat surprised that you laminated the area for strength purposes. I'm not saying you're wrong. It just seems that at that particular area of the bend, there is a fair amount of inherent strength.

EOArnie wrote:

"Strength" isn't the word I used. I used "Reinforce"... I think cracking/splitting is the primary concern.

Author:	EOArnie [ Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:17 pm ]
Post subject:	Monitor Hole on Acoustic?
Likey? No Likey? Construction issues? Structural strength issues? Can it be done retroactively, i.e., on a used guitar? Tell me why or why not. I picked up a guitar with a monitor hole and thought I wouldn't like it.....but it sure seemed to allow me to hear the sound much better. My ears aren't what they used to be either....... I'm thinking of someday taking this on. Just for kicks and grins. I've noticed you folks can be somewhat opinionated. You have the floor. Arnie

Author:	letseatpaste [ Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:24 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Monitor Hole on Acoustic?
I've never played a guitar with one, but you might have better luck searching for "sound port."

Author:	EOArnie [ Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:31 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Monitor Hole on Acoustic?
letseatpaste wrote: I've never played a guitar with one, but you might have better luck searching for "sound port." Whoops! Is that what they're called? It seems that "sound port" would be indistinguishable from "sound hole", but what do I know?

Author:	EOArnie [ Thu Mar 04, 2010 11:16 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Monitor Hole on Acoustic?
Well.......it's either a boring topic or a to-hot-to-handle topic. I thought there would be a few more opinions than this.

Author:	Jim_H [ Fri Mar 05, 2010 2:19 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Monitor Hole on Acoustic?
EOArnie wrote: Likey? No Likey? Construction issues? Structural strength issues? Can it be done retroactively, i.e., on a used guitar? Tell me why or why not. I picked up a guitar with a monitor hole and thought I wouldn't like it.....but it sure seemed to allow me to hear the sound much better. My ears aren't what they used to be either....... I'm thinking of someday taking this on. Just for kicks and grins. I've noticed you folks can be somewhat opinionated. You have the floor. Arnie Arnie, Sound Port is the term I've most commonly seen used for these. I've never retrofitted a guitar with one, but I know people have done it succussfully. Search around here and other forums and I'm sure you'll find something. Please don't take this as an endorsement to do it (i'd not recommend modifying a guitar in this way). That said, I have them on both of the guitars I've built. It's not difficult to do. Just use your imagination. 1. Pick a spot 2. Pick a shape 3. Reinforce the inside of the spot with a laminate of some kind 4. Make a pretty hole 5. Profit! Here are some pictures of the one on my concert. This is just a simple oval hole near the peak of the upper bought, about the size of an egg. The laminate on the inside is a thin piece of maple and a cutoff from the EIR sides. Gives it a little character and will sufficiently reinforce the side to prevent cracks/splits.. I just tapered the lip a bit to accentuate the highlight a bit. I'm not even going to touch the question about their affect on the sound of the instrument. I will say definitively that sound definitely comes out of the sound port when I play it. I will also say that I like having it there. It looks cool, and I like how it sounds. YMMV

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Author:	EOArnie [ Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:48 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Monitor Hole on Acoustic?
Thanks Jim......excellent insight, and beautiful work. However, I'm somewhat surprised that you laminated the area for strength purposes. I'm not saying you're wrong. It just seems that at that particular area of the bend, there is a fair amount of inherent strength.

Author:	Colin North [ Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:58 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Monitor Hole on Acoustic?
EOArnie wrote: Thanks Jim......excellent insight, and beautiful work. However, I'm somewhat surprised that you laminated the area for strength purposes. I'm not saying you're wrong. It just seems that at that particular area of the bend, there is a fair amount of inherent strength. Seems to me with a soundport about half the width of the side is removed, and, if there was no reinforcement, unsupported end grain is exposed and liable to crack when the sides flex, both when strung up and with humidity changes. This might well significantly weaken the side.

Author:	Alan Carruth [ Fri Mar 05, 2010 11:46 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Monitor Hole on Acoustic?
EOArnie wrote: "However, I'm somewhat surprised that you laminated the area for strength purposes. " You've never had to fix a side crack, have you? I think 'monitor hole' is probably a good name for the thing, since that's what it does, but by now 'side port' is the accepted term. I like to make the 'main' soundhole smaller when I put in a port, but that's my opinion.

Author:	unkabob [ Fri Mar 05, 2010 1:08 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Monitor Hole on Acoustic?
Alan: The backing has the grain at 90* to the grain in the side and is more to protect against splitting at the exposed end-grain rather than for strength. That is the explanation usually used on ukuleles. Bob

Author:	Jim_H [ Fri Mar 05, 2010 2:50 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Monitor Hole on Acoustic?
EOArnie wrote: However, I'm somewhat surprised that you laminated the area for strength purposes. I'm not saying you're wrong. It just seems that at that particular area of the bend, there is a fair amount of inherent strength. "Strength" isn't the word I used. I used "Reinforce"... I think cracking/splitting is the primary concern.

Author:	TonyKarol [ Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:49 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Monitor Hole on Acoustic?
Another take ... port mimics the ribrest shape ...

Author:	EOArnie [ Sat Mar 06, 2010 11:06 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Monitor Hole on Acoustic?
Jim_H wrote: EOArnie wrote: However, I'm somewhat surprised that you laminated the area for strength purposes. I'm not saying you're wrong. It just seems that at that particular area of the bend, there is a fair amount of inherent strength. "Strength" isn't the word I used. I used "Reinforce"... I think cracking/splitting is the primary concern. Gotcha. Makes sense. I have to say though..... I thought there would be a little more reaction from the purist camp. Maybe it is more of an accepted practice than I thought.

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