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Location: Chicago | I've long enjoyed the larger sound hole on my new Legend (1769 AD II): it's larger than my 1117 by about 1/2 inch. Is there a story here? Was there a progressive widening of the hole or is just the Signature Model? Gotta say, I really like the feature (that goes with the inlaid rosette) and suspect that it is good for the overall sound as well. |
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Location: Atlanta, GA. | I realize you're referring to specific O's and A's, but according to this study/experiment , the size of the soundhole does have an affect on the loudness of a guitar with minimal affect on tone.
One persons Arts & Charts findings.
Kinda interesting. They do mention the multi-soundholes of an Ovation Celebrity. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | "Paging Dr. Helmholtz" |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Probably just poor quality control. |
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Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Great Data! I know I'm probably being a nerd, but I personally like this kind of stuff. |
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Location: Ohio | Tony Rice has the Marting that Clarence White owned. Clarence used to put his cigaretts out on the lip of the soundhole, shice over time became larger. This guitar is a Monster as far as volume and tone. Never heard another one like it. |
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Location: Back in the Valley of the Sun Mesa Az. | The inside portion of the Rossette on my recently sold 1657 had flaked away...I removed the final remnents and smoothed it out...It might be psychological (because I am a little Psycho), but I am convinced that this cannon of a guitar became even a touch louder...problem is, you have to use a 7inch rubber drain stop for a soundhole cover.
Norse(OK I exagerrate a littobit)man1 |
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Location: Chicago | Thanks for the article Colin,fascinating! On the topic of tone I note that the 1769 has a "cushier" and louder bass register than the 1117. Jeff attributes this to the bracing: he's probably right. |
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Location: Atlanta, GA. | You're welcome Greg.
I did find this conclusion somewhat suprising.
A larger radius soundhole will amplify/resonate high frequency tones, while a smaller radius soundhole will amplify mid-to-low frequency tones. Not what I would have expected from a "woofer and tweeter" mentality. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I was reading similar comments on cajons recently. I couldn't decide which of 2 hole saws to use, so I went with the larger size. We'll see how it works. If it doesn't sound good, it'll still make a nice stool and should still be good for annoying my wife. I have a bunch of wood sitting around and thought building a cajon would be interesting ever since someone started a thread on them awhile ago. |
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Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | While I can't comment on the larger soundhole's affect on loudness, I suspect that Ovation's soundholes are cut all the same size (cnc router, flycutter, whatever...) the fact that the inside lip of the glue-on rosette of your 1117 took up the 1/2" diameter of the soundhole....
Take the rosette off your 1117 and see if it isn't the same size as your ADII's and see if it becomes louder also! |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Originally posted by cholloway:
You're welcome Greg.
I did find this conclusion somewhat suprising.
A larger radius soundhole will amplify/resonate high frequency tones, while a smaller radius soundhole will amplify mid-to-low frequency tones. Not what I would have expected from a "woofer and tweeter" mentality.
Vic
.. what `s a CAJON .. ?? .. an American Cook of French Descendant .. ?? .. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Chollo , Y`r Observations are Absolutely Right !! ..
Vic |
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Location: SoCal | Sorry, the small soundhole, shiny bowl 12-string that I have is an absolute "boomer" across the bass to treble spectrum. As strong as any Glen Campbell or Custom Legend slothead. |
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Location: Chicago | This thread was prompted by Damon's fine photo in the calendar this month. I simply find the "wide mouth" really nice with inlaid rosette and all the bling. The 1769 AD II is a looker!
BTW Damon: mine is black too... Jeff has the natch |
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Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | With the "size matters" conclusion relating to volume, and the hole size variation being able to emphasize the lower or higher frequencies, that would explain why most standard classicals have the same sized sound holes. They probably determined which size hole would produce an even tone from low to high. This also causes me to think about the hole sizes and number used on the epaulet style Ovation configuration. I imagine the "techies" did a lot of research on that when they chose that configuration. That also may explain the reason the single-side eppi guitars sound heavier on the bottom end. |
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Location: Chicago | the epaulet style Ovation configuration. I imagine the "techies" did a lot of research on that I've never heard the story on that one. I have often wondered.... |
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Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Yeah ... I'd like to have been a fly on the wall during their decision making on the hole decision too. Seems like Mwoody would be interested in this study, as he is trying to decide on the hole location and configuration for his current guitar project. |
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Location: Atlanta, GA. | Sometimes it's just a matter of the CEO and a future gas station owner going "Are you SURE they called this a TOP?".
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | I love what they did with the wall! |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Originally posted by cholloway:
Sometimes it's just a matter of the CEO and a future gas station owner going "Are you SURE they called this a TOP?".
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Location: Scotland | Originally posted by nikon4004:
Clarence used to put his cigaretts out on the lip of the soundhole, shice over time became larger. Where do these stories come from? The guitar already had the enlarged soundhole when Clarence White acquired it. That guitar sounded good because it was a mid-30's D28, and more importantly, because it was played by a couple of masters. The big soundhole has nothing to do with it and has become yet another piece of guitar mythology. The Santa Cruz Tony Rice guitars and the Collins enlarged soundhole guitars sound good because they are skillfully built using premium materials. The fact that the soundhole is larger by a few mm has far more to do with marketing than any effect it may or may not have on tone and volume. |
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Location: Scotland | Edit; double post |
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Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Paul ... I'm still waiting(anxiously)to see how those amber tuning buttons are going to look on my 1537.(still at the MS for a makeover)Less than 5 weeks and counting.
Sorry, I got off track. |
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Sound-H ole Diameter