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Old 02-10-2019, 10:52 PM
lawyerdave lawyerdave is offline
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Default Sound port

Here is a question, I have an Eastman Dread I am selling. Do you think installing a sound port would help the sale or inhibit the sale.

As a mater of full disclosure, I love the installed sound port on my Eastman AC515. It makes the guitar envelope me when playing on the couch.
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Old 02-10-2019, 10:58 PM
Bluemonk Bluemonk is offline
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Originally Posted by lawyerdave View Post
Here is a question, I have an Eastman Dread I am selling. Do you think installing a sound port would help the sale or inhibit the sale.

As a mater of full disclosure, I love the installed sound port on my Eastman AC515. It makes the guitar envelope me when playing on the couch.
"Installing" a sound port? You mean "cutting out" a sound port, don't you?

Don't do it. Not if you intend to sell the guitar. Anything deviating from originality will reduce the market value.
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Old 02-10-2019, 11:27 PM
The Bard Rocks The Bard Rocks is offline
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I love soundports - but most folks out there do not know what they are. Until they do, figure your value diminished if you add one.
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Old 02-10-2019, 11:27 PM
The Growler The Growler is offline
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"Installing" a sound port? You mean "cutting out" a sound port, don't you?

Don't do it. Not if you intend to sell the guitar. Anything deviating from originality will reduce the market value.
If you were keeping it, I'd say do whatever you want and enjoy it. But, if you are selling it, don't do it. Very few buyers will appreciate it or pay for it.
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Old 02-10-2019, 11:44 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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Dave, cutting a soundport into the bout of a guitar is something to consider when you plan to hold onto a guitar for your own personal use. If you’ve already decided to sell the instrument, cutting a soundport is like deciding to lower the resale value by 30-40%, if not more.

I mean, you could probably hurt the resale value even more if you shot it up with a BB gun, or sprayed it with grey primer, or scorched your initials into it with a wood-burning kit. That might be enough to push it over the line from “used” to “abused.”

But however advantageous cutting a soundport into the side of a guitar might be for the person playing the instrument from a sonic standpoint, that practice remains largely unknown to the greater guitar-playing public. Most casual guitarists who might purchase used guitars have probably never encountered any guitars with soundports, much less understand the performance advantages that having a soundport can offer.

So, no, cutting a soundport is not a great idea if you’re trying to sell a guitar, even if the work is done impeccably. The best you could hope for is that getting that work done won’t scare away possible buyers, and that they would still be willing to pay the same price for the guitar that they would pay if you hadn’t had the side cut into.

Either way, you’d lose money on the deal. Which is not the greatest business strategy you could have.

Please understand that I’m not anti-soundport. But you’re absolutely better off not proceeding on that impulse.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller
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Old 02-11-2019, 07:11 AM
lawyerdave lawyerdave is offline
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Great thoughts, thanks
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Old 02-11-2019, 07:11 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lawyerdave View Post
Here is a question, I have an Eastman Dread I am selling. Do you think installing a sound port would help the sale or inhibit the sale.

As a mater of full disclosure, I love the installed sound port on my Eastman AC515. It makes the guitar envelope me when playing on the couch.
Hi ld

We once lived in a nice home, and when it came time to sell it, we had to update the carpets, the floors, the counters and a ton of stuff we never got to appreciate. We committed to a new approach to our houses, fix it up and live in it.

If you wouldn't have a sound port (side port) in your guitar, it's sure not going to add much value to it when you re-sell it. It's probably in the same category as a pickup already installed in a guitar, or having switched the saddles from man-made to bone. The buyer may even ding you for it.

For me buying a guitar with a pickup in it (even if it's one I'd install in it) is not going to cause me to move my limit I'd pay for it. And a I'm not buying a guitar because of the side port, but for the way it plays, resonates, sustains, and projects.

I cannot think of anything someone would normally add to a guitar when selling it that would cause the value to rise to the point they'd even break even.




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Old 02-11-2019, 09:33 AM
The Bard Rocks The Bard Rocks is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wade Hampton View Post
Dave, cutting a soundport into the bout of a guitar is something to consider when you plan to hold onto a guitar for your own personal use. If you’ve already decided to sell the instrument, cutting a soundport is like deciding to lower the resale value by 30-40%, if not more.

Wade Hampton Miller
While I agree with everything else Wade said, I don't think you'd lose any 30-40%. 0 to 15%, depending upon how lucky or unlucky you get seems more in the ballpark.
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Old 02-11-2019, 09:58 AM
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Originally Posted by The Bard Rocks View Post
I don't think you'd lose any 30-40%. 0 to 15%, depending upon how lucky or unlucky you get seems more in the ballpark.
This has been my experience as well.
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Old 02-11-2019, 10:20 AM
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Originally Posted by lawyerdave View Post
Here is a question, I have an Eastman Dread I am selling. Do you think installing a sound port would help the sale or inhibit the sale.
IMO, with a soundport you'd have two things working against you, instead of just one.

Those of use who have owned or played them know that Eastmans are outstanding guitars, but Eastman is not a name that a lot of people know. That's one obstacle.

Secondly, soundports may sound great to you, but to most people they're just a weird hole in the side of a guitar. If it came from the factory like that it's a lot easier to explain, but the average Joe is going to balk at the idea that you had an additional hole cut into your guitar.

So in the end, you're limiting your prospective buyers to those who are familiar enough with Eastman to know that they are good, and who are familiar with -- and approving of -- soundports.

I can't see how this would be an advantage for you.
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Old 02-11-2019, 10:38 AM
TheJackal TheJackal is offline
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Default On the other hand

You also risk losing the sale. If you cut a sound port, you might decide you like the guitar enough to keep it and lose all of your money from selling it since you kept it. In so doing, you are not doing your part to promote GAS.
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Old 02-11-2019, 11:03 AM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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Originally Posted by The Bard Rocks View Post
While I agree with everything else Wade said, I don't think you'd lose any 30-40%. 0 to 15%, depending upon how lucky or unlucky you get seems more in the ballpark.
Okay, fair enough.


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Old 02-11-2019, 01:07 PM
DesertTwang DesertTwang is offline
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Originally Posted by Wade Hampton View Post

I mean, you could probably hurt the resale value even more if you shot it up with a BB gun, or sprayed it with grey primer, or scorched your initials into it with a wood-burning kit.

Wade Hampton Miller
As usual, WHM summed it up very well, and I thought I'd add my two cents from the perspective of a potential dreadnaught buyer:

Between the modifications mentioned above and a sound port, I'd have to really think long and hard about it. A few BB gun craters or initials burned into the guitar would definitely deter me less than a sound port.

I'd probably draw the line at the grey primer, though.

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Old 02-11-2019, 01:10 PM
DesertTwang DesertTwang is offline
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Originally Posted by The Bard Rocks View Post
While I agree with everything else Wade said, I don't think you'd lose any 30-40%. 0 to 15%, depending upon how lucky or unlucky you get seems more in the ballpark.
This surprises me. I would expect that a sound port is an "either/or" modification. People who really like them wouldn't mind paying for them, perhaps even be willing to pay more than if the guitar was unmodified.

Conversely, people who don't like them would not even consider the guitar, regardless of cost.
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Old 02-11-2019, 01:30 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DesertTwang View Post
This surprises me. I would expect that a sound port is an "either/or" modification. People who really like them wouldn't mind paying for them, perhaps even be willing to pay more than if the guitar was unmodified.

Conversely, people who don't like them would not even consider the guitar, regardless of cost.
This is what I told the OP - you may reduce the "frequency" of the sale, due to the naysayers who just flat out are opposed to the idea (most of whom have never experienced it done right)

On the other hand, you may find someone who wants to experience it that is willing to pay near market value IF it's done well.

As far as going through the work when you KNOW you are selling it, I'm not sure I'd do that. As another said, you may well like it much more and want to hang onto it after the installation.
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