Sound Ports

Rosco NZ · #1 12-07-2009, 04:35 PM

I have read about a few acoustic guitars lately that have sound ports built in.
Are they really necessary and do they work? It seems a bit incongruous to me to cut holes in the body of a guitar. Does it spoil the look of a fine piece of wood with holes cut in it? What is the general feeling about this?

Rosco

Howard Emerson · #2 12-07-2009, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rosco NZ

I have read about a few acoustic guitars lately that have sound ports built in.
Are they really necessary and do they work? It seems a bit incongruous to me to cut holes in the body of a guitar. Does it spoil the look of a fine piece of wood with holes cut in it? What is the general feeling about this?

Rosco

Hi Rosco,
If you don't like the way they look then they've spoiled the guitar for you, simple.

Do they work? Absolutely.

Do you need them?

I can't say, of course, but if you have the opportunity to play a guitar guitar that has them, you may get hooked on them from the aspect of having the sound aimed at your ear.

Regards,
Howard
http://www.howardemerson.com/

ljguitar · #3 12-07-2009, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rosco NZ

...Does it spoil the look of a fine piece of wood with holes cut in it?

Hi Roscoe…
Depends on the piece of wood and who is doing the cutting...

Two of mine...

Howard Klepper · #4 12-07-2009, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rosco NZ

. . .
(1)Are they really necessary and (2)do they work? . . . (3)Does it spoil the look of a fine piece of wood with holes cut in it? (4)What is the general feeling about this?

Rosco

1. no
2. yes
3. matter of taste
4. we like

ironman187 · #5 12-07-2009, 09:56 PM

I think it's a neat concept, when I finally get a chance to build a guitar, I will probably incorporate a side sound hole into the design so I can actually hear myself during jams. As far as I can tell, they don't really change the tone of your guitar, so other than aesthetics (which I'm not super big on) they don't seem to have a drawback.

patticake · #6 12-07-2009, 11:33 PM

i liked the idea of sound ports. then i got to play a guitar that had one, and wow! it gives the player SO much more of the sound then one gets without them. an entirely other dimension. i've played several more guitars with sound ports since, and i really like 'em.

dgrolem · #7 12-08-2009, 12:00 AM

I had the opportunity to play a Batson. It has what I consider and absolutely HUGE port without a sound hole int he top. The experience was very... disturbing. Pop a hard strum and I could literally feel the breeze from the port. Nice sound, but others have reported that the listener gets gipped in the equation.

ljguitar · #8 12-08-2009, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgrolem

...Nice sound, but others have reported that the listener gets gipped in the equation.

Hi dgrolem…
Will you please explain what that means? I didn't understand it...

Rosco NZ · #9 12-08-2009, 04:39 AM

Wow, I did not realize that they were so popular. I have never seen or heard one myself, but Larry, your two do look nicely done and I can only imagine what they sound like.

Rosco

Howard Emerson · #10 12-08-2009, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgrolem

I had the opportunity to play a Batson. It has what I consider and absolutely HUGE port without a sound hole int he top. The experience was very... disturbing. Pop a hard strum and I could literally feel the breeze from the port. Nice sound, but others have reported that the listener gets gipped in the equation.

"Gypped" in the equation?

Nonsense. It does not change the sound out in front.

Furthermore if the player's experience is more enjoyable it will certainly be that much more enjoyable to the listener.

HE

Howard Emerson · #11 12-08-2009, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rosco NZ

Wow, I did not realize that they were so popular. I have never seen or heard one myself, but Larry, your two do look nicely done and I can only imagine what they sound like.

Rosco

Hi Rosco,
My friend, John Monteleone, was one of the first people to use sound ports:

http://www.monteleone.net/quattroport.html

He has made several where there are stainless steel sliding doors on all of the ports, including the front!

Enjoy!

Howard

Howard Klepper · #12 12-08-2009, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

"Gypped" in the equation?

Nonsense. It does not change the sound out in front.

Furthermore if the player's experience is more enjoyable it will certainly be that much more enjoyable to the listener.

HE

He's talking about a Batson. Different animal.

Ryan Alexander · #13 12-08-2009, 11:00 AM

I am a huge fan of soundports - I'd add one on any future custom orders without hesitation.

Here is my Cornerstone Zion:

Howard Emerson · #14 12-08-2009, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

He's talking about a Batson. Different animal.

Oh............

Okay then, but I'm still willing to bet that as long as a guitar has a place for the air to move in and out of, that the audience would not know except by looking, that the hole is not in the front.

HE

Matt Mustapick · #15 12-08-2009, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

Oh............

Okay then, but I'm still willing to bet that as long as a guitar has a place for the air to move in and out of, that the audience would not know except by looking, that the hole is not in the front.

HE

I've played and heard a ported guitar with no soundhole in the front. It's a dramatically different animal. If the audience couldn't see they'd be looking for the door for the room with the guitar in it.