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Location: Warren,Pa. | WARNING: not a subject for the faint-hearted. I'm tired of walking into the bathroom and facing the mirror and the tiled wall with my guitar to hear what it sounds like! I re-read an article in AG on sound ports in the sides of guitars. This greatly enhances the sound experienced by the player. Not long ago someone on this board suggested removing the new style preamp and can from an O to achieve this effect. I don't wanna go THAT far, but I would like to know from any of you fiberglass surgeons out there....what would it take to put a hole in the upper bout, bass side of my guitar? It would have to look like the guitar came that way...nice and neat. |
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Posts: 1180
Location: Vermont USA | Ok Bro,
I have an easy cheap solution for ya, invite Lisa over for hot dog night and let her play your guitar. You can sit back and enjoy listening to the rich and vibrant sound of your guitar.
Did I save you some money or what.
Paul |
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Posts: 4413
| Master Templeman is the man to aerate your guitar. Not tidy, but effective.
If you go here http://www.monteleone.net you can look at his quattroporte and get some idea.
The nature of the roundback and the Lyracord probably make sticking a hole in it safer than doing it to a woodbox, but I might be inclined to ask the mothership for thoughts on placement - even tho they are bound to tell you not to do it for their own insurance reasons.
Careful with that axe Eugene. |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Used Adamas - $1,200.
Cordless Drill - $39.
"DoorKnob Saw" attachment for drill - $15.
Staring at the bathroom mirror and wondering what your guitar USED to sound like - Priceless. |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | So far, you guys aren't helping me see a clear approach to this. |
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| Well I tried.... |
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Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Uh....the phrase "leaving well enough alone" comes to mind.....that and "be careful what you wish for, you might get it"......
Best wishes if you decide to proceed with this...but I haven't a clue how to pull it off.
Roger |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by bauerhillboy:
So far, you guys aren't helping me see a clear approach to this. Chicken. |
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Location: Orlando, FL | Wow, there are some beautiful guitars on that Monteleone site that schroeder mentioned. I wonder what that quattroporte would sound like? Sure is purdy! |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | And that's a custom guitar. That means someone paid...what...maybe $20,000 for a guitar with sound ports built into it. I'm not the only one who's thinkin' about this. Actually Schroeder, you convinced me that I must see this through. Thank you. Paul is just like me and was no help at all. Us otter/golden retriever types are all about everybody having a great time together, but we don't get very much work done like the "type A's". I will be cautious until I've researched this thoroughly (listened to about 25 people who don't know anything but sound authoritative), then I WILL do it! After all, this isn't a $5,000 Martin...it's just a $1,000 Ovation. |
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Location: Orlando, FL | I have no idea how to do this, but I think it's an interesting idea, especially after seeing the quattroporte.
Which guitar is your prospective victim? |
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January 2004
Posts: 338
Location: SE Michigan | Someone else posted this a long time ago, but it is an eye-opening experiment: If you have a multi-hole Ovation like an Elite or an Adamas, take the back access cover off and strum a few chords....the sound just dies, like the body was full of pudding. I guess a small hole in the upper bout would be less pronounced, but be carefull, it could ruin the whole guitar. Maybe we'll see you at the next factory tour with a piece of duct tape over your experimental hole.
If you want to really hear your guitar, try playing in the bathroom, preferably one with a lot of ceramic tile. My cousin plays sitting on the edge of the bathtub facing inward towards the shower stall. He even has recorded some songs in there, it sounds great. It's like playing in a giant reverb chamber. |
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February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | BrianT...I started out this thread saying I play in the bathroom. Sounds like this is the plight of the common man. Designzilla....'04 Std Elite LX NEB, but I have another interested party. My daughter(the artist formerly known as Lori Anne) has an Elite T with a shallow bowl and if I,m successful, she wants this too. I do have a set of airlocks. I,ll drill the hole to fit the largest one (it says Ovation on it). Then if I cover it up, it'll look like a factory job! |
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Location: south east Michigan | We could have tried this on the booted Celebrity!
Drat the missed opportunity. |
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| But it's much more exciting for the audience when The Father Of The Artist Formerly Known As Lori Anne (why didn't I just type Persephone?) is going to do it on a real guitar. |
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Location: NJ | ". . for my Next Trick, I'll need a Volunteer . . ."
- Warren Zevon |
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Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | I'm gathering bits of information. I AM thinking about the dead sound when you remove the access panel. The proposed hole...uh, sound port...is 1 9/16" diam. I do have an alternate plan...fasten a 4"x6" mirror to the top at a 45 degree angle between the bass holes and the fingerboard extension. This way, the sound will be reflected back at me AND I can see all the stupid expressions on my face while I'm playing. I could rig up some hooks to it that fit into the soundholes so it can be quickly and easily removed. |
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Location: Vermont USA | John,
I may not be the brightest light bulb on the Christmas tree, but if it were me I would not do it.
Paul |
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| Not that I'm trying to encourage you in this - but the removal of the rear cover would just let the sound straight out into your belly, killing it stone dead and leaving the bowl with nothing to work with. A hole, sorry - soundport - in the top shoulder would be a completely different kettle of fish, as we say in these parts. Whatever else might worry you in your quest for that million dollar experience, I don't think you should worry too much about the rear door thing.
Just a thought - are you sure you actually want to hear yourself?
If you plug a set of headphones into the outjack, you can listen to yourself quite happily.
But that won't be any fun for us. |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | The side and the back are different. You could always try it on an expendable Im-port. Now is this a guitar you're going to play for just you or for an audience? |
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Posts: 4413
| It's Ovation's new Swiss Cheese model. More holes than the US Budget. |
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February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | I play more just sitting on the sofa than I do playing out, but both are important to me. However...THIS JUST IN...Kim K just called me. We had a little conversation, and he says "go ahead". His suggestion is, if need be, have the airlock plug in the side port when I'm plugged in and move it to the front when I'm unplugged. Now I have to find a 1 9/16" holesaw so I don't have to drill 1 1/2" and file it bigger. As soon as I have the tooling in place I'm gonna do it. |
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Location: closely held secret | Is the airlock plug going to fit in a curved surface? |
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February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | There's not really that much curve over a 1 9/16" distance, but the plug is just over 5/16" deep and the bowl is not very thick at all. Wish I could run to the hdwr store right now and buy the holesaw, but I'm in the middle of another project that MUST get done before Maryanne gets home. It's so hard for me to be task-oriented. |
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Posts: 623
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | In my 'youth' I've done some strange things to my guitars that seemed like a great idea at the time. Unfortunately, the results usually ended up less than stellar.
I really hope this maneuver works out ok for you. Personally, I got a little nauseous just thinking about it...
Good luck! |
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Sound ports on an Ovation
