Soundport
The guitarist who likes innovations might choose the option of a soundport.
Soundports are additional soundholes situated in the guitar sides. In recent years various (above all: american) luthiers have started to attach such soundports to their guitars. I tried this, too and I'm quite satisfied with the outcome. While some builders are using two soundports (one on both sides of the neck heel), I build but one in the upper side of the guitar. I've build several guitars with a soundport in f-shape as known from Jazz-guitars, mandolins and of course the violin.
Advantages of the soundport:
- More of the sound radiates in the direction of the player. So the player has more feedback on what he/she is doing. This might result in a more relaxed playing.
- But the soundport has also influence on the sound as a whole. Comparison of the sound with closed or open soundport shows: there's a richer sound, more open with better response when soundport is open.
But still, those differences are rather subtle. So soundports might be no "must have" options.
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