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F hole vs petit Bouche
littlemark
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Hello, I have a question about sound holes. I have had a D hole and oval hole guitar before and have played a number of different versions of these. I have yet to play a Gypsy style f hole guitar. I have also had numerous archtops for comparison.
I'm in the ruminating stages of getting a guitar made. Any thoughts on how an f hole guitar might sound/feel different.
The only reason I'm considering an f hole is because I want a CC pickup in it. I know that will make a big sound difference acoustically. But I'm stupid and want it anyway.
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I'll jump in, here. I'm primarily an archtop player, and have a soft spot for f holes in gypsy guitars. So, generally speaking, Oval hole/nasally, D hole/more bass, archtop/midrange. Of course a gypsy guitar will always sound more like a gypsy guitar than an archtop. Like any guitar, some I've played are better than others. I've owned and sold many f hole gypsy guitars, and currently have two of them in my collection.
How do they work in the context of a jam? Do they get lost?
I've mostly heard positive things about f hole guitars. I wouldn't assume that you're going to have issues with them.
just played out with an oval. I think the main virtue of F holes is that the sound really spreads, as opposed to an oval, which is more of a directional fire hose. My partner couldn't really hear me unless I was facing him. Honestly, over the years my F hole gibsons have dominated quite a bit. There is a reason why F holes are utilized by many makers, as opposed to the Selmer/Mac design. That said, the gypsy "fans" out there want to see oval or D holes ... F holes not so much...
Amati Schmitt plays a Shopis F-hole:
https://youtu.be/EXxIJl9ZPas?feature=shared
I imagine that like anything else, it depends on the specific guitar. That said, I’ve never played an oval hole I like as much as my DuPont MDC50 grande bouche, that has a sweet sound across the whole sonic range.
I did just trade for F-hole gypsy guitar and picked up a JWC Catnina Swing (pictured below). It’s a booming rhythm machine that gives me a lot of low end without having to work very hard. I string it with Argentine 11’s to brighten it up a bit, and if I consciously move toward the bridge for solos, it really sings.
But a Gibson with f holes is not the same sound is it?
You should bring it to DiJ so I can try it :D
@littlemark I plan to bring it to DIJ
So is this going to have a pickup permanently installed? Because some of those as much as they can be amazing instruments, aren't known as acoustic monsters. On the other hand GJ guitars with f-holes are usually known as louder guitars acoustically. There's been a fair amount written on the forum about them.