Upper bout sound holes vs standard sound hole

[Richard Smith]

Some claim that moving the sound hole to the upper bout gives a larger area of the top for resonance. If this is so why are there so few luthiers doing this? I'm about to start my first guitar project and am torn which way to go. I have built 7 ukes to date.

[Jeffrey L. Suits]

Richard- have a look at Batson guitars: http://batsonguitars.com/

[Richard Smith]

Jeffrey, thanks for the link. Also Grimes Guitars and Krusa Guitars are into building with upper bout sound holes.

[Richard Smith]

Jeffrey, by the way, I want to make a distinction between sound port and sound hole. I am looking at building with upper bout sound holes.

[Jeffrey L. Suits]

Richard-

I'm with ya-- I know that I'm a noisy sideport owner/operator/installer, but I sent you the Batson link because they just have the side soundhole.

[Clay Schaeffer]

Hi Richard,
I have built a couple of experimental guitars with upper bout sound holes. People liked the way they sounded, which was like a guitar. They were neither exceptionally good or bad. On one of them I placed wire grommets in the sound holes and could vary the size of the openings with them. As you closed them down it did change the sound of the guitar. As the soundholes were made smaller the sound eventually became "muddier".
I think many luthiers don't worry about putting more of the soundboard into play. If you look at the lattice braced designs they seem to go with an even smaller area of the soundboard doing the work. The other line of thought seems to be an increase in the overall size of the guitar.
At some point I will probably do another guitar with upper bout soundholes. I just need to think of a good excuse.

[Donald A. Fortune]

Hey Clay-- I say because you can is a good enough excuse..

Agreed?????

Donald

[Ron Frazier]

Traded for a brand new Washburn guitar that some on had dropped that had a 2 inch hole on the upper bout on the side. What do I do with it ?it was on the lower side so I cut it out and made a sound hole oblong than strung it up left handed and the first one in lefty bought and I made a good $100.00. He ask why I made the hole and I said because it made the sound better!

We both were happy!

Ron