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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on April 28, 2009 at 2:41pm

Don Miller said:

In general, that's correct. As I understand it, it's the total area of the holes, in relation to the volume of the box, and somehow taking into account the size of the soundboard plate. I don't know the math, but somebody somewhere does, and it can tell you how much soundhole area to use for a desired result. Those grommets also may stick down long enough on the inside to act as bass ports, which changes the effective volume of the chamber, and the weight of the grommets changes the way the top vibrates! Too much work to figure all that out.

Maybe just start with the six, and if the tone seems muffled or hollow, add another and see if the tone brightens up. If it's too bright, you can cover some holes - put a thin wood patch on the inside and it won't show much. Also, If you put holes at the bridge end, your right hand may cover them up when you play - which may be good or bad.

I've also seen variable soundholes on the side of a guitar, with a little sliding panel the player can adjust for tone.

Thanks, I opted to start with just 3 and see how it sounds. I can always add more if need be.

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