Holes.....

[Oliver R]

Not sure if this has been discussed before?
Just wondered what these little holes are in the top of this bowl back?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mandolin-Bowlback-German-made-1957-Walter-Schadlich-/170505980918?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Sting_Instruments&hash=item27b2f2cbf6#ht_500wt_1154

[tnt2002]

At first glance, I thought someone had glued on googly eyes to give it a 'face' :))

I've no idea. Maybe it's a Chris Thile inspired 'hole'.

[Schlegel]

This has been discussed in the Classical section. They show up in the teens or so in Calaces and some other generally better made instruments, and no one knows why. Complete mystery.

[mandroid]

neck strap hanger?

[Schlegel]

The placement varies. sometimes like this, sometimes both under the strings, or one on either side of the soundboard.

[David Lloyd]

Electronic controls that were removed..exactly what my washburn looked like (other than placement) when I removed them :(

[Schlegel]

here's 2 views posted in another thread off a Calace.

[allenhopkins]

Here's (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?38701-Holes-in-mandolins&highlight=extra+holes) a relatively recent thread on the subject. Consensus seemed to be, "an attempt to improve the tone of certain bowl-back mandolins, often German-made, although Calace in Italy installed them in the early 20th century on some models."

Seems to have been a dead-end in luthiery, since they aren't found today. The idea that they were meant to hold attachments of some sort -- arm rests, music stands, tubes that connected to the player's ears -- is probably contradicted by the fact that the holes were sometimes placed under the strings, sometimes elsewhere on the top. Seems they were often installed in pairs, so there must have been some kind of acoustical theory behind their number and placement. No one who's posted on the Cafe seems to know that that theory was, however.

[Oliver R]

It's all a bit mad isn't it.
For the life of me I cant think how it would improve the acoustics?
Mysterious indeed.....

[Paul Hostetter]

You can thread shoelaces through them, and tie them in a bow.