What sound can you describe that would come from a mandolin that would have an oval hole AND two F holes all on same mandolin ? Just curious ! Has anyone ever attempted such idiotic idea ? Might be the best of both worlds ! Or the worst !
What sound can you describe that would come from a mandolin that would have an oval hole AND two F holes all on same mandolin ? Just curious ! Has anyone ever attempted such idiotic idea ? Might be the best of both worlds ! Or the worst !
I guess it would affect the resonance. Think of a wind instrument such as a recorder or a whistle. Different notes are produced depending on which holes are covered, or partially covered. In a stringed instrument, the air in the body cavity will resonate in a particular way as the sound waves reverberate around inside - as well as the vibrations of the structure itself. Add more holes and the resonance might be reduced. Just how, I don't know, but my suspicion/guess is that the instrument would be quieter and less powerful.
I think it would upset The Balance and lead to a universe-ending apocalyptic singularity that would collapse the universe.
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I've seen a few (pics). German makers put out a lot of three hole archtop guitars in the 50's & 60's. I'm sure someone on the Cafe will have had experience with a three f-hole Lark. ..?
I think it would also depend on bracing (parallel tone vs, transverse or X braces), neck position (12 vs 15 fret neck body joint), elevated neck vs attached, surface area of top removed for various holes.
The top's vibration is the primary source of tone and volume for the instrument.
Jamie
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No oval hole on this one but here's David Grisman's Lil' Pup mandolin, a one-of-a-kind 2 point by Gibson. I talked to David after a show (Old & In The Gray) where he played it. It was a recent purchase for him at the time.
Old Hometown, Cabin Fever String Band
In general, the smaller the hole, the more the bass content. The presence of both f and oval holes in one mandolin would probably lead to a fairly tinny sound, under the circumstances. The sound would also likely be quite weak, since so much of the vibrating top wood would have been removed and replaced by a hole of some kind. And structurally, the top might be so weakened that it would collapse, unless it were carved thicker, or over-braced, and neither of those options leads to the best sounds, as we know.
These are three reasons why having both f and oval holes is not likely to do anything good for the mandolin. Also -- it's spelled "weird" (sorry, couldn't help myself)
It’ll sound great, I’m thinking Britpop pedal and lots of crunch. And VERY loud. Yeh?
That's kind of the background behind my offset oval hole mandolins. They sound fine. Not like a bluegrass mandolin, and not like an oval-hole mandolin. Lots of sustain, but not tubby, lots of projection, but "glassy", not "woody".
Sample audio here: http://martinjacobson.com/id/project...-black-tie-iii
and here: http://martinjacobson.com/id/project...us-mandolin-37
and here: http://martinjacobson.com/id/project...on-nautilus-25
and here: http://martinjacobson.com/id/project...21-black-tie-2
and here: http://martinjacobson.com/id/projects/mando/nautilus-15
"universe-ending apocalyptic singularity that would collapse the universe"
right now, maybe not a bad thing
belbein
The bad news is that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. The good news is that what kills us makes it no longer our problem
if you spend any time in any of the museums that have stringed instruments you can find guitars (and I assume mandolins) that are built this way. I know I've seen one at Martin and at the Opryland Museum. It's been tried.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Willie Nelson's Mandolin?
Charley
A bunch of stuff with four strings
The openings in a stringed instrument serve mainly as tuned ports, such as are used in speaker cabinets. They add an in-phase resonant boost to a small range of low frequencies, at the expense of lower frequencies which just see a leak. Larger ports resonate at higher frequencies but efficiency declines as more lows leak out. Small ports help the very bottom but too small is ineffective.
In most cases the port is in the top of a mandolin or other instrument, which makes sense in projecting the enhanced lows in line with the main sound. (Side ports sound pretty normal to listeners but kind of strange to the player.) A significant consideration is how the port affects the flexing of the top. The two F-holes allow the center section of a mandolin or guitar to move as a piston. An oval- or round-hole instrument can't achieve that vibration and is more like a symmetrical drum head.
In either case, too large a top port takes away the vibrating surface that projects most of the midrange frequencies, all that "bark". Too small allows plenty of mids but loses the near-bass.
I have an acoustic/electric viola from Ithaca Stringed Instruments that has side ports. I don't like the sound under my ear, although when I listen to another playing it the sound is pretty normal.
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