soundhole

Sound-hole, an essential component of stringed musical instruments, enhances the sound radiation in the lower octave by introducing a natural vibration mode called air resonance.

The efficiency of sound radiation at low frequencies in musical instruments is improved by the use of a sound hole. The sound hole enhances the radiation of sound by vibrating the volume of air inside as well as near its opening.

However, with the soundhole sealed up, the internal air spring restricts the top and back's free movement. This is why soundhole plugs help reduce feedback - they harness the captive air inside the guitar as a tool to reduce the top's ability to vibrate.

A round or oval hole or a rosette is usually a single one, under the strings. C-holes, D-holes and F-holes are usually made in pairs placed symmetrically on both sides of the strings. Most hollowbody and semi-hollow electric guitars also have F-holes.

The larger the sound hole the louder the volume grew; conversely, the smaller the sound hole the quieter the volume became. However, smaller holes produced a mellower sound. With no hole you only hear the sound of the string itself, so the sound was weaker and quieter.

A smaller sound hole helps the projection of basses, while a larger sound hole makes the tone more open and rich in treble.

Soundholes have always been an essential part of acoustic guitar design. From the f-holes found in archtops to the familiar round version on most other acoustics, they're just part of the instrument. That said, they're still misunderstood. Soundholes are not simply to project the sound of the guitar.

No. Solid-body electric guitars do not have any holes. And depending on what is meant by “top”, not even all acoustic guitars have holes in the top, although all acoustic guitars have ports somewhere.

Soundhole pickups are magnetic like electric guitar pickups, directly detecting vibrations of the strings. Piezo pickups sound clear, pronounced and transparent, with minimal feedback. Soundhole pickups naturally sound reminiscent of electric guitars, are easy to fit, but are sometimes susceptible to feedback.

In general enlarging the hole will tend to raise the pitch of the resulting 'main air' resonant mode, and also to make it stronger. The 'main air' mode is the lowest pitched one that can actually produce usable sound, so it may have a pronounced effect on the low-end sound of the instrument.

The vast majority of steel-string guitar soundholes are 4 inch in diameter (101mm). Most nylon-string (classical guitars) have 3 1/2" (89mm) soundholes. To determine your soundhole size just measure the distance across the center of your soundhole.

We found out that there are not that many acoustic guitars without soundhole available, but there are plenty of alternatives. Acoustics with small holes and even silent acoustic guitars can do the trick for some people.