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Soundport Quilted Honduran Mahogany/Appalachian Spruce OM

Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 2:19 pm
by Diane Kauffmds
There really isn't much to show off here, but I thought I'd throw it in for people to see. I've not seen any soundports on the forum.

This is the Quilted Honduran mahogany/Appalachian red spruce OM that I finished last month. While at the Elkins, WV guitar show, I met a Luthier who puts soundports into all of his guitars, so he was able to demonstrate how they sound. They not only enhance the player's sound, they enhance the sound from all angles. The sound is richer and more rounded, compared to when the port is closed off.

I decided to put a port into this guitar. Of course, it's much easier to put a port into a guitar during construction, but it wasn't difficult to add one retroactively. My concern was making sure that the veneer that I glued inside, stayed absolutely flat as the glue dried. Since traditional clamping was out, I used magnets to hold the veneer in place. I covered it in magnets.

I decided on a simple ellipse, 2" long x 1" wide. I placed it in the upper bout, past the appex toward the waist. It seemed a logical place for a player to hear the guitar. I used my inlay tool to cut the hole, then my files and sandpaper, finishing with shellac.

I want to put a soundport with a sliding door that will open and close on my next guitar.


The guitar sounds great!
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Re: Soundport Quilted Honduran Mahogany/Appalachian Spruce O

Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 3:58 pm
by carld05
How was the grain on the veneer oriented, Diane, with the side or across the side? How thick was it? Did you bend it to match that area of the side?
Looks great!

Carl

Re: Soundport Quilted Honduran Mahogany/Appalachian Spruce O

Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 10:18 pm
by MaineGeezer
Elegant!

Re: Soundport Quilted Honduran Mahogany/Appalachian Spruce O

Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:39 pm
by Diane Kauffmds
carld05 wrote:How was the grain on the veneer oriented, Diane, with the side or across the side? How thick was it? Did you bend it to match that area of the side?
Looks great!

Carl
Thanks Carl.

The veneer is only 1/42" thick; I glued it perpendicular to the grain of the sides, to ensure crack stabilization, should the side crack. It's so thin that it easily bent to the profile of the sides. My concern was that veneer would curl from the titebond, which it did as I was placing it. The magnets kept it smooth and in place.

The veneer is as wide as the side, between the kerfing, and 4" long. I had no problem at all routing through the side and kerfing. I used a 3/32" bit.

I did this just to gain experience. I'm going to make a floral design, and another elliptical design with a door that will slide open and closed.

Re: Soundport Quilted Honduran Mahogany/Appalachian Spruce O

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 12:38 am
by carld05
Another idea would be to use multiple layers of light and dark wood and sand a nice bevel to the edges of the design to accent it.

Re: Soundport Quilted Honduran Mahogany/Appalachian Spruce O

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 7:34 am
by Diane Kauffmds
carld05 wrote:Another idea would be to use multiple layers of light and dark wood and sand a nice bevel to the edges of the design to accent it.
I was going to do that, but it was difficult to control the multiple pieces of veneer through the soundhole, so I opted for the simple port. I can get more creative when I put one in during a build.

Re: Soundport Quilted Honduran Mahogany/Appalachian Spruce O

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2019 10:46 am
by jread
Been following along w/ sound port designs. Bill Cory's kit book has one as optional (grail shaped) and that's the 1st time I heard of it. It seems un-natural at 1st but yours is quite natural looking and understated. I look forward to listening to one with it open and closed and love the idea of a sliding cover. If it sounds better, then that's what will make me want to put one in. Though, I do LOVE the idea of being able to see the top bracing and just visually have a straight shot to the sound box. I find myself leaning down and over the guitar while playing so this is def interesting. Thanks for posting.