Can't decide on a stick-on sound hole. Poll: round or ƒ?

[KohanMike]

I have a stick-on round sound hole on my cherry veneer bass uke so that it would fit in with the ukuleles in my group. Then I watched a video with a stand up bass, which made me wonder if using ƒ hole stickers would be good instead to simulate a standup bass. I've been wafting back and forth and decided try a poll for the first time.

 

[oldjazznut]

Fake stick-on sound holes? Couldn't they come loose from finger contact playing?

It would be so embarrassing to have your hole fall off in public ..

 

[badhabits]

How about going custom? Like a couple of little a-holes?

 

[Mike $]

I like the f holes compared to the hole. If the hole had something fun or interesting peeking or crawling out of it, like a spider, snake or Jimmy Hoffa, I might change my mind.

 

[KohanMike]

Fake stick-on sound holes? Couldn't they come loose from finger contact playing? It would be so embarrassing to have your hole fall off in public ..

I've used stick-on fret markers and sound holes for years, they stick very well, never had any come loose.

 

[KohanMike]

How about going custom? Like a couple of little a-holes?

Am I going to have to block you BH?

Neither. If it's good enough for Paul and Höfner… Also, if you put the 'holes' where they would be on a real-life double bass they extend into where the bridge pickup is, on the lower bout. Although I thought Höfner missed a trick not putting f-holes on their 'violin bass' uke. The round hole just looks wrong to me.

My first Hadean Hofner style bass uke is of the actual look, but I like variety, so I change up the others. The photo above shows where I'd put the ƒ hole stickers, even though it's not in the tradition position. I have the ƒ hole stickers on my green bass uke, but they seem better on the cherry veneer.

 

[Canada Jim]

I think the f holes are the best choice.
Where do you get them? I'd like some for this uke.

 

[KohanMike]

I think the f holes are the best choice. Where do you get them? I'd like some for this uke.

I printed them myself on adhesive back paper and cut them out by hand.

 

[Stoneyrun]

One thing I consider using stickers is that, over time, the colorization of the instrument finish can change and if you ever remove the stickers it might leave a lighter shade outline.

 

[vcs700s]

I prefer no holes.

 

[mikelz777]

Option 3: no stickers, neither look sufficiently close enough to real holes.

 

[John Stephen]

Mike, between those two choices I like the f holes. The round hole seems a bit much, for my tastes. But I think the f holes should be "slanted" in the other direction. This is hard to explain in writing, but for each f hole, the end that's closest to the fingerboard, should be further "in", and the other end should be further "out."

 

[WebParrot (s2)]

Neither. Where your placement of the f holes is all wrong. F holes belong on the lower bout, not at the upper. Similarly round holes just don’t look right on that shape instrument. You’re trying to make it look like an upright base or a violin and neither of those instruments would support having around sound hole.

 

[Crazyviking]

I think I agree with #3 No Sticker.

 

[UkeOkay]

The f-holes look much nicer.

 

[KohanMike]

I did the ƒ holes. I put them at the upper bout because there's no room for two on the lower bout like a double bass. I slanted them this way to follow to a degree, the contour of the bout. I do like the look of a round sound hole on the other bass ukes, specifically to make them different from each other. I have standard style pickguards, extended style, ƒ hole, swish hole and round hole (but I did remove the round one on the teal bass uke since it has a nice paint pattern).

 

[John Stephen]

Maybe just go with one f-hole, on the bout where there's room for it, and you could slant it the right way. There are quite a few hollow- and semi-hollow guitars and bass guitars that have just the one f-hole.

 

[KohanMike]

Maybe just go with one f-hole, on the bout where there's room for it, and you could slant it the right way. There are quite a few hollow- and semi-hollow guitars and bass guitars that have just the one f-hole.

I prefer two ƒ holes, and I might change the slant the other way, have to contemplate that. I not trying to duplicate the bass fiddle look, just give my bass uke a different look from my others.

 

[AZChris]

I would have gone with the f holes look also. The placement looks good to me and I'm glad you kept them a smaller size.
In this gallery of f hole basses you can see they are all over the map trying to figure out where to put the f holes and how big they should be. The BC Rich in there has holes in about the same spot as you. The ones with a single f hole look like they could be stickers.
https://www.violinbasses.com/hole_gallery.html

 

[KohanMike]

I would have gone with the f holes look also. The placement looks good to me and I'm glad you kept them a smaller size.
In this gallery of f hole basses you can see they are all over the map trying to figure out where to put the f holes and how big they should be. The BC Rich in there has holes in about the same spot as you. The ones with a single f hole look like they could be stickers.
https://www.violinbasses.com/hole_gallery.html

I found that web page a few days ago when I was contemplating the change. I'm liking where I put them.