Playing Center Sound hole vs Double Puka, vs D soundhole Adjacent to Side

[keenonuke]

Hi folks. I've only played center soundhole or no hole on slim electric Ukuleles.

If any of you have experience playing on differently located soundhole ukes. I'd be interested in hearing about your experience.

Thanks

 

[DownUpDave]

I own a I'iwi which has three sound holes. It sounds fantastic but it's built by a master luthier with a redwood top and walnut back and sides. I am convinced it's the materials and craftsmanship that makes it sound great.

 

[TerryM]

I have a double Puka baritone and a concert with upper bout, treble side offset sound hole and they both sound super. But like Dave, I think it's more the luthiers than the sound hole location - Graziano double Puka and Pohaku offset.

 

[keenonuke]

Wow thanks for the comments.

Do you find you need to stem our fingerpick differently?

 

[ripock]

I have custom ukes and I could have bespoke eccentric sound holes but it always seemed like they would get in the way. I play by myself and sometimes use percussive techniques for accompaniment. But off-center sound holes seemed to be placed just where I want to thump my sound board. On my last ukulele that I am commissioning I might get an oddly shaped sound hole but it will be under the strings.

 

[merlin666]

The concept of changing to multiple small soundholes in upper bouts of guitars to increase top resonance was first developed and scientifically explored for guitars about 50 years by Ovation. This resulted in the Adamas carbon top guitars. I have one of these and when I first received it I didn't like it at all that sound came from different direction. But after some days of playing I got used to it. Still prefer regular center soundholes. As ukes are a lot smaller I would not expect the difference to be as big as for guitar. It will depend a lot on the type of bracing that is used.

 

[TerryM]

Wow thanks for the comments.

Do you find you need to stem our fingerpick differently?

I don't notice it on the baritone, as the holes are smaller, placed more toward the neck end, and there's just more soundboard real estate. I do notice it on the concert and find myself adjusting my little finger anchor accordingly.

I'm pretty much a novice and don't really play finger style, but I do play scales and finger plucking exercises. The hole location does register but is easily compensated for. Does not affect strumming.

 

[BuzzBD]

Hopefully I can shed some light on the subject, although it is far more complex than it may appear. The picture below shows two of my archtop tenor ukulele. With the exception of the sound holes they are identical in construction. Both have Sitka spruce tops, falcate braces and hardwood backs and sides. The backs and sides are different woods, but a comparison to a number of my archtop ukulele seems to indicate that this is not a factor. The ukulele on the left is strung up in the white pending finishing. The body resonance is F#3. The body resonance of the ukulele on the right is A3. This is a three semitone difference, which is easy to hear. By the way, comparing the red ukulele to some of my other archtop tenors with oval sound holes reveals that they also have a body resonance of around A3. The oval hole in the middle of the top certainly has structural implications in terms of how the top flexes compared to the other where the holes are up high, right on the sides, in an area where the top is not likely to vibrate much. In terms of timbre, I find that the ukulele on the left supports a low G tuning, better than the other one. There are a number of other factors in play here, but the obvious conclusion is that the size, shape and placement of the sound holes do have an effect on sound as well as projection. And that is a subject for another day.
Brad