Shut your Soundhole!

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lsnyman

Posts: 120
Joined: Feb. 6 2009

Shut your Soundhole!

Some of you may be familiar with my custom Cejillas. I have also been working for a while to produce a viable soundhole cover. The purpose of these is mainly decorative but do also offer some assistance with feedback when performing using pickups or mic's. Mainly, they look really good and add a little class to your valued instrument.
The problem was that the commercially available ones are -
Thick and bulky and rest on your soundboard.
Protrude above the soundhole - get in the way of Tremelo, Rasgueo
Vibrate on the soundboard.

With the aggressive playing and techniques of Flamenco and even Classical guitar, the cover needs to be thin and recessed in the soundhole and not vibrate.
These covers are about as thin as your soundboard, fit inside the hole and will not vibrate. They are easy to install and will not harm your guitar. They are easily removed and I swap mine around quite often depending on mood. They don't affect the sound of the guitar by any discernible amount.

If anyone is interested send me a PM. I have a few designs completed and you are welcome to design your own, colors designs etc.
The standard ones will be $20 and custom will be negotiated. Each one is custom sized for your soundhole so you will need to measure it.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 17:16:04

rombsix

Posts: 7805
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

You creative son of a gun.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 17:20:36

lsnyman

Posts: 120
Joined: Feb. 6 2009

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

Here are some of the designs I have.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 17:26:27

James Ashley Mayer

Posts: 115
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Portland, Oregon

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

I'm surprised these are only $20. I don't see how they will help with feedback, though. I was expecting them to have a solid shield under a decorative cover. Also, how would you install this without pushing it inside the guitar?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 17:31:58

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to James Ashley Mayer)

I was going to ask the same thing.
What stops them simply falling into the guitar?
I dont see how they stay in place and not vibrate.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 17:38:13

lsnyman

Posts: 120
Joined: Feb. 6 2009

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

I can certainly make them with a solid sheet behind the cutout for those who require it. My purpose is mainly decorative and the commercially available ones purport to define the feedback elimination in Light, Medium and Heavy, so I guess these will be classed as Light without the solid back added.
The price is reasonable, I dont gouge anyone and no one will get rich by making cejillas or covers

As usual its a crime of passion.
Even a plain one looks good.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 17:38:43

James Ashley Mayer

Posts: 115
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Portland, Oregon

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

OK, but how do you install it?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 17:46:52

dararith

Posts: 120
Joined: Jun. 4 2010
From: Oakland, CA

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

They look cool. Can you post a video on how one would install one? This will give an idea of how it looks and how easy it can be to remove one.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 17:50:32

Andy Culpepper

Posts: 3023
Joined: Mar. 30 2009
From: NY, USA

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

beautiful.. but I'm confused how you deal with different size soundholes. It'd be hard to even custom make one for somebody across the country.. you'd have to be with in a few .001"
Maybe a piece of rubber around the edge would let you fudge a little and help hold it in.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 18:14:30

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

Wow!

I LOVE 'em!!

I'm definitely gonna get one or two, for my Anders Negra and Bernal Blanca.

Do you glue then in lightly? (ie with say 4 spots of glue or what)

Oh yeah...and do you take PayPal?

Brilliant idea!

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 18:32:25

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

So, carve out a soundport then block up the sound hole - makes sense

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 18:48:22

rogeliocan

Posts: 811
Joined: Nov. 23 2009
From: Canada

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

They are beautiful.
I also wonder how they hold and if they would create a vibration sound unless they are really tight.

How do you make these, does it take you long it seems like an incredible amount of work.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 19:07:23

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to Escribano)

quote:

So, carve out a soundport then block up the sound hole - makes sense

LOL..

Hey Simon...do you remember when folk covered all their wood-panelled doors in flush Hardboard and painted them... blocked up all the fireplaces and covered the floors in fitted, "ankle-hugging" carpets?

30 years later, they're ripping the Hardboard off, sanding and re-varnishing the doors, unblocking the original fireplaces and ripping up all the carpets and getting an industrial sander in to get back to the basic wood grain floorboards and then applying a labour intensive wax polish....

Oh yeah...and getting their double-glazed panoramic view windows replaced with old "sash" style ones that our mothers hated so much.....

My mum always wanted to have a coloured bathroom suite instead of "horrible Council white"..

Now they rip all the coloured ones out and fit "pure, elegant white"...

Give it 30 years more and watch the "new wave" change...

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 19:39:06

lsnyman

Posts: 120
Joined: Feb. 6 2009

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

Ok, lots of questions. How to hold them in place without risking precious guitars was the main research behind these, US PATENT #123456789101112
See picture attached. I supply 3 small wooden tabs that are pre-treated with removable glue, like credit card glue. You stick them under your soundboard with just a little protrusion for the cover to sit on. Put your cover on and give a light pressure, and youre done!
The glue is strong but not permanent. In the unlikely event you want to remove it you can just use a bent hairpin and pull it off. The tabs can be taken off and any residual glue is just balled up by rubbing.
It will not vibrate, or fall out.
Yes, each soundhole is different, you need to measure yours carefully and it will be made to that size.
Just a clarification of the last post, the Crescent Moon and Star MOP inlay is not a standard, that design belongs to another member and were made for him, The cutout pattern is standard though. As I said, I will and have done custom designs if you have something in mind.
Thanks for looking.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 19:41:51

Haithamflamenco

Posts: 927
Joined: Mar. 6 2007
From: Bahrain

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

that is a very funny title

" Shut your Soundhole "

they guitar will look like a lute or the Oud,

Well, I dont thing that I shout my guitar sound hole,

wait

,

no no I will not

amazing work mi amigo,

asaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 19:51:06

lsnyman

Posts: 120
Joined: Feb. 6 2009

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

This was the inspiration for the plain one above

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 20:10:00

James Ashley Mayer

Posts: 115
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Portland, Oregon

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

Ok, now it all makes sense. Nice work!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 21:02:12

Patrick

Posts: 1189
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Portland, Oregon

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

So you must be making them with a CNC machine, a water jet, milling machine or by hand and making 15 cents an hour?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 21:46:49

El Kiko

Posts: 2697
Joined: Jun. 7 2010
From: The South Ireland

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

These are really terrific and if it dosn't effect the sound of the guitar, then great, I am definately interested, you need some kind of online catalogue to browse,
Question are there small ones for guitars with sound-ports fitted? or would they have to be curved ? just thinking.
tell me more about how many designs you have and how we can see them all to choose?
Oh just thought, sometimes I use clip-on mic on the sound hole....

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 23:01:21

at_leo_87

Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

wow, those are amazing!

i think i would get one but the problem is i use a clip on mic.

do you think you could design something funky to hold the mic cable so it doesn't get in the way? something i can stick on the back of the guitar?

quote:

US PATENT #123456789101112

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 23:09:57

lsnyman

Posts: 120
Joined: Feb. 6 2009

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

Today those are the designs i have as regards the pattern cutout. Any trim design can be added of course and also the center can be left solid for an engraving or inlay. I am working on other cutout designs and will post pics as I complete them. you can also send your own design and if possible, I will make it.

For soundports, I can also make a cover but you will need to trace the curve of your guitar and send it to me so that it can be bent, also make sure that your soundport has place tomount the tabs.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 4 2011 23:15:53

lsnyman

Posts: 120
Joined: Feb. 6 2009

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to at_leo_87)

quote:

i think i would get one but the problem is i use a clip on mic.

ill send you my email via pm. Send me a pic of your mic and how it clips on. I can either do a cutout or incorporate the Mic into the center of the cover.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 5 2011 0:37:16

kovachian

Posts: 506
Joined: Jan. 30 2008
From: Americanistan

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to lsnyman)

I really think this is one of the more creative ideas in guitar lutherie that I've seen in some time. Great work!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 5 2011 5:51:51

Argaith

Posts: 481
Joined: May 6 2009
From: Iran (living in London)

RE: Shut your Soundhole! (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

Hey Simon...do you remember when folk covered all their wood-panelled doors in flush Hardboard and painted them... blocked up all the fireplaces and covered the floors in fitted, "ankle-hugging" carpets?

30 years later, they're ripping the Hardboard off, sanding and re-varnishing the doors, unblocking the original fireplaces and ripping up all the carpets and getting an industrial sander in to get back to the basic wood grain floorboards and then applying a labour intensive wax polish....

Ron -

I bought a house around 4 years ago and did all of that. The fireplace was replaced with a hideous stone cladded monster of ( I don't know what to call it

). I bought an original one of the ebay, stripped it, ... and installed it.

I do love the original features and characters like the beautiful wood work that you often see in the old Victorian pubs. I can stare at the details a whole day (pint after pint

)

As for the Soundhole shutters, they look amazing like the cejillas that Isnyman makes. However, being an old fashioned man I really don't see the point (other than decorative purpose). Nor I see the point in cutting a sound port in the guitar.

Sorry folks, may be I am too boring!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 5 2011 11:52:16