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Currently unable to practice after 10 pm as it will annoy the neighbours!
I used to be able to fit one of those plastic soundhole covers in my old guitar, but the distance between the strings and the top of the guitar on my new (to me) Bernal is approx 9 mm so most of those I can see on Amazon / ebay etc are too deep and won't fit under the strings. Anyone recommend something other than a lot of butchery with a scalpel?
Have you tried just rolling up some toilet paper under the strings or using a sponge? I've never tried a soundhole blocker so I don't know how it compares soundwise, but just a suggestion in case you hadn't thought of it.
I tried. While soundhole blockers undoubtedly make the sound quite bad (flat / dead), I find damping the strings directly changes the playing characteristics even more adversely.
the device goes inside the sound hole, and only the upper border lays on the top of the soundboard. I have the one from Firestone on an ugly plywood guitar. It dampens out mostly the basses, and makes it sound more flamenco in this particular case. The guitar isn't really muted, these devices are normally referred to as "anti-feedback" for amplified acoustic guitars. So it is up to your neighbors if they hear a difference.
You might know of the English expression "put a sock in it!" meaning "turn it down!". I guess it is related to practising a brass instrument or the non-amplified gramophone speaker horn.
Lot of older Spanish players and many non Spanish use the sponge trick, and also taught it to students. There are special ways to practice with a sponge that can build certain areas of technique. Slow practice with ligado arpps, and picado among them.
In response to Leñador's comment: "What's wrong with the one you posted? Your strings are flexible and the blocker is rubber, seems like it should work..... "
High tension strings and, at least on the one I have, fairly stiff rubber. Plus the top of my guitar isn't 100 percent level so there is a bit of a bulge on one side. If I could find one that is less deep and a bit more flexible, I might be in luck.
I know the tissue paper or sponge trick works, but in terms of pure personal preference or the response of the strings/guitar, I like the bung better.
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