Official Luthiers Forum!

I'v heard and played about 1/2 dozen different guitars with sound ports. Some of them had little sliding doors so you could close them. The others you could close with your hand or a piece of paper or cardboard. One thing they all had in common was that the change in the sound to the listener (ie not the player) was very slight. The change in sound to the player was dramatic. I'm building a guitar that is intended to be used to play in groups with other musicians. (fiddles, basses, pianos, etc). I'm seriously considering a sound port just so the player can hear the instrument better. I've had to lay my ear on the side of the guitar on occasion just to hear what I was playing.
Mike Mahar38454.6950810185

Alan, Thanks for that comment on the port shapes. That was pretty much my thinking on the shape of the opening and has also been the reason as not to try it yet.

As soon as I get my shop back together, I,m going to try some porting.

As the old saying goes,
Experience is a hard Teacher,
It gives the test first,
And the lesson later. ...Daniel