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Once upon a time, a humble mandolin maker decided to start making guitars. Instead of making the traditional flat top guitar, he decided to make it with the same principles as his mandolins and violins. Thus birthed the archtop. And that man's name was Orville Gibson. This is why the fact that Gibson doesn't sell any archtop acoustics in 2021 is a complete disgrace. Edit: To be clear, I'm not saying he invented F Holes, or archtopped instruments. I'm saying he was the first to make an archtop guitar.
I love the F hole just for the fact. When I hear a guitar with hole in the center it sounds good but the sound comes out the center an sound is over. When I fear a F hole guitar the sounds comes out but it's like it comes out all around the top an bottom of guitar. Thank you for sharing your knowledge was very interesting.
This lesson is one of my most favourite of all. I play an Epiphone Wildkat Studio which has the acoustic F Hole Design, and the sound, rather than my playing ability, is simply superb! Thank you for an excellent lesson.
The f-holes pre-date Andreas Amati's first violin (1566). They had earlier replaced the C- holes found in early viols. Their primary function is to provide sufficient compliance to exaggerate the rocking action of the bridge. Sound field radiation has a predominantly dipole characteristic. The left foot of the bridge drives the top plate through the bass bar, and the right foot drives the back plate through the sound post. The top plate pushes sound out, while the back plate is sucking sound in. Think of the driver in an open-back guitar loudspeaker, same function. The primary acoustic advantage of an f-hole guitar is its increased, uninterrupted radiating surface. The curvature of the sound board provides improved sound dispersal. There is no soundpost, and the back plate is driven by passive coupling through the sides of the instrument. Radiation from the back plate is out-of-phase with the sound board, which establishes a complex dual source radiation pattern, not a dipole pattern.
To me it's always seemed like this: The more wood vibrating the more air moved = more volume. The more wood vibrating at different frequencies the 'richer' the resonance. f - holes have more wobbly bits of different sizes than other shapes used (circular holes, ovals etc.) , more wobbly bits of different sizes = more resonance ( volume & frequency). Everything has to be in balance, of course, that's the tricky bit!
Larger sound holes might reduce sustention and increase distortion after a certain point. Assuming a standard body size you only want a sound hole of a particular size unless you're willing to alter the body size.
Speaking of Antonio Stradivari... Here's something people won't tell you. Say you found an old violin I'm Great Grandma's attic. Suppose that it says Antonio Stradivari, so you take it in to get looked at. The guy says it's a fake, this is where most people give up.... Consider the fact that people have been making counterfeit Stradivarius violins since...... Since Stradivari was still alive. There is a distinct possibility that a fake Stradivarius can still be very valuable. Imagine how much a cheap knock off from the 18th century would be worth today?
Okay, I know what's going on here....especially since the length of the f-hole increases the effectiveness. It's not the "more sound can escape" it's that it's easier to resonate more of the face of the instrument because the f-hole is creating an area around where the bridge is pressing on the face that is more springy and vribration capable. When the circular hole is there, the bridge is resting on a surface that is anchored ~300 degrees around the bridge. By placing f-hole on either side of the bridge, the bridge is now resting on a surface that is anchored lengthwise instead of cicumferntially. This is like resting the bridge on plank instead of floor. By increasing the length of the f-hole, you increas the size of that easily resonating surface. Basically, the f-hole is allowing you to make better mechanical use of the face under the bridge. I would imagine that this could be pushed to the extreme with the face being replace by 3 separate pieces where the bridge is on the middle piece.
Was the mit study on guitars or on violins/cellos? ( bowed instruments)? Guitar string vibration energy is perpendicular to bowed instruments so f holes on acoustics is pretty sub optimal.
Why does my Martin "round hole" guitar seem louder and fuller? In my research I read the unamplified "Archtop F hole" guitar, is voiced to have the "Midrange" cut through the "Big Band." I hope to build a hand carved Archtop one day.
What do you think about diamond shaped F-holes like the trini Lopez/Dave Grohl Gibson signatures? Also the Emily Wolfe epiphone signature. How would that shape affect the sound?
Why wouldnt they make all acoustic guitars with "f" holes instead of round sound holes? Imo the "f" hole looks better and I like the back story. Thank you sir.
Acoustic archtops and dreadnoughts are entirely different animals, as their entirely different construction would suggest. Both are loud, but each has its distinctive sound as well as unique range focus. While a dread has great middle-to-low end power and resonance, the archtop has a much tighter range, which emphasizes the mid-range almost entirely and, unlike a dread, has virtually no sustain. In the pre-amplification days of the early part of Big Band Era, the acoustic archtop with f-holes, and NOT a round-sound, was the instrument of choice precisely for its ability to "cut through" the volume and range of a band which might include 4-5 reed instruments and, say, 3-4 trumpets and trombones, each; the archtop, with both its unique f-hole design and, typically, parallel-bracing, could propel the band rhythmically with its tight, percussive sound, whereas a dread's resonance would get lost in the reeds range and sound "mushy" -- yes, that's the term that's frequently used to explain why a round soundhole guitar isn't used in such an environment. Dreads, it could then be said, have a wider stylistic application, but the volume for which they're noted in, say, a Country/Bluegrass setting would not serve them effectively in a big band with brass and reeds or a small Swing group. The archtop's tight sound is commonly described as a bark. If you have an opportunity to hear an archtop in an acoustic jam, believe me, you will hear it every bit as loud as a dread, albeit with its power focused in a different range.
One of the things i have a problem with advanced players is they are always learning new things but play things that i think are cool really mediocre. Somethimes we have to play the same things over and over if we think that is important. I dont think Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai are more advanced that Angus Young or David Gilmour. I am still practicing the same intermediate technique trying to get their influence into my playing. I disagree with moving on from things and earning jazz or shred if its not what youre into. What one persons idea of a good guitar player is wayyy different from another. Listeners and girl respond to my playing at guitar center more than the highly skilled technique guys. I agree you should learn everything to take a piece and never just say oh i dont need that. For instance my friend who plays Jazz and Steve Vai can play Hey Joe and Comfortably Numb but nt even close to as good as i can because i spent years getting it down and knew it wasnt up to snuff. I had friends saying you got it why are you practicing that still. Cause my ears could hear the tonal difference. Its a grey are whenpeople tell others that they should always be learning. You have to decide to what degree and what styles are important or which level has the biggest thrill. If you learned the guitar 101 and skipped thru it to get to Joe Satriani dont be surprised when they pick a guy who you think is less skilled for that good paying ACDC cover band gig than you. Its because he spent decades and he doesnt give a fc about advanced guitar playing technique. I study Vai and Satch but im not moving on from tone and really getting the handle on the players i think sound better and have a better groove. Dont tell me that extreme players bend notes better than guys who can rip thru the fret board. My advice is to learn what you think is important and stick to that and get it down and it could take 20 years. Whats a better guitar player Eddie Van Halen or pentatonic Angus. I have heard tons of guys sound like Eddie NOBODY sounds like Angus or Gilmour. So when you the maker of this video says dont practice the same things thats kind of an opinion as to how good you want to get in a certain way. I think im an expert at Angus and Gilmour and some of Hendrix not a master but an expert. My friend is a expert at Jazz and Satriani and mediocre at Intermediate level playing. When he plays Hey Joe it has no soul and thats cause frankly he did what you guys advised and moved on too quickly. Guy named Ben Eller is a good technician not great player as ive seen him do his version of Gilmour and it was just bad plain and simple bad. So if you are fired up by Metal and Vai or advanced Jazz remember you impress the guitar community but dont be surprised when girls like that guy better that really has mastered the 101 by playing it over and over and over. Thats what ive experienced. Stick to why you started playing dont let teachers tell you what you should respect and want to play like. How many times have i seen great players go to music school and come out playing Steely Dan when that music never fired them up. They got changed and those guys often lost their original gift. Not saying im right just an idea, peace.
To a large extent, I would agree. While I think some subtle differences that are attributable to body construction can be detected, I think they're best appreciated by the player himself/herself. I have three fully hollow electric hollowbodies, which I prefer in part because I play acoustic archtop as well and like to be able to hear some of that liveliness besides what the pickups provide; in many situations, though, this would be entirely lost on the listener.
Wait! Are you telling me that these luthiers figured out what works best by listening? Blasphemy!!!! You must have an engineer measure the difference to prove it exists or else you're some sort of flat-Earth conspirator following the tone-wood occult.
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creativeguitarstudio Thank you Andrew for a very informative video. I love learning new history facts! Keep up the Awesome work you’re doing
Once upon a time, a humble mandolin maker decided to start making guitars. Instead of making the traditional flat top guitar, he decided to make it with the same principles as his mandolins and violins. Thus birthed the archtop.
And that man's name was Orville Gibson.
This is why the fact that Gibson doesn't sell any archtop acoustics in 2021 is a complete disgrace.
Edit: To be clear, I'm not saying he invented F Holes, or archtopped instruments. I'm saying he was the first to make an archtop guitar.
They're called f hole cos they're the first letter of the word you'll be saying if your jack falls in and you have to fish it out.
Ha ha ha... Great!
OH MY FUCKING GOD. YES.
Fricken sei dunkof
one must imagine syssyphus as a semi hollow player
It's great to see and hear you play a different guitar. Usually you play the fender. That Epiphone sounds nice.
Cool to know... I'll be sure to bring in more guitars a lot more often!
I love the F hole just for the fact. When I hear a guitar with hole in the center it sounds good but the sound comes out the center an sound is over. When I fear a F hole guitar the sounds comes out but it's like it comes out all around the top an bottom of guitar. Thank you for sharing your knowledge was very interesting.
This lesson is one of my most favourite of all. I play an Epiphone Wildkat Studio which has the acoustic F Hole Design, and the sound, rather than my playing ability, is simply superb! Thank you for an excellent lesson.
The intro sounds so good. The tone is gorgeous.
Those Joe Pass epiphones are nice. I got one last year and it quickly became my favorite guitar
The f-holes pre-date Andreas Amati's first violin (1566). They had earlier replaced the C- holes found in early viols. Their primary function is to provide sufficient compliance to exaggerate the rocking action of the bridge. Sound field radiation has a predominantly dipole characteristic. The left foot of the bridge drives the top plate through the bass bar, and the right foot drives the back plate through the sound post. The top plate pushes sound out, while the back plate is sucking sound in. Think of the driver in an open-back guitar loudspeaker, same function.
The primary acoustic advantage of an f-hole guitar is its increased, uninterrupted radiating surface. The curvature of the sound board provides improved sound dispersal. There is no soundpost, and the back plate is driven by passive coupling through the sides of the instrument. Radiation from the back plate is out-of-phase with the sound board, which establishes a complex dual source radiation pattern, not a dipole pattern.
Now that's what I call a comment, really superb info Stephen...thank you.
To me it's always seemed like this: The more wood vibrating the more air moved = more volume. The more wood vibrating at different frequencies the 'richer' the resonance. f - holes have more wobbly bits of different sizes than other shapes used (circular holes, ovals etc.) , more wobbly bits of different sizes = more resonance ( volume & frequency). Everything has to be in balance, of course, that's the tricky bit!
Larger sound holes might reduce sustention and increase distortion after a certain point. Assuming a standard body size you only want a sound hole of a particular size unless you're willing to alter the body size.
Really cool history lesson! I’d love to see more :D
Thanks!
Shame most of it generalizations and misleading
Thank you for the knowledge and history of this guitar .
And… they just LOOK the coolest. I enjoyed this, cheers.
That jazz in the beginning was sick
Why would anyone doubt the mathematical abilities of Rennaissance designers? Math is math. The application would be the same then as now.
what’s the song you playing in the beginning? it’s beautiful
Thanks for this information, I didn't know about this. Very interesting stuff!
Speaking of Antonio Stradivari...
Here's something people won't tell you. Say you found an old violin I'm Great Grandma's attic. Suppose that it says Antonio Stradivari, so you take it in to get looked at. The guy says it's a fake, this is where most people give up....
Consider the fact that people have been making counterfeit Stradivarius violins since...... Since Stradivari was still alive. There is a distinct possibility that a fake Stradivarius can still be very valuable. Imagine how much a cheap knock off from the 18th century would be worth today?
Okay, I know what's going on here....especially since the length of the f-hole increases the effectiveness. It's not the "more sound can escape" it's that it's easier to resonate more of the face of the instrument because the f-hole is creating an area around where the bridge is pressing on the face that is more springy and vribration capable.
When the circular hole is there, the bridge is resting on a surface that is anchored ~300 degrees around the bridge. By placing f-hole on either side of the bridge, the bridge is now resting on a surface that is anchored lengthwise instead of cicumferntially. This is like resting the bridge on plank instead of floor. By increasing the length of the f-hole, you increas the size of that easily resonating surface.
Basically, the f-hole is allowing you to make better mechanical use of the face under the bridge. I would imagine that this could be pushed to the extreme with the face being replace by 3 separate pieces where the bridge is on the middle piece.
Very informative video! Thank you Andrew!
Was the mit study on guitars or on violins/cellos? ( bowed instruments)? Guitar string vibration energy is perpendicular to bowed instruments so f holes on acoustics is pretty sub optimal.
I have this one , but i dont know about it. thank you for intro ✌😃
Loved this vid!
Thanks!
Why does my Martin "round hole" guitar seem louder and fuller? In my research I read the unamplified "Archtop F hole" guitar, is voiced to have the "Midrange" cut through the "Big Band." I hope to build a hand carved Archtop one day.
Acoustically, they definitely make sense, but do they do anything to the sound captured by the pickups on an electric guitar?
What do you think about diamond shaped F-holes like the trini Lopez/Dave Grohl Gibson signatures? Also the Emily Wolfe epiphone signature. How would that shape affect the sound?
Why wouldnt they make all acoustic guitars with "f" holes instead of round sound holes? Imo the "f" hole looks better and I like the back story. Thank you sir.
SO IT WILL CREATE TONS OF FEED BACK .. THE VOS 355 WITH OUT F Holes is one kick ass Guitar .
Why do I see jazz players put tape of the f holes? I always wondered.
So things dont go falling in there
Menundrum thanks. I wasn't sure if it had something to do with the tones or not.
@@samuelbrumfield1486 it also eliminates feedback from electric acoustics, but its a matter of personal choice entirely
Menundrum great I'm learning all I can to get the jazz tones I'm seeking.
Can guitars with F holes be tuned in open D? Or does the D ruin the F hole?
There are Round Hole Archtops
Very good explanation and very interesting
Is that actually a vintage Epi?
Why do most guitars have a sound hole and not an f hole?
I'll tell you why.....
ALIENS
You may be right.
HAHHAAHA
I misunderstood their name and purpose, and now I have splinters in a very tender location.
I don't know of any F-hole acoustic that can compete with a dreadnaught for volume.
Violins are probably a different story.
Acoustic archtops and dreadnoughts are entirely different animals, as their entirely different construction would suggest. Both are loud, but each has its distinctive sound as well as unique range focus. While a dread has great middle-to-low end power and resonance, the archtop has a much tighter range, which emphasizes the mid-range almost entirely and, unlike a dread, has virtually no sustain. In the pre-amplification days of the early part of Big Band Era, the acoustic archtop with f-holes, and NOT a round-sound, was the instrument of choice precisely for its ability to "cut through" the volume and range of a band which might include 4-5 reed instruments and, say, 3-4 trumpets and trombones, each; the archtop, with both its unique f-hole design and, typically, parallel-bracing, could propel the band rhythmically with its tight, percussive sound, whereas a dread's resonance would get lost in the reeds range and sound "mushy" -- yes, that's the term that's frequently used to explain why a round soundhole guitar isn't used in such an environment. Dreads, it could then be said, have a wider stylistic application, but the volume for which they're noted in, say, a Country/Bluegrass setting would not serve them effectively in a big band with brass and reeds or a small Swing group. The archtop's tight sound is commonly described as a bark. If you have an opportunity to hear an archtop in an acoustic jam, believe me, you will hear it every bit as loud as a dread, albeit with its power focused in a different range.
Very informative though good work
Basically the F Holes are pure decoration of a solid body. A real Arch top guitar as built by Ken Parker does not have them.
He looks like a distant brother of Nirav Modi. Haha
Lolzz
Thanks much, thorough not verbose
They called it the "f cut" not the f hole lol
I hope you can see how "f hole" could be misconstrued in a beavis and butthead kind of way to mean something completley different
Sadly, the f holes do not work on the archtop, at least not well. Guitars are not violins. One is plucked, the other is bowed.
One of the things i have a problem with advanced players is they are always learning new things but play things that i think are cool really mediocre. Somethimes we have to play the same things over and over if we think that is important. I dont think Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai are more advanced that Angus Young or David Gilmour. I am still practicing the same intermediate technique trying to get their influence into my playing. I disagree with moving on from things and earning jazz or shred if its not what youre into. What one persons idea of a good guitar player is wayyy different from another. Listeners and girl respond to my playing at guitar center more than the highly skilled technique guys. I agree you should learn everything to take a piece and never just say oh i dont need that. For instance my friend who plays Jazz and Steve Vai can play Hey Joe and Comfortably Numb but nt even close to as good as i can because i spent years getting it down and knew it wasnt up to snuff. I had friends saying you got it why are you practicing that still. Cause my ears could hear the tonal difference. Its a grey are whenpeople tell others that they should always be learning. You have to decide to what degree and what styles are important or which level has the biggest thrill. If you learned the guitar 101 and skipped thru it to get to Joe Satriani dont be surprised when they pick a guy who you think is less skilled for that good paying ACDC cover band gig than you. Its because he spent decades and he doesnt give a fc about advanced guitar playing technique. I study Vai and Satch but im not moving on from tone and really getting the handle on the players i think sound better and have a better groove. Dont tell me that extreme players bend notes better than guys who can rip thru the fret board. My advice is to learn what you think is important and stick to that and get it down and it could take 20 years. Whats a better guitar player Eddie Van Halen or pentatonic Angus. I have heard tons of guys sound like Eddie NOBODY sounds like Angus or Gilmour. So when you the maker of this video says dont practice the same things thats kind of an opinion as to how good you want to get in a certain way. I think im an expert at Angus and Gilmour and some of Hendrix not a master but an expert. My friend is a expert at Jazz and Satriani and mediocre at Intermediate level playing. When he plays Hey Joe it has no soul and thats cause frankly he did what you guys advised and moved on too quickly. Guy named Ben Eller is a good technician not great player as ive seen him do his version of Gilmour and it was just bad plain and simple bad. So if you are fired up by Metal and Vai or advanced Jazz remember you impress the guitar community but dont be surprised when girls like that guy better that really has mastered the 101 by playing it over and over and over. Thats what ive experienced. Stick to why you started playing dont let teachers tell you what you should respect and want to play like. How many times have i seen great players go to music school and come out playing Steely Dan when that music never fired them up. They got changed and those guys often lost their original gift. Not saying im right just an idea, peace.
idk it looks cool probably
Okay but I find it hard to believe that has much effect on an instrument that projects its sound via pickups
To a large extent, I would agree. While I think some subtle differences that are attributable to body construction can be detected, I think they're best appreciated by the player himself/herself. I have three fully hollow electric hollowbodies, which I prefer in part because I play acoustic archtop as well and like to be able to hear some of that liveliness besides what the pickups provide; in many situations, though, this would be entirely lost on the listener.
Unplugged.
But why do we need f holes on electric guitars?
Still confused! lol
f holes all the way \m/
Wait! Are you telling me that these luthiers figured out what works best by listening? Blasphemy!!!! You must have an engineer measure the difference to prove it exists or else you're some sort of flat-Earth conspirator following the tone-wood occult.