F Hole Plugs for Hollow Body Basses

[cuth]

Just a quick post if anyone is looking for F-hole plugs for hollow body basses which can be difficult to find.
I ordered a set for my Coronado bass from Carpenter Guitars and Ampworks. He has a shop on Reverb. It took a few weeks but they fit perfectly.

 

[Jazzdogg]

I assume the purpose is to reduce feedback when amplified, like a conventional sound hole plug on an acoustic bass guitar.

 

[cuth]

I assume the purpose is to reduce feedback when amplified, like a conventional sound hole plug on an acoustic bass guitar.

Yes. Some people just stuff foam into the body. Usually not a problem unless playing at a fairly high volume.

 

[2saddleslab]

I had some made for my Dean Stylist but it's been so long I can't remember by who. Should have their business card somewhere. They work but make the f holes look huge. Thankfully my thin bodied Gretsch 6072RI doesn't need them.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Seems like a set of pickups that isn't microphonic would do the same, wouldn't it? Kinda defeats the purpose of a hollow body, which is really just the possibility of some unplugged volume for practice. Never even knew those existed.

 

[Topkat13]

I got mine, at a reasonable price I might ad, off an adult toy website.

 

[micguy]

Seems like a set of pickups that isn't microphonic would do the same, wouldn't it? Kinda defeats the purpose of a hollow body, which is really just the possibility of some unplugged volume for practice. Never even knew those existed.

Microphonics are usually a high frequency phenomenon caused by stuff inside the pickup not being solid. The feedback these are fighting is a lower frequency thing - the Helmholz resonance of the body/port system is what they are damping. That resonance will, if undamped, get the top of the instrument moving*, and the pickups are mounted to the top. Whether or not the pickups are microphonic, if the body is moving, the pickups will sense the movement differences between the body and the strings, and...you have feedback.

Hollow body instruments sound different - yes, they have more acoustic output, but that energy is coming from somewhere (the strings). When you take energy out of the strings, it makes the strings vibrate differently, and therefore the sound coming out of the pickups is different. Body vibrations affect the sound of the instrument via this route, and also by moving the pickups along with the top - pickups do not respond to string vibrations alone, they respond to the distance changes between the strings and the body (that the pickups are mounted to). If either is moving, you get sound from that. How much you can debate, but a hollow body instrument absolutely acts different than a solid one.

 

[sleddogn]

sooooo, basically buying a f hole then saying f the hole... lol

 

[Danny O Danny]

Tal Wilkenfeld stuffs the F-holes of her Harmony H22 hollowbody with foam.

 

[carsonchilders]

How common is this? How loud is it for this to be a problem?

 

[jmlee]

My Yamaha SA-70 from the early 70’s has form-fitted plastic liners in both f-holes. They’re not removable but I do think they’re useful.

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

How common is this? How loud is it for this to be a problem?

To the second question, "How loud" is only one of a number of considerations, which also includes how close to amp/soundsource, the tones or EQ of that soundsource, and even the acoustics of the room/space. Changes in any one of these three additional aspects could make "how loud" MUCH less of an issue or question.

 

[Fender_Bender]

I’ve never thought about this situation because I’ve never had a non solid body bass before. I would have done the DIY approach and traced the outline and cut inner and outer layers of foam glued together to fit.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Kinda defeats the purpose of a hollow body, which is really just the possibility of some unplugged volume for practice.

That is not the purpose of a hollow body.

 

[Jefenator]

Wouldn't it be easier just to fire the drummer?

 

[2saddleslab]

sooooo, basically buying a f hole then saying f the hole... lol

That's one way of looking at it.

Wouldn't it be easier just to fire the drummer?

Yes.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

That is not the purpose of a hollow body.

So.... what IS the purpose of an electrically amplified hollowbody? Not knocking them, but what you hear coming out the speaker is amplified tone. I like them for the tactile experience, and for unplugged practice, but once you plug it in... it's an electric bass.

 

[Low Main]

Faux f-oles rule.

Gretsch me outside, how bout dah?

 

[Wasnex]

So.... what IS the purpose of an electrically amplified hollowbody?

The resonance of the body has an impact on tone.

Body vibrations affect the sound of the instrument via this route, and also by moving the pickups along with the top - pickups do not respond to string vibrations alone, they respond to the distance changes between the strings and the body (that the pickups are mounted to). If either is moving, you get sound from that. How much you can debate, but a hollow body instrument absolutely acts different than a solid one.

 

[micguy]

So.... what IS the purpose of an electrically amplified hollowbody? Not knocking them, but what you hear coming out the speaker is amplified tone. I like them for the tactile experience, and for unplugged practice, but once you plug it in... it's an electric bass.

I'm sorry, but no, it's not.

A hollow bodied instrument steals energy from the strings quicker than a solid bodied one, which affects its tone.

The top on a hollow bodied instrument moves more than one on a solid bodied instrument, which affects it's tone.

Pickups respond to the difference in distance between the strings and the pickups. When the top/body of an instrument moves (it does in all instruments), the pickups move with it, so the sound of an electric instrument is part string movement, part body/top movement. As the top on a hollow body moves more, the sound is different than a solid body. The wood and the construction matter in all electric instruments, in a hollow body, they matter more.