Double Bass Why violins have f-holes

[Michael Eisenman]

Interesting idea in the video:
Why Violins Have F-Holes: The Science & History of a Remarkable Renaissance Design | Open Culture

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Wow

 

[Turnaround]

I think he has something there - I hope it's not infectious.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Interesting read. It makes me wonder about guitars and why arch tops are so much quieter than a more traditional sound hole.

 

[Stuart.C]

It makes me wonder about guitars and why arch tops are so much quieter than a more traditional sound hole.

I think this has more to do with the sound board thickness and bracing pattern used. Archtops tend to have thicker tops then flattops. And a flattop with X brace will be louder / fuller than the same type of guitar with a ladder brace.

 

[Jake deVilliers]

If you're comparing a Gibson ES175 with a Martin, the 'arch top' guitar's acoustic sound will not impress. Its a plywood guitar that was built to meet a price point, not made to excel.

If you compare one of Steve Andersen's lovely arch top guitars with my favourite '53 D-28, you'd find that there's very little difference in volume. Big differences in responsiveness, feel and the entire shape of the note envelope, yes, but not volume.

While we're at it, X-bracing has nothing to do with volume. Steve Gilchrist's amazing mandolins are all loud, X-braced or tone bar braced! Again, the difference in sound is more subtle and nuanced than simply, 'louder'...

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Actually, I'm comparing an extremely expensive handmade Buscarino 7 string archtop with a small body Taylor Grand Concert. I don't know anything about the bracing and do understand that the archtop was designed to be amplified while the Taylor wasn't, but was just wondering if the opening on the top had anything to do with the difference.

 

[Jake deVilliers]

Actually, I'm comparing an extremely expensive handmade Buscarino 7 string archtop with a small body Taylor Grand Concert. I don't know anything about the bracing and do understand that the archtop was designed to be amplified while the Taylor wasn't, but was just wondering if the opening on the top had anything to do with the difference.

Its impossible for me to speak to the differences between those two guitars without seeing them. In my world, which is heavily populated with Martins, vintage and otherwise, Taylors aren't very loud at all. Fiddles are loud, mandolins are loud, Dobros are crazy loud. Double basses can be loud.
Banjos are loud and they don't even have sound holes.

The opening in the top is there to tune the Heimholz resonance of the body cavity, not to 'let the sound out'.

 

[Stuart.C]

Another example where perceived loudness is skewed due to tone and sustain. Reminds me of gut strings.

I did have an opportunity to A/B the ladder braced and X braced versions of this guitar Waterloo WL-14 | Waterloo by Collings Guitars

The ladder braced version felt to be quieter from the players players perspective. A punchier shorter tone with more mids.
But this is way off topic.

 

[cacophonic]

Interesting idea in the video:
Why Violins Have F-Holes: The Science & History of a Remarkable Renaissance Design | Open Culture

It seems to me that the article, as do many others, ignores the most important function of f-holes: they allow the top to deflect when driven by the bridge feet.

-bob

 

[SteveCS]

It seems to me that the article, as do many others, ignores the most important function of f-holes: they allow the top to deflect when driven by the bridge feet.

-bob

And a heavily bowed string, especially Cello or DB, has many times the energy of a plucked string - I doubt an X-braced top would have sufficient strength to survive for long, compared to a bass bar and sound post...

 

[gerry grable]

And a heavily bowed string, especially Cello or DB, has many times the energy of a plucked string - I doubt an X-braced top would have sufficient strength to survive for long, compared to a bass bar and sound post...

I'm still hung up on the f hole/tangerine skin theory. It looks logical but seems to be a stretch to me to equate a flat circular hole with a the surface of a sphere. It's like the chicken before the egg question.

 

[Jake deVilliers]

Here's a photo of the Duomo do Cremona with the f-hole shape as a major part of the design. It was part of the pattern language of the times.

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