The science of "f" holes

Why F holes? Here is the reason we have them, rather than Z or W holes. I found it pretty interesting: http://boingboing.net/2015/03/09/why-violin-makers-adopted-the.html

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Permalink Reply by JL on March 29, 2016 at 11:35pm

Looking at the pictures of where the RED areas are (higher air velocity through the sound holes) it seems kinda like putting a nozzle on the end of a garden hose; shrink the opening and the water comes out faster.

Furthering the metaphor, the "flat fan" setting on a garden nozzle is like the F hole, smaller opening makes the water come out with more velocity than the bare end of the hose, but not as much water comes out, and the wide slit allows more water than the pinhole jet setting, just not quite as much velocity. sort of a best compromise between amount and speed.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on March 30, 2016 at 2:30pm

Big pipe to smaller pipe = increased pressure at the small end.

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Permalink Reply by brdfrd on March 30, 2016 at 3:22pm

Glad to see this resonated with folks--sorry, I couldn't resist--a lot of good discussion going on.

Ron "Oily" Sprague, you're a font of information, sir.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on March 30, 2016 at 3:40pm

I read. A lot. And have a scientific background. And have been plucking, bending and slapping stringed instruments for almost 40 years. And have built a very few ( with more in pieces on the bench -which is in complete disarray due to being in the middle of moving house). And am still learning. This was good shtuff, brdfrd.

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Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on March 30, 2016 at 6:50pm

I re call someone ,some time back,[Ithink it was Phrygian Kid],posting about f holes and similar having a greater effect,when placed closer to sound board edges,or thickenings,as it tends to 'release' the soundboard to flex to a greater degree,my experience has certainly been when i oversize sound hoes,I seem to lose a bit of treble,and tone generally lowers a fair bit

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Permalink Reply by Jim Morris on March 31, 2016 at 12:39am

This is all very interesting to us sound hole nerds. I still put f holes in many builds but only because they look cool and are traditional. I like the simplicity of straight skinny holes better,and they sound just as good.But folks who buy my stuff, especially on fiddles, really prefer the f holes. On many cigar box instruments they are, as Ron says, decorative since so many of us use pickups of one kind or another but if the instrument is designed to be acoustic this stuff is pretty important.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Woods on March 31, 2016 at 12:38pm

Because they can be difficult to cut, and ancient luthiers desire to be family friendly, instead AF the natural description of f#$%&&ING holes, they became "f" holes. Of course that is my opinion, I may be wrong.

More seriously, they can allow much more vibration on the front, especially if neary in line with the bridge. The shape is just artistic application of a musical score symbol.