Making a Loud CBG
While planning to build a CBG I am reading a lot of theory and I came across a MIT paper about sound hole shapes (https://news.mit.edu/2015/violin-acoustic-power-0210). The paper is for violins, but I think the same principles stand for a guitar. Apparently the more perimeter (edges) a hole is having, the louder sound. Thus the the area of the sound hole does not matter much as the air is hardly moving in the center of it. Long narrow holes takes less space than a round but adds more air speed (louder).
Besides the obvious heavier strings, what other simple things could be done while building a CBG if you plan to play without a pickup and you want it to be loud enough for that?
Jerry Jordan
The 2 loudest I've built acoustically were.
A build where I substituted an old steel cake pan for the cigarbox, and use high action on a fretless build.
The loudest build I ever built used a small cigar box that was all wood, but only about 2 ounces in weight.
No sound holes.
Once the CBG was done the whole box resonated well, the the volume was noticeably louder thatn all the others.
Nov 21, 2022
Carl Floyd
"The loudest build I ever built used a small cigar box that was all wood, but only about 2 ounces in weight.
No sound holes."
Pretty sure it would be louder with sound holes. That has been my before & after experience.
Nov 21, 2022
A.D.EKER
Electricly ! i say Buy a BIG AMP ! acousticly ! i say use a Big Body ! the rest is up to You ! Good luck! & Greeeeettsszz A.D.
Nov 27, 2022