Soundhole cover?

I've heard soundhole covers mentioned many times here, and I just saw some guy with a bad haircut use one with some wussy emo pop band on TV (sorry, had to get my digs in). I've never seen them really discussed here, though. I'm running my uke (with a crappy pickup, I'll admit up front) through a Fishman preamp and then into a cheap guitar amp, and I heard someone say somewhere (probably buddhu) that a soundhole cover will reduce feedback.

So...

Who has one? What does it look like? Where can I get one / how can I make one? I have three ukes, and the soundholes are all different sizes... How does this work?

Or should I just use a sock? They seem to be useful for so many other things...

ichadwick said:

Why? What are you trying to accomplish?​

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I'm trying to reduce feedback. Perhaps I should have opened the question to any method for reducing feedback.

I know my equipment isn't the greatest, and I don't expect miracles... just tips that anyone may have that don't cost very much.

It may not be able to be improved without spending a bunch of money, and that's fine--I just figured I'd ask.

Also, I'm accomplishing something completely different - procrastination!

Agreed, the use of the plug will definitely affect the sound, but it is a very effective anti-feedback measure in extreme cases.

If you like the sound your uke makes plugged in with a plug in place then you're good to go. I have to say that I prefer to try to get rid of the feedback by other means before putting in the soundhole plug.

My preamp and amplifier both have phase switches to help cancel feedback. The amp also has a notch filter that can be swept through the frequencies until it finds the range where the feedback is occurring. In most cases these do the job when I'm using the uke's internal mic pickup. I also have 7-band EQ that can also cut problem frequencies. If none of those works, then the soundhole plug certainly will - but it will detract from the richness and natural quality of the sound.

When I'm playing into an external condenser mic the anti-feedback features on the amplifier combined with careful positioning of myself and the mic generally do the trick.

Under-saddle piezos certainly seem much less prone to feedback than internal condensers or soundboard piezo "bugs". They also seem to pick up less handling and picking noise. I've always found it harder to get them to give a good approximation of the instrument's natural sound though.

Beeejums, have you tried playing into an external mic instead? Something like a Shure SM57, SM57A or maybe a PG81?

I'm using a Kala laminate tenor with an... *cough* aftermarket pickup. It's one of those $10 radio shack DIY deals, but in my defense, I tend to be in a pretty tight budget pretty much all of the time, so I'm just playing around to get as good of a sound as I can manage before I get in front of people (sometime this summer).

I have a 15 watt Peavey electric guitar amp that I've had for ages. One day I'll get myself a nicer amp that's better suited to the ukulele, but for now, that's not feasible. I've got reasonably nice cables (by my standards, but I've noticed that reasonably nice for someone whose main experience is in high school / college punk bands isn't really that nice), and a Fishman GII preamp.

I like the way an external mike sounds when I see other people do it, but again, it's not economically feasible for me right now. Maybe when I get to wherever it is I'll be playing (open mikes, informal talent show kind of stuff, nothing remotely like a real gig), they'll have one I can try, but until then, I'm stuck with my homemade Radio Shack pickup and old Peavey amp. There isn't a whole lot I can do with the equipment I've got on hand, which is why I asked here--just to see if anyone thought of anything I hadn't.

The feedback comes from the soundboard vibrating. It stops when I put my hand on the bridge if I catch it early enough, though.

I'm going to be playing at a family reunion this summer (it's a really big family) and with the PA setup there they have several mikes, but they're mostly cheap vocal mikes unlike anything I see people here or on YouTube using. Maybe that'll be worth a try?

I see.

Can you get further away from your amp? Maybe have it in front of you rather than behind? Proximity and position can make a lot of difference - and tweaking them isn't expensive!

beeejums said:

.....

Or should I just use a sock? They seem to be useful for so many other things...

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Stuff the sound hole with newspaper, stuff your pants with the sock.

deach said:

Stuff the sound hole with newspaper, stuff your pants with the sock.

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Or vice versa, depending on your idea of a good time...

Here's an early video of Jake with the Makaha Sons. Notice his soundhole is filled with newspaper and claims to reduce feedback. Of course, he doesn't use it anymore. I was trying to find the thread it was originally posted on because of the comments about it.

Newspaper does the job, but if you're handy with woodwork, you might try making these for the smaller uke sized soundholes:

http://accessories.musiciansfriend....undhole-Cover-for-Feedback-Control?sku=369500

Beauty controls the beast!
Feedback can turn a delicate acoustic guitar passage into a screaming, earsplitting beast in the blink of an eye. You can help control feedback and add carved-wood beauty to your guitar with Lute Holes - solid wood carvings that fit into an acoustic guitar's soundhole. Available in maple, cherry, or walnut, Lute Holes install in seconds with no modifications to your guitar. Fits standard steel string 4" diameter soundholes that have no neck protrusion in the hole. 3 different designs provide different levels of feedback protection — light, medium, and heavy. In most instances light protection is all that's necessary, so pick the design you like best and lock the beast in its cage!

Lute Hole 4" Soundhole Cover for Feedback Control Specifications:

4" diameter; solid wood
Lute Hole 4" Soundhole Cover for Feedback Control Features:

Control feedback beautifully
Solid wood carvings
Protects soundhole edge from pick damage
Installs with no modifications, clamps, or screws
Fits 4" diameter soundholes with no neck protrusion in the hole*
Maple, cherry, and walnut woods
3 different patterns for light, medium, or heavy feedback control

*If you do have a protrusion such as a fretboard, the manufacturer suggests sanding the cover down slowly until it fits.
Banish feedback - buy today

$29.99

Ric ,

That sure is a pretty soundhole cover. I've been using duct tape and those inspired me to draw a piture of a unicorn on the tape with a magic marker.!!

(Hey, I owe a review of the carvin mixer, been to lazy to put into words how nice it was. )

Ukuleleblues said:

Ric ,

That sure is a pretty soundhole cover. I've been using duct tape and those inspired me to draw a piture of a unicorn on the tape with a magic marker.!!

(Hey, I owe a review of the carvin mixer, been to lazy to put into words how nice it was. )

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I use masking tape on the f-holes of my mandolin. Whatever does the job, eh?

Hadn't thought about the positioning...

I played with it, and my wife thought I was nuts, but you were right - having the amp in front of me changes everything. (well, not everything... but I can get more volume out of it before it starts squealing at me)

Now I need to go apologize to the downstairs neighbors...

buddhu said:

Or vice versa, depending on your idea of a good time...

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Just remember: Whatever you DO. Ceiling cat is watching you.


PS: if you just looked at your ceiling to see if there was a cat, you lose.


^if the picture didnt show, up ill just tell you. It was a pic of ceiling cat.

pss: i lose.

I just want one of their shirts....



http://www.lutehole.com

i remember guting did a vid where he used construction paper to do it.

+1 on the shirt . . .

buddhu said:

I use masking tape on the f-holes of my mandolin. Whatever does the job, eh?

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I guess masking tape would work fine.

I was just kidding about the duct tape. I had this mental image of a uke wraped in duct tape.... with a unicorn drawn on it. I think after you removed the duct tape it would leave the hole sticky and then fuzz would stick on it......