Side Sound Port - "Yes" or "No" and why

[Tukanu]

...sometimes, it's all that you need!

 

[Ukecaster]

No side ports here, and never tried one, but thought it interesting that one user above noticed a slightly higher note resonance when tapped uncovered, while another noticed it lower. I suppose ukes can respond differently.

 

[roastbeast]

I've got some gaffer tape you can borrow.

Any thoughts on channelling sound to the player when you are in company with other players? Does it get in the way of monitoring everything else going on?

Channeling the sound of your side sound port? That's what it is designed to do for the player.

I think a side sound port gives you better monitoring of your own sound when playing with others. I don't think it gets in the way of hearing others. I do think that if you're plugged in, having a side sound port might slightly increase chances of feedback because there is another hole for sound vibrations to get through the body of your uke, assuming your pickup is internal.

Would gaffer tape leave residue or harm my finish? Nitro cellulose gloss

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

Specifically for the reason stated by @wickedwahine11 (great UU handle, BTW), (. . . "around 50% hearing loss in my right ear"), it's a definite yes for me. As with everything else on my one and only Yowling Ginger Tom soprano, I went the DIY route with a 5/8" auger bit and an oscillating (plunge) saw, see below. No regrets and aesthetically I prefer the slot shape v. ellipse/ egg. 🤠 Look closely at the 'Step 2' pic & you'll glimpse just a sliver of the sound hole along the bottom (back) edge of the new slot.

 

[mikeinmontara]

I like side soundports. A good test is playing covered + not covered to see if the sound from the sounport is the same as you're getting from the (front) sound hole. I think my uke projects some more bass via the side sound port than the sound hole. Not a bad thing, just something I've noticed

 

[Jim Yates]

I would not have ordered a sound port, but when I traded for my Joe Zier low G tenor, it had the sound port in it. This is my favourite uke. No soundhole in the top, but it sounds great.


You'll notice that the Worth Brown A string broke and I replaced it with a string I had in my parts box. I'll have to get that fixed.

 

[Wiggy]

I would not have ordered a sound port, but when I traded for my Joe Zier low G tenor, it had the sound port in it. This is my favourite uke. No soundhole in the top, but it sounds great.
View attachment 145375
View attachment 145376
You'll notice that the Worth Brown A string broke and I replaced it with a string I had in my parts box. I'll have to get that fixed.

This ^ makes sense to me.

I have no doubt it is wonderful for the player, but how well does it "fill out" in front?

That is very nice. {drools...}

<edit> Which part of an instrument's sound comes from the sound hole vs radiating from the soundboard?
Does it operate like a ported speaker cabinet where the lowest tones emanate from the port and highs from the driver(s), which in this case is the soundboard?

Changing the size of the total port area by adding another port will change (raise) the resonant frequency "f" of the body.

Cavity Resonance

hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu

--- I just googled that 1st question:

The sounds produced by the different vibrating parts of a string instrument are of different tonal qualities: the soundhole radiates a bassy sound, the strings' direct radiation is rather bright. The main sound radiating part is the soundboard.

What About All Those Soundholes??

K. Smith recently wrote to us about the Heart-shaped soundhole on our Valentine's day special, asking if it sounded different compared to a round soundhole. A very good observant question. Answering her question prompted me to write this article. If you ask people what the soundhole is for on a...

strumstick.com

Acoustics of Sound-holes in Musical Instruments – TAFLab

taflab.berkeley.edu

http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/61924/707340180-MIT.pdf;sequence=2

 

[TimWilson]

I went the DIY route with a 5/8" auger bit and an oscillating (plunge) saw

I've been thinking about attempting this, but my toolset is somewhat limited. What did you do to clamp the uke while you worked on it? My few tools are all good, but with no workbench, I'd have to hold it between my knees or something?

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

I've been thinking about attempting this, but my toolset is somewhat limited. What did you do to clamp the uke while you worked on it? My few tools are all good, but with no workbench, I'd have to hold it between my knees or something?

I literally held the body upright against a padded sawhorse with my left hand and drilled with my right.

 

[Kenn2018]

Side ports are different on different ukuleles. Different sizes, different shapes, different placement.

To get the best sound from them, they pretty much need to be aimed at your head/ears. You may need to alter the angle that you hold your uke to get the loudest sound.

For the most part, the larger the port, the louder the sound.

The Hoffman ML has the side port in the lower bout.

 

[ripock]

side ports don't work for me for the reason that i play with a strap and i tend to rest my forearm on the upper edge of the uke while I pick notes, so that my forearm would be covering the side sound port. If I were more of a strummer, it wouldn't be an issue

 

[efiscella]

since I play only for myself and not for others, I love that I now, with the side sound port get to hear the uke the way it is for others. It does not change anything on the sound. It does not make it louder or softer. It only allows me to hear what I want to hear when playing to myself.

 

[greenfrog]

If it replaces a front sound hole, no.

If it’s in addition to a front sound hole, maybe. But for some reason my brain sees an upward-pointing hole and runs to silly scenarios like “what if I was playing outdoors and a bird flew over and pooped in it??”

 

[Tom51251]

I say "Yes". A side sound port would be useful as a monitor port for the player. I like the side sound port.

Recently I have added a side sound port on my Tenor, and did some tests on it. When the side sound port is covered, the tapping tone is nearly the "G" note (low g or G3). Then uncovered the side sound port, the tapping tone gets to a higher pitch, nearly the "G#" note. Now I am planning to further modify to reduce the diameter of the main sound port.

Therefore, adding a second sound port to a finished ukulele is another story, because it is enlarging the total sound port area at the same time. Usually in the design phase, if there are more sound ports, the diameter of the main sound port would be reduce to maintain the certain total sound port area. This is about the resonant frequence.

Try this experiment if you have a guitar/ukulele that has more than one sound port. It would be interesting when exploring this.

Who did you have to do the sound port?

 

[Wiggy]

Getting into the ether here, I know.

Would the wavefront emanating from the front soundhole be at 90 degrees from a side port's?

Or will they just sum together?

<edit> "It doesn't matter" would be an OK answer.

 

[Ukecaster]

If it replaces a front sound hole, no.

If it’s in addition to a front sound hole, maybe. But for some reason my brain sees an upward-pointing hole and runs to silly scenarios like “what if I was playing outdoors and a bird flew over and pooped in it??”

It might mean you, or your uke, are lucky. Or it might just mean you have a mess to clean up.

What Does It Mean When a Bird Poops on You? Good Luck or Misfortune?

Ancients believed animal feces bring wealth to humans. Animal poop is the result of food digestion, and food used to be the symbol of good health and prosperity. So, there are probable explanations for why ... Read more

www.thayerbirding.com

 

[bbkobabe]

So I just bought this silly BWA sopranino:
The only way to change the strings is with long nose tweesers through the players sound port .

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

So I just bought this silly BWA sopranino:
The only way to change the strings is with long nose tweesers through the players sound port .

Wow. The ukulele version of hell.

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

side ports don't work for me for the reason that i play with a strap and i tend to rest my forearm on the upper edge of the uke while I pick notes, so that my forearm would be covering the side sound port. If I were more of a strummer, it wouldn't be an issue

I’m having a tough time envisioning a player resting his/ her arm on the side of the body. I also almost exclusively finger pick but the meaty part of my picking arm between wrist and forearm always acquires a line that matches the upper edge of the lower bout. I’m asking this because it’s likely that I’m incorrectly positioning my picking/ strumming arm.

Do you position your picking hand over the fretboard, rather than over the upper bout between the sound hole and the neck joint?

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

side ports don't work for me for the reason that i play with a strap and i tend to rest my forearm on the upper edge of the uke while I pick notes, so that my forearm would be covering the side sound port. If I were more of a strummer, it wouldn't be an issue

I’m having a tough time envisioning a player resting his/ her arm on the side of the body. I also use a strap and almost exclusively finger pick but the meaty part of my picking arm between wrist and forearm always acquires a line that matches the upper edge of the lower bout. I’m asking this because it’s likely that I’m incorrectly positioning my picking/ strumming arm.

Do you position your picking hand over the fretboard, rather than over the upper bout near the neck joint?