Americana makeover, Soundport and glossing

daysailer · #1 12-19-2009, 12:10 PM

I've been tempted for a long time, and finally took the tools to my guitar and added a soundport. After finishing the port, grabbed some 3M Super Duty Rubbing compound #05954 and rubbed a bit. Here are the results, and I have not even gone to the 3M Perfect-it-II or 3M Finesse-it compounds to get an even higher level of gloss.

(have not glossed the top yet, just sides and back)

Thanks to all, but especially to LJ and Tim McKnight, for all thier posts about sound ports, and thier tireless patience answering the soundport questions many many times.

Thanks to Bugeyed, Kev for the original design.
ds

gray · #2 12-19-2009, 12:14 PM

Wow. Looks great! How do you like the sound now that it has a sound port?

Blackwood · #3 12-19-2009, 03:20 PM

wow is right. love to see more when the top is done!

camera_obscura · #4 12-19-2009, 04:42 PM

does glossing affect the sound at all in a negative way? doesn't it kill some of the vibration of soundboard?

it looks awesome though. love the soundport.

marty bradbury · #5 12-19-2009, 05:07 PM

looks great,

Hipster · #6 12-19-2009, 05:30 PM

Amazing!

Looking at the side shots, I'd never be able to guess that it was an Americana.

By next week, you'll have dozens of boxes mysteriously appear on your doorstep as other Gretsch owners send their Americanas to you for custom work.

Dru Edwards · #7 12-19-2009, 06:02 PM

That looks like a fantastic job. And it's your first try?

Bugeyed · #8 12-19-2009, 06:57 PM

Wow, that's a great design on the soundport. The design looks familiar though, I know I've seen it before.... Oh well, nice job!

Cheers,
kev

daysailer · #9 12-19-2009, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bugeyed

Wow, that's a great design on the soundport. The design looks familiar though, I know I've seen it before.... Oh well, nice job!

Cheers,
kev

Thanks for all the compliments. Bugeyed gets the first response tho, 'cuz this is his design and inspired what did. Saw it months ago and sketched it down and then could not find the post again after lots of searching. Finally stumbled on it again : http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...ght=sound+port
His craftmanship far exceeds mine. Great job Kev and thanks for going easy on me. I really was going to credit you later in my suceeding posts. Ran out of time this morning trying to get my photos to post properly.

A couple of before/after pics and more answers to come, but gotta run right now..

Bugeyed · #10 12-19-2009, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daysailer

Thanks for all the compliments. Bugeyed gets the first response tho, 'cuz this is his design and inspired what did. Saw it months ago and sketched it down and then could not find the post again after lots of searching. Finally stumbled on it again : http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...ght=sound+port
His craftmanship far exceeds mine. Great job Kev and thanks for going easy on me. I really was going to credit you later in my suceeding posts. Ran out of time this morning trying to get my photos to post properly.

A couple of before/after pics and more answers to come, but gotta run right now..

No problem, I'm glad you liked the design & I'm happy to see you did such a good job! I have just made some progress on mine & it's almost finished. Just about ready to be buffed out. Here's a picture of the work in progress.

daysailer · #11 12-19-2009, 08:34 PM

OMG !!!

I am awed and spechless (almost).

That is simply amazing!!!!!
Love the 3D on the Celtic scroll work.
Very Very nice...

Blackwood · #12 12-20-2009, 04:50 AM

did it gloss up quite quickly?

ukejon · #13 12-20-2009, 06:36 AM

Yesterday I similarly got the porting urge and put an egg-shaped soundhole on the upper bout of my Epiphone AJ500RC. Didn't really know what to expect but it sounds terrific, much fuller and more acoustic. Also, it sure is neat to now be able to look inside the guitar while playing and see the right hand plucking the strings!

ozrufus · #14 12-20-2009, 08:10 AM

Will glossing the top have any affect on the graphics on the Americana guitars? May be a fun project...

daysailer · #15 12-20-2009, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gray

Wow. Looks great! How do you like the sound now that it has a sound port?

Sound is a bit louder and clearer and less boxy. Trebles seem stronger and the 'wolf tone' I had on the C (a string third fret) is less bothersome. My port is pretty small, so that may be reducing the effect some. The two larger holes are just big enough to put a fingertip in.
These Americana's are cool sounding guitars, for what they are. Now it's even better!

Quote:

Originally Posted by camera_obscura

does glossing affect the sound at all in a negative way? doesn't it kill some of the vibration of soundboard?

I've heard that glossing can somewhat open up the sound, but since I did the port at the same time, cant say for sure. Glossing adds no material or coating, so I cant see how it would hurt the vibrations of the soundboard. If the glossing was adding a wax like coating and it built up by extra coats, perhaps. But glossing is just using some rubbing compounds and is actually taking a very small amount of material off.