I HAVE BEEN SO PLEASED with the side sound ports on my latest tenors that I decided to install one in the new two string bass I am building
First I carefully mark with a thin pencil lead, the outline of the sound hole that you can see beside the Dremel.
Then with a drill bit in the dremel I carefully cut around the circle leaving plenty of space.
Then with a drill bit in the dremel I carefully cut around the circle leaving plenty of space.
Then with a sanding disk on the Dremel I carefully rounded the hole to the pencil lines until the wooden oval sound hole ring just fit into the hole--Next I cut a piece of tough but thin maple veneer for a bracing patch to guard against splits of the side. The grain of the patch goes opposite the grain of the side and is about 3 by 4 inches in size.
Cutting away the patch material gave me room to slip these two small clamps in just to firm up the glue set. I was also able to reach into the sound hole and hold the edges of the patch tight until the glue kicked in. When this dries I will clean out the hole and glue the wooden soundport ring into place. Tomorrow !
