D hole vs. Oval hole

MinorBlues

This may have been done before, but I haven't seen it anywhere.

What is everyones thoughts on this subject? Why do you prefer a D-hole/Oval hole guitar? I've seen a lot of players switching back and forth from time to time, usually playing lead on both, so the d-hole isn't just a rhythm guitar.

Josh Hegg

The pick is easier to fling into the D-hole during that crucial point in your solo.

Josh

capilano-gypsy

generally, the D-hole guitars have a shorter scale length and 12 frets to the body, while the oval hole have 14 frets to the body with longer scale length. for this reason, d-hole is considered a rhythm guitar, and oval hole a solo guitar, but it doesn't really matter - IE personal preference is what counts. also there are d-hole models that come in oval hole sizes now so you can have the best of both worlds.

MinorBlues

Josh Hegg wrote:

The pick is easier to fling into the D-hole during that crucial point in your solo.

Josh

Yes, but also easier to get back then if you dropped it in an oval hole right?

capilano-gypsy wrote:

generally, the D-hole guitars have a shorter scale length and 12 frets to the body, while the oval hole have 14 frets to the body with longer scale length. for this reason, d-hole is considered a rhythm guitar, and oval hole a solo guitar, but it doesn't really matter - IE personal preference is what counts. also there are d-hole models that come in oval hole sizes now so you can have the best of both worlds.

I know about that, but a 14 fret to body D-hole and an oval hole - will there be much of a difference sound wise? Or are some of these guitar players just switching back and forth for the hell of it? (Bireli, Joscho and some others)

Charlie Ayers

In my experience D hole instruments, even when built with the longer scale, retain some of the sweetness and midrange prominence of the short scale D holes, and lack the harshness in the trebles that some Selmer copies have. I think the tonal differences between D and oval holes mayc be explained by the difference in bracing.

Charlie

Bill McNeill

I like the look of the D-holes slightly better, just because they're so distinctive, but for me the deciding factor was the nut width. On all the Sagas and Cordoba's I saw, the oval hole nut width was narrower than that of the D-hole, and the latter is too wide for my hand.

I guess I could have gone further afield and found a non-Saga or Cordoba D-hole with the narrower neck, but the look doesn't matter to me that much, plus I'm cheap, plus I wanted to buy from Michael so as to do my part to get Gypsy Rhythm completed.

nwilkins

the main reason I went with an oval hole is that it was easier to attach a Stimer. It can be done on a D hole, however.

I really think that most of the difference in sound occurs from the player's perspective (it's easier to hear yourself playing the d hole), and that the sound of D hole and oval hole guitars is pretty similar to the audience.

djadam

I'd say that the D-hole gives a little more reference to the person playing it, which probably only makes a difference in acoustic settings. The oval hole definitely has a more focused "beam" of sound and to my ears, it's a little less available to the person playing it.