Two questions that keep bugging me

Frans

Hi
Question one: why do luthiers/builders put the dot on a Maccaferri/D-hole on the 10th position, the original has it on the 9th. Can anyone explain this.
Question two: if you have a normal "oval" hole and a long-scale/14fret "D-hole" is there a marked difference between them or is it just the larger soundhole, is there a difference in build ?
kind regards

Frans

guit_box

1. I think that's how the original Sel/Mac guitars were made and some people keep that dot position. The problem is that there's a long tradition (on American guitars anyway) of putting the dot at the 9th fret. I know a lot of players, myself included, that get really messed up if the dot is at the 10th fret since I've played for 30+ years on guitars with dots at the 9th fret.

2. Some differences that will change the sound are:
The bridge position on the 14-fret guitars will be closer to neck. On Maccaferri's original 12 fret design the bridge is centered in the lower bout. So the soundboard gets driven differently
The longer scale length means higher tension and more energy to drive the soundboard
Sometimes the 12 fret guitars have no lower cross brace. If you want to compare the two designs more closely, take a look at the plans, I believe djangobooks sells them both.

Michael Bauer

I have seen pictures of a Selmer with a 9th and 10th fret dot, but the 10th fret seems to be the standard spot.

I never played with a 10th fret dot until I took up gypsy jazz. I have played my other guitars so seldom the last couple of years that I am actually messed up by 9th fret dots! In those rare moments that I do play an American guitar, I try to look away when I am in that area of the neck.
I have come to prefer the 10th fret dot and actually think it makes more sense.

I know Dell Arte makes most of their guitars with 9th fret dots, and Manouche Guitars will make them either way. But if you ever find a great guitar with a 10th fret dot, know that they are about the easiest thing on a guitar to change.

Frans

thanks guys for your input, maybe we can get a luthier (Bob Holo?) to shed some light on the differences between a 14 fret oval vs a 14 fret D-hole like the both Gitanes Jorgenson models

thanks again and kind regards
Frans

MichaelHorowitz

Frans wrote:

Hi
Question one: why do luthiers/builders put the dot on a Maccaferri/D-hole on the 10th position, the original has it on the 9th. Can anyone explain this.

Pretty much all the Maccaferi D holes in the Selmer book have 9th fret dots. The oval hole Selmers all have the 10th fret dot.

I'm not sure why all the contemporary Maccaferi's style guitars have the 10th fret dot. If they were really trying to be authentic then the 9th would make more sense.

Question two: if you have a normal "oval" hole and a long-scale/14fret "D-hole" is there a marked difference between them or is it just the larger sound hole, is there a difference in build ?
kind regards

Big difference the 14 fret D holes are almost always more bass heavy and have a thicker midrange. The Oval holes are usually more focused in the high end and tend to cut more for leads.

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