Dear Chris,
With all due respect (that is diplomatic speech for "Screw you") to Andrew (just joking), I think that acoustic speculations have proven a dry hole for decades if not centuries.
If the instrument in question bears any similarity to a particular historic regional or national style of building, then cleave to that style. If it's Teutonic in character omit the rose and add a great little vignette. If it's Franco/Flemish add a rose and suitable painting. If it's Italianate leave it "neked" or add a complex paper rose.
If you are restoring or elevating an undistinguished instrument to greater glory, a rose might be used as a signature, so the world may recognize your art and generosity.
Roses are about aesthetics and/or authorship, and tradition, not acoustics.
Lance Montfort Myers
-----Original Message-----
From: Harpsichords and Related Topics <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Andrew Bernard
Sent: Wednesday, September 5, 2018 4:28 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: To soundhole or not?
Hi Chris,
Although old harpsichords often had soundholes, they may no discernible difference to the sound. It is provable - cover them up with gaffer tape and listen. Mo\stly they seemed to be a kind of more or less ignorant copying of lute etc, back when acoustics was not a quantitative science. I think I read Ruckers etc had to have them for id with a rose with initials or name, as per guild regulations (but that may be my overactive imagination).
A harpsichord cavity is not a loudspeaker, or a guitar, and functions differently to them. You don't need a port. Most often instruments are open at the belly rail anyway, with a very large air gap. Even instruments that may have a sealed cavity, again, you don't need one.
Leave it out.
Andrew
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versity of Iowa. For a brief summary of list commands, send mail to
[log in to unmask] saying HELP .
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