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This is in response to Jacks inquiries and checking previous posts regarding these. Im a retired cabinetmaker and thinking seriously about making these so I thought Id go right to the source and ask all of you what you liked or disliked about previous models, "Dougs" etc. We were largely a job shop and worked in a variety of materials and composites. Im now setting up my retirement bench and this would be just the kind of thing Id like to work on (not to hard) and happen to have the "technology" to complete a part like this. Anything you can share about your needs or ideas or comparisons to previous offerings. I have good resources for foams, poly, neo, whatever and good selection of backing material including balsa. Thanks in advance for any and all input...Jack?
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12-06-2023 08:23 PM
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If I wasn't so lazy this is something I should've undertaken and suggested here that someone w some spare time should consider.
My only issue w Doug's was the price though I've gotten at least 15 yrs out of the set he made me, so in the end worth every cent of the at the time price of $50. It's really not that much when you think about it, some guys here spend $40 for a set of strings.
The good thing is the materials cost is really low so it's just labor.
Just make sure you do nice clean work and you should do well, good luck!
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I for one would be interested!
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Yeah, I've been craving some f-hole plugs for quite a while. I have one guitar in particular that is practically unusable because of feedback issues. I also have a couple of other instruments that could benefit from them too.
There's a guy selling them who recently popped up on Reverb by the name of "Carpenter Guitars" , but the photos that he shows don't really knock my socks off in terms of quality. He's charging $75 a set (plus tax).
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PM responding to query sent.
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possibly were overthinking this...
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Nice Rick! Put a sock in it. I was expecting something a little more refined though, like Van Huesen maybe?
I've noticed ED Cherry has a very nicely fitted set for his Wilkie. I wonder where they came from. Maybe Wyatt made them? I've seen packing tape in some of his older pics. Yikes!
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I stand corrected...is this better
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I'm thinking that this is something you'd want made out of a relatively flexible kind of (silicone) rubber. Easy to install and remove without much risk to wood or finish, but not really something you could use cabinet-making skill for I guess.
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High density foam. It cuts easily and is very light weight.
Originally Posted by RJVB
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Hmm, not convinced how it'll hold up to frequent install/remove cycles. Plus, if you're thinking about EVA foam: I've been warned elsewhere that it could well interact with nitro finish. Originally Posted by wintermoon
But I'll admit my angle of interest is a bit different: I want plugs against dust and other unwanted things getting in while not playing. For letting the interior breathe (and the instruments resonate better with ambient sounds) I'd probably be better off with a plug that consists mostly of some speaker cover tissu or just a bit of panty hose.
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Actually I have been working on it. Im exploring a couple approaches. In leu of having patterns of every guitar made I have come up with pretty easy and user friendly pattern transfer that would be employed by the user but would be easy to do would only require a few minutes of the players time and would come with a pre posted return envelope and therefore "should" guarantee a good fit. I agree on the high density foam but am still experimenting. I thought about contacting Doug to see if hed be intersted in selling his patterns but Its been some time since he was active and I just havent yet, should be my next move. The other design is one size fits all which Im also working on. Id try the panties but I used them all as face masks during the pandemic. Thanks for all the comments, Im listening to everthing!
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Most people use plugs to cut down feedback. Originally Posted by RJVB
Most I've seen are high density foam. The set of Doug's plugs in my L-5 are 15 yrs old and not a bit of wear or finish reaction.
I don't think panty hose will do much except maybe make a guitar look sexy
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I documented my construction of a pair of EVA plugs here:
Doug's Plugs is out of business. Any alternatives?
in replies #28, 40 and 43. The plugs sat in my gig bag until October, when I decided to try them out with my big band. They did a much better job of feedback reduction than I'd expected, but do cause some loss of highs. In the cases where I was finding feedback an issue, it was worth the tradeoff. After three months in the guitar there was no damage to the 20-year-old nitro finish.
Here they are in use:
Danny W.Last edited by Danny W.; 12-25-2023 at 06:33 PM.
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My only problem with many of them is cosmetic - they look big and clunky.I don't know how you accomplish this, but it would be nice if you could still see any f-hole binding. (Or replicate it on the plug. Maybe white acrylic paint instead of the hassle of binding it.)
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It’s funny that so many of you’s have feedback trouble with inset pickup guitars. I can only think of one I’ve crossed paths with that fell into that category and I’m convinced it was a perfect storm of design flaws. Gotta learn to mute if you’re going to play through an amp.
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I've done the 'dance' palming strings ever since I started gigging nearly 40 yrs ago in organ trios w the Leslie right at my back and amp next to the Leslie between me and the guitar. Originally Posted by SlowJoeJones
Sometimes still need to mute even w the plugs. Before plugs it was even harder.Last edited by wintermoon; 12-25-2023 at 05:53 PM.
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That'd be feed(through-the) back indeed, having an amp between you and the guitar (but the ToneWood Amp is not an amp) Originally Posted by wintermoon
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heck yeah! I have 3 instruments I'd love to get plugs for. I don't really have much input into the materials though on 2 occasions I have had doug's plugs tear because the fit was too tight and the portion on top of the F-Hole was not strong enough. I guess one of his design goals was not to have it protrude much above the top. Originally Posted by Rickco
i will add I think the packing tape is very effective and sounds better (less middy and less loss of highs) but I'm a bit more paranoid about nitro finish these days and there's no guarantee what adhesive will be on the packing tape. The last time I used packing tape on a nitro finish I had to use naphtha to remove the residual gunk so I wouldn't use it again. I've seen guys use painters tape too but plugs obviously look better than that.
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