Let me tell you about these sound holes I’ve been working on. This whole experiment has gotten a lot of attention, and I want to share what I’m learning as I go.
The Inspiration
Credit where credit’s due: Arnold Schnitzer and his Ergo Bass concept really pioneered this approach. Arnold actually suggested I should place a hole higher, closer to the neck block, and I’m starting to see why that might work.
What I’m Discovering
The air movement through these experimental holes is significant—almost more than what comes through the traditional F-holes, possibly because of the space constraints. But here’s the fascinating part: certain notes ring out louder than others due to the resonant frequency of the cavity. This is the same phenomenon that creates wolf tones in other instruments.
My bass doesn’t have a wolf problem, but every instrument has specific frequencies where it really comes alive. I’d venture to say that the A is definitely in that sweet spot on mine!
The Player’s Perspective
What I’m noticing is interesting. The hole doesn’t create this big, bassy sound that wraps around my head—you know that amazing spot right in front of a bass player where everything sounds incredible? I wish that’s what I heard as the player! But it definitely gives me more of the upper partials, even on the bottom notes.
For arco playing, especially as the body tips and your head turns toward the instrument, you’re positioned right where these overtones are projecting. Those high notes have a pronounced sound coming out of this location.
The Physics Behind It
Here’s something crucial to understand about bass frequencies. Think about when someone drives by with a booming car stereo. You hear and feel that bass through walls, windows, everything. Low frequencies penetrate materials. You could be inside a box made of six-inch-thick iron or acrylic, and you’d still hear those bass frequencies from outside.
Now contrast that with violin music. Someone listening to Vivaldi at full volume in their closed car? You’re not hearing those high frequencies from outside. They get attenuated by the materials around them.
The double bass operates in this low-frequency realm where sound behaves differently. Yes, there’s a wooden box, but the bass wavelengths come through the wood regardless. The chamber creates reflection, compression, and springiness—like designing a speaker cabinet. But adding a hole doesn’t necessarily change the fact that these wavelengths penetrate the wood anyway.
Pizzicato vs. Arco
When you play pizzicato, try this: close your left eye and look down the top of your bass. Pull hard on your E string (or B if you have a five-string) and hold it. Don’t let go. Look how much the top rocks! That bridge is handling incredible force! 40, 50, maybe 60 pounds from just one finger.
Compare that to arco playing, where you’re filling the body with sustained sound from the bow. The upper frequencies really pop out of this hole from an air cavity perspective. Those higher-frequency wavelengths don’t produce the same amount of air compression in the chamber as the lower ones.
Where I Stand Now
The jury’s still out on the final configuration, but I’m almost certain I need one more hole—an even bigger one. (This poor bass might eventually need a new top with proper patches!) I’ve even thought about installing a slider mechanism to open and close the holes and experiment with different configurations.
After making the first hole, I noticed a change—but honestly, it’s about a 3% improvement. Some of you have asked if you should do this to your bass, and I can’t give you a definite answer yet. After one more hole, I think I’ll have enough data to make an honest recommendation.
The Experiment Continues
I’m totally learning as I talk about this, and I appreciate you coming along on this journey with me. Arnold was right about the placement, and I owe it to all of you to follow through with another experimental hole to really test this concept.
Stay tuned for the next update. Let’s see what happens with hole number two.
This article was published in December 2025.
We discuss topics like this every week in our email newsletter. We also offer free monthly sheet music giveaways, community news, and all sorts of cool opportunities for bass players. If you’re not on the list, consider subscribing!
