The O Port

[Buc McMaster]

Rec'd the D'Addario/Planet Waves O Port gadget today. No big deal to install......mash it up, stuff it in the hole and open it back up. The large size fits the CJ perfectly. It's quite pliable and I expect no finish weirdness from it. I just put it in there 15 minutes ago so these are first impressions, for sure. I want to go in and out of the guitar with it with a few days between to get a better ear for what it does.....

 

Firstly, and most notably, the sound of the guitar seems to be coming from a different place. I think this thing alters how sound is projected from the body (duh!), and it sounds more spread out and open. Upon the first chord it seemed like there was a volume loss, but I think that is due to the change in projection of the sound. It seems more spread over the surface of the guitar's top rather than being most present at the soundhole. Weird. Tonally, not much difference. Maybe a bit of attenuation of the high-mids, perhaps due to the change in the way the sound leaves the body with this thing installed. I was not struck with an "oh my god" change for the better or the worse, so it merits more experimentation. I'll play a few days with it, then remove it for a few days for a better judgement. One thing I don't much care for is the the ring around the soundhole.......looks a bit cheesy. But if I determine it is sonically for the better that won't deter me from leaving it in the guitar. Stay tuned......

 

Update: After a 30 minute session with the new gizmo, I am hearing a loss of dynamics in the guitar. It's compression. Not the "squash it to squeaky" kind that's sometimes fun with an electric, but like there's a ceiling and everything is bumping against it. No real bark from the guitar when pushed hard with heavy hybrid picking, no "breath" when pushing palm muted open string chords. So at this stage, though I like the seemingly new projection, I do not like this development........ I'll keep listening.

[E-minor7]

Thanks for the first-step description - stay tuned we will !

[onewilyfool]

Hey Buc......be sure to have someone play it TOWARDS you too.....Wily

[Buc McMaster]

Hey Buc......be sure to have someone play it TOWARDS you too.....Wily

 

Good thought, but I've never heard the guitar played toward me before so I have no point of reference for that. However, the wife came in and said it sounded much, much louder out front. She's heard me play this guitar day in and day out, so I'll take it as true than in front of the guitar it is louder. From behind it sounds as if the sound emanates from a different place than it did before.

[bkharmony]

My question is, do you think this would help a plugged-in guitar in any way.

[albertjohn]

Very interesting. Keep us posted Buc.

[Buc McMaster]

After further playing and some very close listening, it is my conclusion that the O Port does indeed compress the guitar's sound to a very noticeable degree. Attacking the strings harder does not generate any increase in overall volume.......everything is evened out and smoothed. This is a very apparent effect to me as I tend to vary my attack a lot within a given song, and I suspect a fingerpicker might not notice so much of this. As I fell asleep it occurred to me the the guitar sounded like listening to a recorded track rather than a live instrument due to this compression. I at first did not like this phenomena.....I missed the dynamics of attack. But the more I played the more it grew on me. I'm not ready yet to declare my allegiance one way or the other....

 

bk: help a plugged in guitar? Hmmm. It could not be used with any pickup system that has soundhole controls: the gadget makes full contact with the edge all the way round. Cutting it up to allow for such controls would seriously damage it's structural integrity and, I beleive, go a long way toward compromising it's function. The maker claims it acts as a feedback reducer in amplified situations and, while I cannot verify this, it does stand to reason that the instrument's feedback characteristics would be altered in some way. I doubt that it has the same effect as a soundhole-closing feedback buster plug and how effective it is in this regard I suspect lies in the variables of a given amplified system and venue.

[BigKahune]

Thanks a lot Buc.

 

A very interesting review.

 

Seems like you left it open for more comment after you have it a while longer. So, are you planning another comment in the near future?

[E-minor7]

Smoke and steam oozes from the laboratory. The test brings up a series of facets. A more open and spread tone seem to be gained on the cost of dynamics f.x. Is this a logic we recognize from certain scalloped bracings. By now it sounds as if the device could be used once in a while to change the vibe around ones guitar. Something different happens when the ring is in. Other moods, unknown reactions to old routines – maybe new paths ahead for writing.

[Buc McMaster]

Perhaps you're right, E-minor. I find that this new sound is not something I want to hear from my guitar all the time......I prefer being able to push the guitar in ways the O Port seems to interfere with. It might be nice to pop it in once in a while for a change of pace but not a daily-player kind of tone. Couple of photos with the O Port installed. Also showing the new pickguard I had made. I sent the original to Terrapin for duplication in .032 single-layer ivory. No edge bevel so it produces a hard shadow under light, giving it a darkened edge, and as thin a material as I could get to minimize muting of the top. I wanted a color with much less contrast than the original tortoise and this ivory is almost the same shade as the binding, which has begun to yellow. In time, the pins, saddle, nut and the new guard will all match.

[mooseguy]

Hi Buc

 

Thanks a million for your really appreciated subjective review of the Port thing.

 

Myself and countless others thank a stand up guy like yourself for giving us the facts

 

as you have found them.

 

Regards,

 

Moose

[albertjohn]

Hi Buc

 

Thanks a million for your really appreciated subjective review of the Port thing.

 

Myself and countless others thank a stand up guy like yourself for giving us the facts

 

as you have found them.

 

Regards,

 

Moose

 

+1

[larryp58]

Yes, great job, Buc! I agree with about all of your opinions,BUT, that new pickguard I'm still contemplating!!! What matters is that you like it, I think I prefer the tortoise,though!

[suburude63]

Found this on You Tube

 

[suburude63]

[suburude63]

[Buc McMaster]

Yes, great job, Buc! I agree with about all of your opinions,BUT, that new pickguard I'm still contemplating!!! What matters is that you like it, I think I prefer the tortoise,though!

 

Yeah, I hear ya. I wasn't sure I liked it at first either but I have decided it looks good on there, albeit mucho different. Pickguards are most often a dark color.....some style of tortoise or black. I didn't much like the original tortoise guard, thinking I wanted something much lower contrast against the blond top. I found this "antique ivory" material in Terrapin's on-line supplier catalog and figured it for a good match to the body binding. It's nearly a perfect match color-wise and I like the way it lightens up the look of the whole package. I understand it's not likely to appeal to anyone but me, but that's okay. It's different.....one of those things that make you go "hmmmmm".