You are currently viewing Does It Make A Difference? – 35 Acoustic Guitars With Offset Soundhole

Last Updated on March 4, 2024 by Teemu Suomala

Anything that can make an acoustic guitar sound better & different is hot stuff. What about a soundhole? Does the shape and size of it even matter?

Of course it does. It happens to be one of the crucial elements of an acoustic guitar that amplify its sound acoustically. The size and shape do matter here. In this article, we will explain how the soundhole affects your guitar, but let’s first determine what an offset soundhole is and I also reveal to you the cream of the crop acoustic guitars with offset soundholes…

Let’s get rolling!

If you want something even crazier, check these acoustic guitars without soundhole out.

photo reveals owner of guitaristnextdoor.com

Author: Teemu Suomala

I first grabbed the guitar in 2009. I started this website in January 2020 because I couldn’t do window installation anymore due to my health problems. I love guitars and have played dozens and dozens of different guitars through different amps and pedals over the years, and also, building a website interested me, so I decided to just go for it! I got lucky and managed to get awesome people to help me with my website.

I also got lucky because I have you visiting my website right now. Thank you. I do all this for you guys. If you have any recommendations, tips, or feedback, just leave a comment, I would love to chat with you. I have also been fortunate to produce content for several large guitar websites, such as SongsterrMusicnotesGuitarGuitar, and Ultimate Guitar.

I spend my spare time exercising and hanging out with my wife and crazy dog (I guess that went the right way…).


What is An Offest Soundhole?

displays Normal soundhole vs offest soundhole of an acoustic guitar

In this article, when we talk about offset soundholes, we mean soundholes that are not shaped and sized the same way as usually with acoustic guitars or the soundhole is in a totally different place than with acoustic guitars usually.

In the image above, you can see a normal soundhole of an acoustic guitar in a normal place on the left. On the right, you can see a differently shaped offset soundhole of an acoustic guitar in a totally different place than usual. Looks really cool by the way!

Resonator guitars don’t have normal soundholes either (thet usually have F-holes). Check our picks for the best resonator guitars here.

Let’s now have look at some amazing acoustic guitars with differently shaped & sized and located soundholes!

35 Acoustic Guitars With Offset Soundhole

Ibanez Altstar ALT30FM is a good example of a great-sounding and versatile acoustic guitar with an offset soundhole and an affordable price. It plays like an electric guitar and looks cool…what else do you need? It does have a laminated top, which is a bummer.

Price Range Icon Meanings:

$= $189-399

$$= $400-699

$$$= $700-999

$$$$= $1000-1399

$$$$$= $1400-

*Consider all links in this post to be affiliate links. If you purchase, at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission. It helps us to keep the lights on, thanks! 🙂

ModelSoundhole TypeGuitar TypePrice RangeCheck The Current Price (affiliate links)
Luna Safari Peace Travel Guitar – Cheapest Acoustic Guitar With Offset Soundhole“Peace” soundholeSteel-string travel acoustic guitar$Sweetwater*
Yamaha APXT2 3/4-size Thin-lineOval soundhole3/4-size Thinline Steel-string acoustic guitar$SweetwaterThomann
Yamaha APX600 – Great Acoustic Guitar for Small HandsOval soundholeAPX Thinline Steel-string acoustic guitar$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez Talman TCM50 – Plays Like An ElectricSlightly oblong soundholeTalman Steel-string acoustic guitar$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez Altstar ALT30FM – Plays Like An Electric – Find More Great Ibanez Acoustic Guitars HereSlightly oblong soundholeDreadnought with Cutaway, Steel-string acoustic guitar$SweetwaterThomann
Ovation Applause AE44-4S Mid-depthOvation small-circle soundholes at the left side of the neckApplause Mid-depth, Steel-string acoustic guitar$SweetwaterThomann
Gretsch G5024E Rancher – Best BudgetTriangular soundholeDreadnought, Steel-string acoustic guitar$$Sweetwater
Yamaha NTX1 Nylon String – Best Budget Nylon String – More Amazing Yamaha Acoustic Guitars HereOvalNTX1 Classical, Nylon String guitar$$SweetwaterThomann
Washburn Festival EA20OvalMini Jumbo, Steel-string acoustic guitar$$Sweetwater
Washburn Festival EACT42SOval soundhole at the left side of the neckClassical Thin with Cutaway, Nylon String guitar$$Sweetwater
Gretsch G5021E Rancher Penguin Parlor – More Great Parlor Guitars HereTriangular soundholeParlor, Steel-string acoustic guitar$$SweetwaterThomann
Ovation Elite Celebrity – Great Budget OvationOvation small-circle soundholes on the both sides of the neckElite Celebrity
Mid-Depth Cutaway, Steel-string acoustic guitar
$$SweetwaterThomann
Takamine GC-6CE – Find More Great Takamine Acoustic Guitars HereOval soundholeClassical Cutaway, Nylon String guitar$$Sweetwater
ESP LTD TL-6ESP soundhole at the left side of the lower boutLTD TL Singlecut, Steel-string acoustic guitar$$SweetwaterThomann
Cordoba Stage Thinbody NylonSquare soundholes at the left side of the neckSemi-hollobody steel string acoustic electric guitar$$SweetwaterThomann
Gretsch G5022CWFE-12 Rancher Falcon Jumbo – 12 StringTriangular soundholeJumbo Cutaway Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$SweetwaterThomann
Luna Flora LotusFlower-shaped soundholeGrand Auditorium Cutaway Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$Sweetwater
Ovation Mod TX Super ShallowOvation small-circle soundholes at the left side of the neckMid-Depth Cutaway$$$Sweetwater – Thomann
The Loar LH-600-VS Professional Archtop – Check Our Full F-Hole Acoustic Guitar ArticleF-Holes of both sides of the lower boutDeep Body Archtop Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$SweetwaterThomann
Gretsch G5034TFT Rancher – Best OverallTriangular soundholeDreadnought Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$SweetwaterThomann
Gibson Acoustic G-45 – Find More Great Gibson Acoustics HereNormal soundhole and oval soundhole at the side of the guitarJ-45 Dreadnought Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Ovation Timeless Elite Deep Contour 12-StringOvation small-circle soundholes on the both sides of the neckTimeless Elite Deep Contour Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$$Sweetwater
Yamaha APX1200IIOval soundholeAPX Thinline, Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Journey Instruments OF660M OverheadOffset soundhole at the left side of the neck00 Travel, Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Journey Instruments OC660M OverheadCircle offset soundhole at the left side of the neck00 Travel, Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$$Sweetwater
Godin G-Tour NylonSmall Oval soundholeG-Tour Double cut, Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$$SweetwaterThomann
The Loar LH-700-VS Supreme ArchtopF-Holes of both sides of the lower boutDeep Body Archtop Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Godin ACS-SA SlimSmall circle soundholes at the left side of the neckACS-SA Slim, Nylon String guitar$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Takamine GB7C Garth Brooks SignatureDreadnought shaped soundholeDreadnought with Cutaway, Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Godin MultiAc Grand Concert SASmall circle soundholes at the left side of the neckMultiAc Grand Concert, Nylon String guitar$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Taylor 326ce – Best PremiumNormal soundhole and small oval soundhole on CutawayGrand Symphony with Soundport Cutaway, Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Taylor 816ce Builder’s Edition – Find Our Favorite Taylor Guitars HereNormal soundhole and small oval soundhole on CutawayGrand Symphony with Soundport Cutaway, Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Ovation Adamas I GT Cutaway Deep ContourOvation small-circle soundholes at the left side of the neckDeep Contour Cutaway, Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Ovation Adamas MD80 Cutaway Mid-depth – The Best Ovation GuitarOffset soundhole at the left side of the neckDeep Contour Cutaway, Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$$$Sweetwater – Thomann
Taylor K26ce – Find More Acoustic Guitars With Side Sound Ports HereNormal soundhole and small oval soundhole on CutawayGrand Symphony with Soundport Cutaway, Steel-string acoustic guitar$$$$$SweetwaterThomann

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3 Best Acoustic Guitars With Offset Soundhole – My Favorites

Best Budget – Gretsch G5024E Rancher

What I like

  • Arched-back design boosts volume
  • Great acoustic tone with a decent electronic system
  • Stunning looks paired with superior construction and sound
  • You really feel the instrument when playing
  • Comfortable and slim neck
  • Versatile, delivers from delta blues to blues rock

What I don’t like

  • Non-cutaway limits high-fret access
  • Synthetic bone nut and saddle

This Gretsch is our favorite acoustic guitar for blues overall. Check our other picks for the best blues acoustic guitars here.

Who is it for?

If you are in search of a solid top guitar with an offset soundhole, that handles blues exceptionally well and is comfortable to play, the Gretsch G5024E Rancher is easily one of the best acoustic guitar options for under $500.

Check Today’s Price on


Best Overall – Gretsch G5034TFT Rancher

Displays Gretsch G5034TFT Rancher

What I like

  • Super versatile (Fideli’Tron Humbucker and Bigsby)
  • Really rare to find a Bigsby Tremolo tailpiece from acoustic guitar
  • Fun and comfortable Gretsch rancher playability
  • Solid all-around acoustic guitar tones
  • Humbucker offers excellent tones for jazz, blues, classic rock, and rockabilly
  • Will get you noticed

What I don’t like

  • Laminated top for this price is a deal-breaker for some people (this top choice is probably made because of the humbucker)
  • Synthetic bone nut sounds cheap for this price

Check our full Laminated Woods vs Solid Woods on Guitar-article here.

Who is it for?

If you are after an extremely unique instrument with a still affordable price tag, plus an offset soundhole, Gretsch G5034TFT Rancher is one of the best picks. It’s the most versatile instrument in this whole article, and while it lacks some common features from its price range (solid top and bone nut), it still manages to offer so cool tones, uniqueness, and fun playability to the table that it is worth the money for me.

Check Today’s Price on


Best Premium – Taylor 326ce

Displays Taylor 326ce offset cutaway

What I like

  • Incredible volume for a Grand Auditorium body
  • Beautiful finish with plenty of stage presence
  • Rich, balanced mid-range tone for excellent articulation on stage
  • Extremely comfortable to play
  • Small oval soundhole on the cutaway should offer fuller and more “stereo-like” sound

What I don’t like

  • Real bone nut and saddle would add more volume, sustain, and clarity
  • No onboard tuner

Who is it for?

If you are after a stage-worthy and stunning acoustic guitar with offset soundhole, and value super-comfortable playability and rich sound & great volume, the Taylor 326ce is one of the best options you have.

Check Today’s Price on


FAQ

Does Soundhole Size and Shape Affect The Sound Of An Acoustic Guitar?

Yes. Soundhole size and shape do affect the tone of an acoustic guitar. Different soundholes create different tones and volumes. Soundhole especially affects the overall volume and projection of a guitar, since it determines how much air is flowing in and out of the instrument.

A small offset soundhole can make a guitar deliver less bass, but at the same time, it can make the guitar sound brighter and clearer. Some offset soundholes might also make the guitar sound a bit duller.

Offset soundholes can certainly make the guitar sound different from what we are used to, but to me personally, the unique sound of a guitar is always welcome. Will I stop using acoustic guitars with regular soundholes as my main weapon of choice? Nope. Will I shy away from unique instruments using offset soundholes? Absolutely not.

Here’s a great video highlighting how acoustic guitar with F-holes and acoustic guitar with a normal soundhole sounds like, head-to-head:

Check also how this awesome custom-made acoustic guitar with offset soundhole sounds like (sounds really sweet):

I recommend checking our full article about Acoustic Guitar Anatomy here.

Different Guitar Sound Hole Designs

  • Triangular (Gresch uses these)
  • Oval (Yamaha and Takamine use these)
  • Peace sign in the middle (Luna uses these)
  • F-Holes (The Loar uses these)
  • Slightly oblong soundhole (Ibanez uses these)
  • Small oval soundhole on cutaway (Taylor uses these)

Guitar Brands Using Offset Soundholes

  • Ibanez
  • Taylor
  • Journey
  • Godin
  • Gibson
  • Ovation
  • Washburn
  • Gresch
  • Takamine
  • Yamaha
  • ESP
  • Luna
  • The Loar 

Conclusion

Unique and awesome. That’s how I would describe the acoustic guitars we talked about. I personally think that everyone should at least try an acoustic guitar with offset soundhole out…you might end up loving them after all.

If you have any questions, just leave a comment down below, we are here for you!

Keep rocking!

Teemu Suomala

I first grabbed the guitar in 2009. I started this website in January 2020 because I couldn’t do window installation anymore due to my health problems. I also noticed that most guitar websites don’t do a really good job, so I decided to just go for it! I got lucky and managed to get awesome people to help me with my website. I also got lucky because I have you visiting my website right now. Thank you. I do all this for you guys. If you have any recommendations, tips, or feedback, just leave a comment, I would love to chat with you. I have been fortunate to produce content for several large guitar websites, such as Songsterr, Musicnotes, GuitarGuitar, and Ultimate Guitar. I spend my spare time exercising and hanging out with my wife and crazy dog(I guess that went the right way…). Expertise: guitar learning techniques, electric guitars, and guitar amplifiers. You can connect with me on LinkedIn or just email me.
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