It's 1460, the height of the Italian Renaissance. Lodovico is perusing the stock of guitars and vihuelas hanging at the local luthiery. He pulls a few off the hooks, plays them, and calls the luthier Commendo over.
Lodovico: I like dig these guitars, dude, but what is up with the big round holes in the top? They're not very cool.
Commendo: Look man, the holes are called sound holes, and they allow the sound resonating inside the body of the guitar to escape and help the guitar project. The hole makes the guitar, you know, louder. It's all about the sound, dude. Our touring artists really love the sound hole, and we are all about tone. So we only build them with the holes in the top.
Lodovico: Well, couldn't you make something with an F hole, like on a violin?
Commendo: Nah. Doesn't happen for like 450 years or so until Gibson hires Lloyd Loar. Not gonna happen for awhile. I don't mess with the flow of history. I just make 'em the way I think they sound good.
Lodovico: Well, I'm digging the decor on this one, the inlays of pearl and ivory and such. What if you made something cool to stick in this sound hole thing?
Commendo: Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it, man? Might as well not put a hole in the top.
Lodovico: Yeah, but what if you put holes all over it? Wouldn't that let the sound through?
Commendo: Hmmm, that might be a good idea. But it'll cost extra. You can only get custom stuff in our Private Stock Department. If you want one like that, I'll have to talk to our head of the PS department and fill out the form.
Lodovico: What comes with Private Stock?
Commendo: Are you kidding me? Anything you want! Except it has to have a sound hole. Of course, we can design something for the hole that you might go for.
Lodovico: Hmmm. Let me talk to the guy. Have you got any samples of his work?
Commendo: Just look at our book of paintings of his other PS guitars. (Hands Lodovico a leather bound book and yells) Hey, Paulo, come out here and talk to this dude!
(A young curly haired guy with spectacles emerges from the workshop covered in sawdust with a big grin)
Paulo:
Hi, Paulo here. I'd like to talk about our Private Stock program and some new things we're releasing...
