Fender Japan is approaching the F-hole concept in a rather literal sense with the new F-Hole Telecaster Thinline – a semi-hollow Tele with Fender’s “spaghetti logo” F cut into it.
F-holes have been on instruments, from jazz guitars to violins, for decades. They were dubbed F-holes because of how they were shaped on early electric guitar designs like the Gibson L5, and the Beatles-approved Gretsch Country Gentleman. But Fender has a very different type of F-hole here.
Those with sharp memories will remember that the F-Telecaster Thinline was released in limited numbers back in 2021. Five years later, the semi-hollow axes are back. Much of that recipe from 2021 remians but notably, the ash bodies are out, and new colors are on the menu.
There are six variants available, split equally between twin single-coil and twin humbucker configurations, each with alder bodies and modern C-profile necks with 9.5” radius rosewood fingerboards.
They also feature vintage-style locking tuners, narrow tall frets, and brass saddle bridges. Their colorways – Arctic White, Black, and a web-exclusive Indigo – are given satin finishes.
“This is a special limited model that fuses Fender's tradition with playfulness,” says Fender Japan. And it’s not wrong.
It continues an interesting hot streak of boundary-pushing releases from Fender Japan, which includes 8-bit Pokemon Teles, its standout MJ Hybrid II collection, and the inventively wired Active Modern range.
The Black and Arctic White models are priced at ¥198,000 each (approx. $1,250), with the Indigo models rising to ¥220,000 (approx. $1,390). Like the last batch, these are a limited run.
However, if you had your eyes on the Black or Arctic White single coil models, you’ll have to hope one shows up on Reverb: those two have already sold out.
See Fender Japan for more.
