Active Band Man Chats - F-Holes

So, what’s today’s topic?

F!

F?

Yes, F!

F... Can I say the first thing that pops into my head? It’s probably—no, definitely—wrong, though.

Sure, go ahead.

When I hear F, I think of Fujiko F. Fujio! His sci-fi short stories were recently adapted into a drama, and a collector’s edition was just published too.

I see. That’s a very you answer, Horry. And yeah, it’s definitely wrong!

Knew it... Maybe the F guitar chord? They say it’s the first major hurdle for beginners. It’s where I gave up myself...

Well, you’re a bassist, Horry, so no big deal! Just hit the 1st fret of the 4th string!

True enough... Oh, personally, I prefer the tone on the 8th fret of the 3rd string. Even though it’s the same note, the resonance is slightly different depending on where you play it. Anyway, back on topic—F chords really are a wall or a pitfall for beginners.

Exactly!

What!?

A hole!

Ah, the F-hole?

Bingo! That’s correct!

That was a roundabout!

I looked it up online! Instruments like violins, violas, cellos, and double basses, which belong to the violin family, traditionally have F-shaped openings called F-holes on their body surfaces.

That’s true, violins and such definitely have strong associations with F-holes. But I never questioned why they’re there or why they’re shaped like an ‘F’. It’s just always been that way.

The purpose is probably to amplify the volume of acoustic instruments. For example, acoustic guitars have a round hole under the strings.

Right, that’s what’s called a sound hole. It’s an opening that lets the sound resonating inside the body escape outward, isn’t it?

Exactly. While that method seems efficient for increasing volume, structurally, it probably wouldn’t work as well for violins and similar instruments.

True. Having such a large hole in the center would compromise strength. And violin bodies aren’t flat like an acoustic guitar’s top.

Exactly! Further research shows that the hole shape evolved from semicircles to a C shape and finally to the F-hole!

I can somewhat understand the evolution from semicircle to C shape, but... why ‘F’?

Maybe it’s ‘forte’!

Forte? Strong? Is that it...?

Or maybe it’s fortissimo since there are two ‘F’s’!!

You’re too loud!

Or could it be the ‘F’ in fiddle?

Fiddle? What’s that? (searching on phone) Hmm, it’s related to violins, but that seems like a stretch...

Another theory I found is that the elongated F shape minimizes the amount of wood removed from the top plate.

That sounds plausible. The combination of the F’s long vertical line and short horizontal line seems to maximize the opening area without compromising structural integrity.

This design was later carried over to electric guitars.

Oh, like the Gretsch we talked about last time.

Exactly.

F-holes definitely add a classic and stylish look.

Totally! I used this model in a live show once:

Gretsch / G6118T-SGR Players Edition Anniversary w/String-Thru Bigsby

How was it?

It was prone to feedback, which was a bit troublesome.

Ah, the usual issue with semi-hollow and full-hollow guitars. Sound from the speakers enters the sound hole, resonates inside the body, and causes feedback.

Exactly. I had to tape over the holes with masking tape to block them.
(Editor’s Note: Some guitarists address this issue by stuffing the F-holes with foam.)

Taping them seems like a shame given the cool F design...

It gets hidden, but it can’t be helped... When the sound hole is open, the feedback issue is inevitable.
That’s why there are models like this!

Gretsch / G6122T-62 VS '62 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman w/Bigsby WLN

It’s hard to tell, but... oh, the holes are just painted on!

Exactly!

That would reduce feedback for sure, but it also shows how much people love this design.

Some really care about aesthetics. Speaking of feedback, how do you deal with it in Lime Light (Horry’s band) when you distort acoustic electric guitars?

Basically, we work on it while consulting with the PA staff at live venues. It’s like the PA staff helps us find a sweet spot that doesn’t cause feedback. So, finding a workable point using the equalizer could also be a good approach. Plus, there are items like this to prevent feedback:

Yamaha / VAE13900

I see, it’s the type you attach to the sound hole. There seem to be various other types as well. If you’re concerned about acoustic guitar feedback, it might be worth checking them out.
Speaking of F-holes, it reminds me of Gibson models.

Epiphone / ES-335 Cherry

That’s Epiphone, Gibson’s subsidiary brand. A classic and iconic semi-hollow. It gives off a Chuck Berry or classic rock ’n’ roll guitar vibe, but for me, it’s more Suede. Bernard Butler used it with quite a lot of distortion, didn’t he?

So cool! I bet there’s some trick to avoid feedback even with heavy distortion. Now, here’s another classic:

Epiphone / Casino Natural

The timeless Casino. This one definitely brings the Beatles to mind, doesn’t it?

Totally—Get Back!

Exactly.

When it comes to Fender, it’s got to be the Thinline.

Fender / American Vintage II 1972 Telecaster Thinline M Aged Natural

This one reminds me of Hizashi-kun, the original guitarist from The Captains.

He did use it for a while, didn’t he?

I don’t recall it causing much feedback.

True, even with the heavy distortion he used.

Maybe it’s because the Telecaster body is relatively compact? Oh, right—this is a semi-hollow body. Only a part of it, like half, is hollowed out, isn’t it?

Exactly. It’s like combining the best of solid and fully hollow bodies.

Anything else?

Hmm, how about evolved or unusual F-holes?

Unusual... you really love quirky designs, don’t you? Well, I do too.

Who are you calling the king of blooming oddities?!

I didn’t go that far. Maybe I did call you ‘rootless’ a couple of conversations ago, though.

Here’s the first quirky design!

Rickenbacker / 360W

Rickenbacker! This shape is definitely iconic for them. What do you think it’s inspired by?

Hmm, maybe it’s like a cat squinting its eyes?

Who knows?

Next up is the Shinichi Ubukata (Nothing’s Carved In Stone/Ellegarden) signature model!

Epiphone / Shinichi Ubukata ES-355 Cbigsby Olive Drab

This one too...?

It has sharp diamond-shaped holes. According to the description: Diamond Shape F-hole with orange oval label.

Diamond-shaped—got it.

Read carefully! It says, with an orange oval label.

Huh? What does that mean?

Maybe it’s meant to resemble an orange eye occasionally peeking through the diamond-shaped hole? Like the guitar’s face looks like a monster or something.

Ah, I see... so much thought went into the design. Impressive!

And then there’s this bold one!

Fender / Acoustasonic Player Telecaster Butterscotch Blonde

I see... Wait a minute, this isn’t even an F-hole anymore!

Exactly! It’s almost entirely an acoustic guitar in structure. Such a bold concept. Kind of like the best of both worlds between acoustic and electric?

If you think about the original purpose, this is actually ideal.

Totally! I mean, the original intent of the hole was to amplify the sound of an acoustic instrument, but for electric guitars that can be amplified endlessly with an amp, it’s technically unnecessary!

So, after all those F-hole guitars we introduced, this is the conclusion?

Yep, that’s it!

Well, you’re really leaning into it now!

So, yeah, F-holes on electric instruments are mostly decorative.

Exactly. But in a way, they’ve become iconic. Anything else?

I even found a bass for you!

Michael Kelly Guitars / Act Ele Bass Dragonfly 5 Forte Port Java Ebony

Ah, thank you... A five-string acoustic bass with a single oval-shaped soundhole on one side—it’s definitely unique. But wait, this isn’t even an F-hole...

Oh, you caught that? Don’t worry, I found some actual F-hole basses for you!

MD-MM.Produce / MDB-Elite/4-A PW

Ibanez / AGB200-BKF

Schecter / Simon Gallup Corsair Electric Bass Red Black

I see, there’s quite a variety. The Schecter bass is a signature model for The Cure’s bassist, right? Now that you mention it, I think I’ve seen him play it. Personally, when it comes to F-hole electric bass players, Peter Hook of New Order comes to mind.

Hmm, good point. Oh, speaking of which, I just remembered a story!

What is it?

If you drop a pick into an F-hole, you’ll never get it back! It’s like a pick donation box!

It happens, doesn’t it? Dropping a pick inside a soundhole is common enough, but with an F-hole, it seems even harder to retrieve. Let’s be careful.

Oh, and that bass picture I sent you the other day was really interesting too.

Ah, the Atlansia one? It had a seagull-shaped hole, right?

Exactly. And another one that comes to mind is Reichi Nakajima’s signature model. Instead of an F-hole, it had an N-hole, inspired by the first letter of his name. I remember seeing a picture of it in a gear magazine ages ago!

I see. Using your own initials... the possibilities really are endless.

And so, this time, we’ve explored the charm of F-holes. Because everything is?

For love!