QUICK HIT: A simple roundup and collection of acoustic guitars with an f hole or unique soundhole design/placement.
Acoustic guitars with f holes are less common because the novelty of a hollow body guitar is less pronounced with an acoustic. All acoustic guitars are hollow and they already have a soundhole cut into that body for natural resonance. Additional cutting, which would be required to achieve the aesthetics of an f hole, is tricky because it can cause issues with tone and how the guitar plays.
Yet, you can get acoustic guitars that have this feature, and sort of bridge the gap between an acoustic and electric hollow body guitar.
If you're just after the aesthetic of the f hole design, you have options, limited though they may be.
In this list - via the table below - we're curating acoustic guitars with f holes from wherever we can find them. Keep in mind, this is not a rating or ranking, nor are we trying to make any comment about the quality of these acoustics.
If you're looking for more of a general quality and rating guideline, checkout our best acoustic guitars parent page.
What to Look For
A lot of the acoustic guitars with F holes will be styled like Jazz acoustics, some of which are a hybrid between electric and acoustic guitars. You might also have more of a varied location of the soundhole, like in the Ovation guitars with three small circles cut near the top of the body. Resonators will also have F holes cut in a similar location.
Most of what you'll find will be one of the following types of guitars:
- Resonators
- Acoustics with varied F hole designs (the Ovation Applause, for example)
- Acoustic/Electric guitar hybrids
We'll include these in our table.
Top 5 Acoustic Guitars with Sound Holes
Acoustic | Title | Rated | Browse |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Godin 5th Avenue Jazz-Style Acoustic | n/a | |
![]() | Traveler Guitar Escape Mark III | n/a | |
![]() | Ovation CE44-1 | n/a | |
![]() | ESP-LTD TL-6 | n/a |
Acoustic Guitars with F Holes: Full Table
What we're essentially looking for is a unique soundhole setup.
What you won't find is an acoustic guitar with a traditionally cut sound hole (underneath the strings) and an F hole cut. The closest we can get is the resonator design, a few of which we've included in this table. However, some acoustics abandon the traditional sound hole entirely, going with a cut on the side or the top of the guitar's body, like the Ovation and ESP acoustics.
Many of these guitars will also include a cutaway.
Below is the table that lists all the acoustics we were able to find that fit these descriptions:
Table of Acoustic Guitars with Unique Soundhole Location
Acoustic | Title | Rated | Browse |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Dean RESCEHB Resonator | n/a | |
![]() | ESP LTD TL-6N Thinline | n/a | |
![]() | Godin 5th Avenue Jazz Acoustic | n/a | |
![]() | Gretsch G100CE Synchromatic | n/a | |
![]() | Gretsch G9210 Boxcar | n/a | |
![]() | Gretsch G9220 Bobtail Resonator | n/a | |
![]() | Ovation Celebrity Elie Plus | n/a | |
![]() | Ovation Celebrity Elite | n/a | |
![]() | Traveler Guitar Escape Mark III | n/a | |
![]() | Washburn Jazz Series J600k | n/a |
Conclusion
As I've looked for acoustic guitars with F holes, I've been unable to find a true F hole design in an acoustic guitar body. For whatever reason, the Ovation and ESP do a slight variation of that design instead.
Theoretically, they could use the F hole shape just the same.
It seems that however it's done, you have to abandon the traditional sound hole, which most manufacturers don't do.
To get an acoustic guitar with this aesthetic, you'll have to look at resonators, acoustic-electric jazz guitars, or you'll just have to settle for a cut that isn't a true F hole.
Anything to Add?
If you know of acoustic guitars with F holes, or something I've missed that would be a good addition to this table, leave it in the comments section below. We've often built lists like this that do well purely from community feedback, so in this situation - where it's hard to find the type of gear that fits the bill - it's even more crucial to have your input and experience.
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Written by GC Editorial on Acoustics and Info
Written by Bobby on Acoustics and Roundups
A fully acoustic guitar, not archtop or resonator, would be the Di Mauro “special chorus” gypsy style guitars and his family of luthiers and other makers inspired by his model. Check them out.
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