MIMF

I am looking for some feedback on a few ideas for an updated F-hole design. I'd be interested to find out what y'all like. The images are for the treble side of a right handed guitar. This would be used on hollow, semi-hollow, and thinline electrics.

Four comments (or questions). Do you ever bind your f-holes and if so, can you bind this one? Can you fish your electronic harness thru it? And if you intend for the guitar to have any acoustic performance does it have the surface area that you want for your body resonance? Which one fits into the overall aesthetic of your guitar?

Based on that and the fact that I tend towards simple traditional designs, I like the first one the best. I also happen to not care for the f-hole in a thinline tele - I think it looks like an afterthought - someone at Fender said "Gibson has these so we better also" (I just built a chambered tele-clone without the hole). Opinions will vary on this as they should.

All good questions/comments. As far as binding, I would say rarely and likely pretty simple if yes so. With a little squaring of corners, these should all be possible to bind if the want/need arises. Any acoustic considerations are secondary for the intended use of the instruments, but in any case the open area is adjustable through scaling of the size. I agree with you about the look of the Tele thinline f holes, but fortunately I don't build Tele copies. You may not care for mine either, but that's a separate issue!

Bottom right with two slashes and no triangle.

Just considering the shapes: the first one, due to its clear simplicity.

I tried to find Your website, and if i am right, the first one is Your currently preferred design. Leave it as it is - i like it - or switch to other *simple* design ideas. Maybe You research for images of vintage German archtops - the German luthiers from the 50s and 60s often kept a tradition of using non-traditional, modern holes, and there are many images from collectors in the net.

The top left is my current design, but mirrored. I like the way it fits with the guitar shape better when reversed like this than what I am currently doing. The Isana and Klira designs are great as is one that was attributed to either Neubauer or Hoyer (I wish I knew which). The idea of putting something across the hole was inspired by some of Murray Kuun's designs which use a pretty modern shape as well as a thinline that Andy Webster of Whalehazard Guitars had posted pictures of. I'm on the fence about what to do and appreciate the feedback.

The lower right idea I don't think I like as it is, but I was going for using part of my logo as the bridge. I almost but don't quite think it works.

I don't like points or sharp corners on f-holes that are oriented such that they could lead to cracks in the top. A traditional f-hole shape does not have any such stress risers yet you still see some cracks starting there usually at the circular hole on either end of the f-hole. Put a sharp corner there and the area will be very crack prone.