When people think of Fender, they usually picture slab-bodied workhorses like the Telecaster or Stratocaster. Hollowbody guitars? That’s traditionally Gibson territory. But in the mid-1960s, Fender made a deliberate—and fascinating—attempt to break into that world.
Enter the Fender Coronado, introduced in 1965.
Designed by legendary luthier Roger Rossmeisl (formerly of Rickenbacker), the Coronado marked a radical departure from Fender’s solid-body philosophy. It was Fender’s first true thinline hollowbody electric, built with a fully hollow maple body and a bolt-on neck—staying true to Fender construction where possible.
The Coronado range included:
- Coronado I – single pickup
- Coronado II – dual pickups
- Coronado XII – 12-string variant
It even came in some of the most striking finishes Fender ever produced—Antigua bursts and “Wildwood” dye-injected grain patterns that scream late-’60s experimentation.
Tonally, the Coronado was very different from Fender’s usual output. With DeArmond single-coil pickups and a fully hollow body, it delivered a brighter, more acoustic-like resonance—but lacked the sustain and feedback resistance players were used to from solid-body Fenders.
Despite its bold design, the Coronado struggled commercially. Fender simply couldn’t displace Gibson in the hollowbody market, and by 1972, the model was discontinued.
Still, today it stands as one of Fender’s most visually distinctive and collectible oddities—a true “what if?” moment in guitar history.
Beyond the Coronado: Fender’s Hollow & Semi-Hollow Experiments
The Coronado wasn’t the end of Fender’s hollowbody ambitions—it was just the beginning of a series of experiments that would eventually produce some genuinely successful designs.
The Montego & LTD – Full Hollowbody Luxury
Following the Coronado, Rossmeisl pushed further with the Montego and LTD models.
- The Montego was a deeper, more traditional hollowbody electric
- The LTD leaned even further into jazz territory, with a floating pickup and acoustic-style construction
These were high-end instruments—some of the most expensive Fender ever offered at the time—but they were even less commercially successful than the Coronado.
They remain rare today and are prized for their uniqueness rather than widespread influence.
The Telecaster Thinline – Fender Gets It Right
If the Coronado was Fender trying to become Gibson, the Telecaster Thinline was Fender finding its own solution.
Introduced in 1968–69, the Thinline wasn’t a full hollowbody—it was a semi-hollow Telecaster, created by routing chambers into the body to reduce weight.
Key features:
- Semi-hollow body with a single f-hole
- Retained classic Tele shape and feel
- Later models (1972) added Wide Range humbuckers
The Thinline succeeded where the Coronado failed because it enhanced the Telecaster rather than replacing it. Players got:
- Reduced weight
- A slightly warmer, more open tone
- Familiar Fender playability
This model remains a staple in Fender’s lineup to this day.
The Starcaster – Fender’s 335 Rival
By the mid-1970s, Fender made another serious run at the semi-hollow market with the Starcaster.
Unlike the Coronado, this was a semi-hollow design with a centre block, much closer in concept to Gibson’s ES-335. It featured:
- Dual humbuckers
- Offset body shape
- Bolt-on neck
Initially overlooked, the Starcaster has since become a cult favourite and is now widely appreciated for its tone and quirky styling.
Why Fender Struggled With Hollowbodies
Fender’s hollowbody story is fascinating because it highlights a fundamental truth:
- Fender excelled at solid-body innovation
- Gibson dominated the hollowbody space
The Coronado and its siblings didn’t fail because they were poor instruments—they failed because they didn’t align with what players expected from Fender.
In contrast, Fender’s successful semi-hollow designs (like the Thinline and later Starcaster) worked because they:
- Kept Fender’s core DNA intact
- Solved practical problems (weight, tonal variation)
- Didn’t try to directly imitate Gibson
Legacy of the Coronado
The Coronado may not have been a commercial hit, but its legacy is undeniable:
- It represents Fender’s most radical design departure of the 1960s
- It introduced aesthetic ideas (like Antigua finishes) that became iconic
- It paved the way for later, more refined semi-hollow designs
Fender even revisited the Coronado in 2013 with a modern reissue, proving that its appeal never truly disappeared.
Final Thoughts
The story of the Fender Coronado—and Fender’s wider hollowbody experiments—is one of ambition, missteps, and eventual refinement.
From the fully hollow Coronado to the brilliantly executed Thinline and the underrated Starcaster, Fender’s journey shows that innovation doesn’t always land immediately—but it often leads somewhere valuable.
For collectors, the Coronado is a standout piece of Fender history. For players, the Thinline and Starcaster remain some of the most usable semi-hollow designs ever made.
And for anyone who loves guitars, it’s a reminder that even the biggest names sometimes have to experiment to find their lane.
