FGN Masterfield Review: Two of Them, and the Semi-Hollow Body Size Nobody Talks About
I own two FGN Masterfields, bought about three months apart in 2026, and they're the reason I now have a real opinion about semi-hollow body sizes, not just a Telecaster one.
The body size nobody talks about
The Masterfield's body sits in the gap between a Gibson ES-335 and an ES-339, and once you've played one there, it's hard to go back to either extreme. The 335 is a lot of guitar to wear all night. The 339 solves that by shrinking the body, but the smaller proportions have never worked for me visually, it looks dorky on, in my own words. FGN split the difference and got it right: full-size presence without the 335's bulk.
That's not a minor spec footnote. Body size is the thing you feel every single set, long after the pickup choice or the finish stops registering, and it's the part almost nobody reviews carefully because it's harder to describe than tone.
Two different Masterfields
The first one I bought has P-90s, which push the semi-hollow format toward something grittier and more direct than the humbucker-loaded version most players default to. The second, bought a few months later, is the Custom: block inlays, an ebony fretboard, built to ES-335 Limited Edition spec. Different voicing, same body, same builder, same result.
The workmanship on both is the actual headline. FGN is Fujigen, the same Japanese builder behind the FujiGen-built Telecasters I've written about separately, and the pattern holds again here: a completely different body style, years apart, same company, same standard. That's a stronger argument for the Japan-built-quality thesis than any single guitar could make on its own, since it's not one lucky instrument, it's the same builder clearing the same bar twice on two different designs.
Should you buy one
If you've wanted a 335-style semi-hollow but never liked wearing the full-size body, or you tried a 339 and the proportions bugged you the way they bug me, the Masterfield is the answer neither Gibson size gives you. Pick the P-90 version for something rawer, the Custom for a more traditional voice with nicer appointments. Either way, the workmanship is the part that won't disappoint you.
Keep reading
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Why Japanese Telecasters Keep Winning
Two FujiGen-built Telecasters bought three weeks apart, a heavy-but-loved Kotzen signature, and the actual argument for why Japan-market guitars are built to a different standard.
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Gibson ES-335 with P-90s: The Rare One, Reviewed After Years of Ownership
A long-term review of the Custom Shop ES-335 with factory dogear P-90s: what the rare pickup swap does to the most famous semi-hollow ever made.
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Fender Brad Paisley Telecaster Review: Paulownia, a Spruce Cap, and a Second Purchase
Owned and gigged, bought a second one on purpose. What the paulownia body and spruce cap actually do, what the pickups get right, and the one thing that still bugs me.
FAQ
What's the difference between the two FGN Masterfields?
One has P-90 pickups, bought first. The other is the Masterfield Custom, with block inlays, an ebony fretboard, and built to ES-335 Limited Edition spec, bought a few months later. Same body and builder, different pickup voicing and appointments.
How does the Masterfield's body size compare to a Gibson ES-335 or ES-339?
It sits between the two. The ES-335 is full-size and can be a lot of guitar to wear all night; the ES-339 shrinks the body to fix that but the smaller proportions look off to a lot of players. The Masterfield splits the difference, keeping the presence without the bulk.