Capcom and Fender have announced a collaboration to produce a limited edition Monster Hunter-themed guitar, known as the Rathalos Telecaster. This guitar, which is set to retail for USD $1,999.99, is designed as a celebration of the 20th anniversary of Monster Hunter.
While it is a novelty tie-in, the Rathalos Telecaster is a fully-functioning guitar and features all the classic Telecaster details – with a Rathalos twist. As detailed, the guitar “symbolises the formidable power of the fire dragon Rathalos … the majestic presence of the Rathalos has been meticulously incorporated throughout the instrument with its icon on the body back and 12th fret inlay, the distinctive feather and flame patterns as well as the guild mark on the body front.”
“The Monster Hunter Rathalos Telecaster has been designed with attention to detail in order to showcase the sonic quality and playability of an authentic Fender guitar,” Fender said. “The satin-finished alder body is equipped with a 9.5” radius “C”-shape maple neck with 22 medium jumbo frets. Original Monster Hunter Rathalos Humbucking neck and single-coil bridge pickups deliver powerful, rich tones, that work great with distortion pedals.”
From a less technical viewpoint, the Rathalos Telecaster looks like a real work of art. Across the body, there’s lovely patterned hues of red and peach, with this heavily evoking the unique look of Monster Hunter armour plating. It’s a very cool-looking tribute to one of Capcom’s most enduring franchises.
As for the price, it is fairly prohibitive, and much higher-priced than your standard Fender Telecasters. There are special edition Telecasters that share a similar or higher price tag, but this is on the upper end of the spectrum. It’s definitely for a niche audience: for people who happen to love Monster Hunter, and happen to be in the market for a new guitar, and happen to have a spare USD $1,999.99 kicking around.
That’s a lot of “ifs” for this guitar, but given the fandom and passion around Monster Hunter, there’s no doubt a few fans that will find themselves salivating over this particular release.
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To sweeten the deal, this guitar does also come with some neat additions: there’s an engraved anniversary logo on its back, to celebrate 20 years of Monster Hunter. It also comes packaged in a special hardshell case, which includes a certificate of authenticity.
As a slice of Monster Hunter history, this guitar is likely to be a very rare and coveted artefact. The guitars are also set to be numbered, so we can assume they will be produced in limited quantities, and anyone interested will need to pay attention for more details. As announced, the guitar will release in 2025, and you can now sign up to be notified for when it can be purchased and/or preordered.
