Fender has lifted the curtain on its all-new American Ultra II family of electric guitars and bass guitars, which the firm has badged “the most advanced guitar series in the brand’s history”.
The heritage of the American Ultra family has always been deeply rooted in advanced guitar engineering, and for quite some time the existing American Ultra and American Ultra Luxe collections have represented the absolute pinnacle of Fender’s guitar-building practices.
Now, though, the American Ultra II promises to go above and beyond any previous iteration of the lineup we’ve ever seen before, debuting newly configured “hyper-modern” electrics that bridge the gap between Fender and its stable of speciality brands, such as Charvel, EVH and Jackson.
It's shaping up to be easily one of Fender's most significant drops of the year – as evidenced by the fact they've recruited the likes of Isaiah Sharkey, John 5 and Joe Lally to help with the launch.
Specifically, there are new American Ultra II editions of the Stratocaster, Stratocaster HSS, Telecaster and Meteora guitars, as well as P Bass, J Bass and Meteora Bass models.
As expected, there are a few headlines with this drop – not least the fact the Jazzmaster has been excluded in favor of the relatively new Meteora shape – but perhaps the most note-worthy of them all concerns the new neck profile that has been introduced across the board.
In Fender’s own words, the American Ultra II models feature “Fender’s fastest-playing necks”, which have been profiled to offer effortless glide and an unprecedented Fender playing experience.
The modern “D’ profile is coupled with either an ebony or quartersawn maple 10”-14” compound radius fingerboard with Ultra rolled edges, medium jumbo frets, and, for the first time, glow-in-the-dark Luminlay side dots – a popular spec for progressive modern guitars.
Moving to the headstock, you’ll find GraphTech TUSQ nuts and deluxe locking tuners. The necks alone, then, are quite unlike anything Fender has ever equipped to one its guitars in the past.
“I personally have been working there for 24 years,” Fender’s Allen Abbassi told Guitar World during a recent preview of the lineup. “I've pretty much touched every new Strat or Tele that we've made since 2007.
“I've developed almost every product since 2007 and these necks definitely feel faster to me. And when we put them in hands of players, they agree... the rolled edges and the slim neck, a Goldilocks thickness. This feels like a very fast playing neck.”
Moving down to the body, each new model offers all the precise modern shaping you’d expect from an American Ultra II guitar.
The neck heel has a shallow carve and slightly rounded edge to promote upper fret access, while the bodies themselves offer “next-level” comfort and playability through some generous contouring.
As for tones, a raft of upgraded Ultra II Noiseless Pickups have been developed, promising to be even better at delivering authentic single-coil tones without any of the pesky hum that can come with them.
These – along with the Haymaker humbucker of the HSS Strat – are wired to some expansive, American Ultra II-appropriate electronics, including the S-1 volume pot push switch, which works alongside the current model-specific pickup selector switches to offer more tonal options.
Underneath all the new pickups, ultra-speedy neck profiles, comfort contouring, and high-end flourishes, are a host of time-tested Fender components, including alder bodies, maple necks, and American Ultra Synchronized tremolos.
Part of the design brief with this new lineup has been carefully balancing a traditional Fender’s feel and tone, with the demands of modern players. With the American Ultra II, Fender has clearly sought to find out just how far they can push its classic designs
“Ultra II is definitely the top of the line for Fender,” Abbasi told Guitar World. “It's designed for discerning players – players that are into specs and technical playing. They're the most advanced instruments we make.
“We consider them like the sports car versions, if you will, of all our [classic] models. So, if Fender is a spectrum from vintage to modern, these are all the way to the right on the modern spectrum.”
In keeping with the advanced sports car theme, Fender has also rolled out some suitably contemporary colorways, from Texas Tea and Sinister Red to Avalanche, Ultraburst and Noble Blue.
Prices for the American Ultra II range can be found below.
- American Ultra II Stratocaster– $2,199-$2,249
- American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS – $2,249
- American Ultra II Telecaster – $2,199
- American Ultra II Meteora – $2,249
- American Ultra II Precision Bass – $2,199
- American Ultra II Jazz Bass – $2,299
- American Ultra II Jazz Bass V – $2,399
- American Ultra II Meteora Bass – $2,299
To find out more, head over to Fender.
It’s the second time Fender has overhauled one of its core lineups this year, after it unveiled the revamped, rosewood-featuring and rebranded Player II lineup back in July.
