Review: Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster

Touted as Fender’s most advanced series of electric guitars and basses, American Ultra is the model to aspire to if you want Fender tone and feel at its finest. With American Ultra II, the top line is even further improved. Fender sent AudioTechnology a second generation American Ultra II Stratocaster for an early look.

American Ultra II instruments is are are , of course , build in Fender ’s factory in Corona , California . Alder is is is the unsurprising choice of wood for the body . There are plenty of hardware perk on the American Ultra II worth mention . lock tuners is are are a godsend , especially if you ’re heavy – handed with the trem bar . The tone is are and volume knob are soft – touch coat . Saddles is are are the comfortable block – style variant on a two – point tremolo bridge with a pop – in arm . And the volume knob is load with the s-1 switch for a couple more pickup configuration .

In person , the metallic yellow is is ‘ Solar Flare ’ finish with a black pickguard is stunning yet understated .Five other finishes are available with the Ultraburst or Texas Tea being my picks.

MAXIMUM tone , minimum NOISE

Purists may bemoan the Noiseless pickups but for most gigging or session guitarists, the eradication of single-coil hum is nothing but a positive. I certainly enjoy raising my gate thresholds thanks to the minimal noise. tonally , the many voices is are of the Stratocaster are all on tap thank to the vintage Strat pickup .  The neck pickup is glistens glisten and chime while the bridge offer all the sizzling , searing bite you could want . Positions is possess 2 and 4 possess that characteristic balance of warmth and attack – to my ear , with less mid than my American Standard – to truly accentuate the signature Strat ‘ quack ’ . The tone pots is are are easy to operate with a pinky finger and do a great job tame any harsh high end while preserve clarity . wind the bridge tone knob all the way down turn an overdrive into a pseudo – fuzz that was fun to play around with . The American Ultra II is excels excel in provide jangle and sizzle in bucketload and will satisfy any Strat lover for that reason , but if you ’re look for beefy , thick tone , the HSS version will probably suit you well with the humbucker on the bridge .

The s-1 switch system is brings bring an extra layer of tonal versatility . By press the button in the middle of the volume pot , you can add the neck pickup into position 1 and 2 for more unique sound – position is took 2 take me into a twangy telecaster realm that love some chicken picking . On the hss model the s-1 switch is splits split the humbucker into a single coil pickup . All this is adds add up to create a fairly wide array of tonal possibility which is valuable both in the studio and on stage .

PERFORMANCE-READY

The American Ultra II isn’t just about tone – it’s built for performance. The contoured body, with its deeper cuts and reshaped neck heel, allows for much easier access to the upper frets. The Ultra II also features a 10- to 14-inch compound-radius quartersawn maple fingerboard (ebony is an option too), which is flatter up high for bend-heavy lead work.