INDEX
FENDER AMERICAN ULTRA SERIES
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On 2 November 2019, Fender teased a new series of American made guitars with the video “Never Play A Fender The Same Way Again” and a webpage with silhouetted guitars, causing many debates in forums and social networks among Stratocaster lovers.
Few days later, on 5 November, Fender unveiled the American Ultra Series, touted as its “most-advanced modern guitar”. This series was essentially a refresh of the Elites, Fender's premier electric guitars launched in January 2016, with updates and refinements. |
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Justin Norvell, EVP of Product, suggested this was an instrument for people who played guitar a lot and needed enhanced tonal versatility and comfort from their Fender. “The evolution of this series was something that took several years. We really look at every component, what has an impact to tone, every piece of that system. It's not just the sum of its parts. It's the way all of those parts work together that make that final instrument, and the way that it resonates that makes something magic. The goal with the Ultra series is to create an instrument of immediate and maximum inspiration, making the guitar not be in the way. The American Ultra Series is our most advanced series of guitars and basses for discerning players who demand the ultimate playing experience in precision, performance and tone.
Blending state-of-the-art engineering and nuanced design to provide a high-performance experience for today’s player, American Ultra is the next chapter in Fender’s legacy of cutting-edge innovation. American Ultra has truly been decades in the making and is a result of our tireless commitment to meet the needs of today’s working and touring guitar players looking for a modern feel and tone.”
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The goal was to innovate while protecting the very things people loved about its instruments. Luxurious, sleek and cutting-edge, this series offered a revised body design and contours - a pivotal moment in Fender history, decades since the introduction of the Stratocaster's comfort contour body. New back body curves offered hours of gigging comfort while a super-sculpted neck heel gave players unparalleled access to the upper register of the fingerboard, resulting in better accessibility and comfort.
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New for this series an innovative back contour
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These new contours are not only comfortable, but they gave the body a sleek and attractive look as well. A fresh hot-rodded take on classic outlines.
“These instruments are super contemporary, in the fact that they are manufactured in a way that probably couldn't have even happened back then. It represents the height of our precision that we're working with here. Manufacturing techniques have evolved, and tolerance has gotten tighter with CNC manufacturing. The idea of modifying the body shapes is not one that we take lightly. The body of the Stratocaster and Telecaster hasn't really manifestly been modified or changed in over 30 years. And you've got to retain the essence and the spirit of the original mission of the instruments. You can look at it from the front and say, that's a Stratocaster or that's a Telecaster. The back, where it actually is worn against your body, where your hands do go when you go up high on the neck, that's kind of the real estate that we chose to make some of those modifications. So all the sculpting and the contours that we did to these instruments make it even more ergonomic, and more sculpted, and allows you to get up in the higher access a lot easier.”
Justin Norvell
The American Ultra Stratocaster featured the brand-new Ultra Noiseless Vintage single coil pickups, which delivered authentic Fender single-coil sound without hum. In addition, S-1 switch added the neck pickup in to any switch position.
The American Ultra HSS Stratocaster featured the Ultra Noiseless Hot single coil pickups, which offered modern performance and classic tone, and the new Double Tap Humbucker. S-1 switch split the humbucking pickup into a full-throated single-coil, perfectly calibrated with the neck and middle pickups, thanks to one overwound coil.
The volume control had a treble bleed capacitor to preserve high-end response at any volume. Fender also included a tactile soft touch rubber edges to the knobs.
The American Ultra HSS Stratocaster featured the Ultra Noiseless Hot single coil pickups, which offered modern performance and classic tone, and the new Double Tap Humbucker. S-1 switch split the humbucking pickup into a full-throated single-coil, perfectly calibrated with the neck and middle pickups, thanks to one overwound coil.
The volume control had a treble bleed capacitor to preserve high-end response at any volume. Fender also included a tactile soft touch rubber edges to the knobs.
2019 American Ultra Stratocaster advert
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Above Beyond Ultra HSS advert
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“Noiseless pickups have been something that we’ve been working on for over 20 years. We’ve gone through five generations now of those pickups. And every time we go through a generation we learn a lot. And there are a lot of generations between the generations that don’t even see the light of day,” said Justin.
Ultra Noiseless pickups represented a complete redesign compared to the Gen 4 Noiseless series, featuring different AlNiCo 5 magnets and staggered, unbeveled pole pieces. They had more contemporary fullness to their punch that made them ideal for rockier, less bluesy territory too.
Visually, the Ultra Noiseless Vintage pickups were nearly identical to the Gen 4 Noiseless, with the cursive Fender logo and the word “NOISELESS” in silver uppercase letters. The Ultra Noiseless Hot version, by contrast, used gold lettering. On the underside, the Vintage model was labeled “ULTRA STRAT VINTAGE,” while the Hot version had a blue base with the inscription “ULTRA STRAT MODERN.”
Ultra Noiseless pickups represented a complete redesign compared to the Gen 4 Noiseless series, featuring different AlNiCo 5 magnets and staggered, unbeveled pole pieces. They had more contemporary fullness to their punch that made them ideal for rockier, less bluesy territory too.
Visually, the Ultra Noiseless Vintage pickups were nearly identical to the Gen 4 Noiseless, with the cursive Fender logo and the word “NOISELESS” in silver uppercase letters. The Ultra Noiseless Hot version, by contrast, used gold lettering. On the underside, the Vintage model was labeled “ULTRA STRAT VINTAGE,” while the Hot version had a blue base with the inscription “ULTRA STRAT MODERN.”
Ultra Noiseless Vintage Pickup
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Ultra Noiseless Hot Pickups
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Double Tap is Fender’s trademarked name for a special kind of humbucker that’s designed to sound good in both full and split modes, with balanced output and tone.
“Another thing that we have on the humbucking instruments is the double tap, which enables you to get a real single coil sound when you split the coil. A lot of people with a humbucking pickup like to be able to split the coil. But when you do, you actually have a very weak single coil. So, what the double tap does is it actually boosts the coil to be a full-sized single coil when you’re in single coil mode.”
Justin Norvell
Traditional coil-splitting can sometimes lead to a drop in volume or thin tone. Fender’s Double Tap humbucker was engineered by Tim Shaw to overcome the common limitations of traditional coil-splitting. Instead of using two identically wound coils, Fender intentionally overwound one of them, allowing that stronger coil to function independently when split. This design ensured that the single-coil mode retained a fuller tone and higher output, minimizing the volume drop and thin sound typically associated with coil-splitting. Players could access this split mode via the S-1 switch, discreetly built into the volume knob. With a simple press, the humbucker transitioned from its full, high-output voice to a clear, articulate single-coil tone—without sacrificing musicality or punch.
The all-new Modern “D” neck shape—this was the only Stratocaster that had it—with a speedy 10”- 14” compound radius and extremely rolled edges made the neck ergonomic and comfortable, perfect for everything from effortless string-bends to silky runs.
The satin urethane finish on the back, a special treatment Fender called Ultra Satin, required extra time to smooth out, resulting in an exceptionally slick, fast-playing feel.
For all these reasons, this neck was described as Fender’s fastest-playing neck. Allen Abbassi, Fender Director of Electric Guitars since 2007, said: “I’ve pretty much touched every new Tele or Strat neck we’ve made since 2007, so just from experience, I can tell the difference in what ‘a fast-playing neck’ would be versus a ‘non-fast-playing neck.’”
The satin urethane finish on the back, a special treatment Fender called Ultra Satin, required extra time to smooth out, resulting in an exceptionally slick, fast-playing feel.
For all these reasons, this neck was described as Fender’s fastest-playing neck. Allen Abbassi, Fender Director of Electric Guitars since 2007, said: “I’ve pretty much touched every new Tele or Strat neck we’ve made since 2007, so just from experience, I can tell the difference in what ‘a fast-playing neck’ would be versus a ‘non-fast-playing neck.’”
Allen Abbassi
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“Some of it’s intuitive: things that, as a player, you’d just agree are true,” added Allen. “For instance, changing from lacquer to a satin-finish urethane-based neck—especially with the treatment we apply—you can just feel that it’s really smooth and easy to move your hand up and down the neck. And some of it’s experience; these necks definitely feel faster to me. When we’ve put them in the hands of players, they agree. I don’t know if that's leading the witness! But most players agree that the rolled edges and the slim neck, and this ‘Goldilocks’ thickness, feel like a very fast-playing neck.”
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With the launch of the American Ultra Series, Fender returned to the more traditional Bi-Flex truss rod, abandoning the wheel-adjusted system used in the previous American Elite models. A combination of functional, aesthetic, and branding considerations likely drove this change:
- Fender has a long-standing tradition of using the Bi-Flex truss rod, especially in their high-end American instruments. By reintroducing it in the Ultra series, they brought the new flagship line more in line with classic Fender design language—appealing to purists and longtime fans who appreciate familiar features.
- While the Elite Series’ heel-mounted wheel required routing at the base of the neck and had a more modern appearance, the Bi-Flex rod is accessed at the headstock, allowing for a cleaner, more traditional look.
- In addition, players and technicians reported that the Elite’s wheel adjuster could be “very tough to turn,” sometimes even bending the included Allen key and making adjustments more cumbersome.
American Ultra Stratocaster sports a Gold Foil Logo
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The gloss-finished headstock of the American Ultra Stratocaster guitars sported a gold “Spaghetti” foil logo and the Modern “T” string tree.
They also came equipped with all short-post locking tuning machines, which improved the break angle over the bone nut. These guitars were available in a variety of colors, including Cobra Blue, Mocha Burst, Texas Tea, Arctic Pearl, Aged Natural, Plasma Red Burst, and Ultraburst. |
“Here in the Corona Factory, these instruments are still completely handmade,” said Justin Norvell. “There are 150 hand processes. And in those hand processes, we are not assembling parts that we get from other places and just merely putting them together. Everything is made here. So, in addition to the necks, the bodies, we’re stamping the pick guards, were stamping the jack ferrules, were making the bridge components, where every screw, every spring, hand polishing the saddles, et cetera. It is an interesting juxtaposition to see us stamping out an Ultra neck plate on the original machines next to the tools with 1957 dates on them. Even these new components that we’re making are still coming off the original equipment and being made in the same way that they were back then. So, it's a really nice through line of that evolution that you really are still getting the original vintage Fender mojo, just reinterpreted in a new, modernistic way.”
THE AMERICAN ULTRA LUXE STRATOCASTERS
In January 2021, Fender announced at NAMM the new American Ultra Luxe Stratocasters, described as an evolution of the American Ultra models and the brand’s most advanced factory instruments yet. These guitars were launched after four months, in May, with the motto “For players who demand the ultimate in performance and tone.”
2021 American Ultra Luxe advert
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The American Ultra Luxe Stratocasters featured painted headstocks and, notably, 22 stainless steel frets - a first for Fender guitars - as well as unique Augmented “D” neck profile that felt extremely fast and ergonomic in the hand, ultra rolled fingerboard edges, TUSQ nut, 10”-14” compound-radius fretboard, and beautiful sculpted rear contours with rounded neck heel that allowed easy access to the highest register.
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The American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster was available in a classic 2-Tone Sunburst on alder body or in a stunning Plasma Red finish on ash body with maple neck, both coupled with a black 3-Ply pickguard. Three Ultra Noiseless Vintage pickups and the S-1 Switch, which added the neck pickup to position 1 and 2, allowed endless tonal possibilities without hum.
The American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS was available in Silver Burst and Mystic Black and featured Ultra Noiseless Hot single-coil pickups and an Ultra Double Tap humbucker, which could be split into a hot single-coil via an S-1 Switch, as well as an Original Floyd Rose Tremolo system.
The American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS was available in Silver Burst and Mystic Black and featured Ultra Noiseless Hot single-coil pickups and an Ultra Double Tap humbucker, which could be split into a hot single-coil via an S-1 Switch, as well as an Original Floyd Rose Tremolo system.
The Augmented “D” neck shape was almost like the '50s Fender “D”, without the discomfort sometimes associated with these necks, and provided a playing experience that felt both classic and modern.
The American Ultra Strat models
THE AMERICAN ULTRA II SERIES
With the motto “Innovation never rests,” Fender released the new American Ultra II Series on October 15, 2024, which FMIC described as “the most advanced guitar series in the brand’s history.”
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Justin Norvell, EVP of Product at Fender, said: “We refer to it as the “sports car” of the Fender lineup, it’s designed to push boundaries and redefine what a Fender guitar can be, catering to both traditionalists and those exploring new, faster, and more intricate playing styles. This is a guitar that doesn’t fight you; instead, it gets out of the way, allowing you to focus purely on your performance, whether you’re playing soulful solos, fast riffs, or complex chord progressions.”
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“Fender has always been a company of change,” added Justin. “So, while people are thinking about the Stratocaster […] and thinking it’s unchanged if you want to get into the specs of each instrument in 1954, there was a completely different wood, neck shape than 1957, 1959, and 1960. It’s always been ‘How do I make it relevant today? How do I make it better? How do I make it play better, sound better, look better?’ We were excited to just keep on the path. It’s not something new or radical. This is the spirit of what Fender has been since 1946.”
Long before the American Ultra series hit the market, discussions were already underway about future possibilities, sparked by spontaneous experiments and real-world feedback from the innovators who play these guitars.
Long before the American Ultra series hit the market, discussions were already underway about future possibilities, sparked by spontaneous experiments and real-world feedback from the innovators who play these guitars.
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“We definitely read a lot about what players are talking about on forums,” said Allen Abbassi. “We watch YouTube a lot. We talk to artists and dealers. And when people are in the office in Hollywood, we talk directly to them. Sometimes when we’re working on a project like Ultra, we’ll call on friends who are professionals – Brett Simons, Mason Stoops, Jamie Kime, Jorgen Carlsson – and say, ‘Hey, why don't you come visit? I’m working on something I’d like you to hear.’”
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The American Ultra II special preview in New York City. From left to right, Annie Clements, Andrew Magnotta of iHeartMedia, Justin Norvell, Jason Klein (Fender artist relations lead), and Isaiah Sharkey. Photo redit: Tina Benitez-Eves
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“That’s what takes Fender back to the beginning,” declared Norvell. “Leo Fender was not a guitar player. He didn’t know what was right or what wasn’t possible, so he leaned on artists and said, ‘[…] Do you like this? Do you like that? What works? What doesn’t work?’ And that kind of dialog is where you’re at right now. It’s what we do.”
Fender showcased the new line during a special preview in New York City on October 9, featuring Ultra II ambassadors bassist, singer, and songwriter Annie Clements and guitarist and vocalist Isaiah Sharkey.
Fender showcased the new line during a special preview in New York City on October 9, featuring Ultra II ambassadors bassist, singer, and songwriter Annie Clements and guitarist and vocalist Isaiah Sharkey.
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What changed are to the previous American Ultra Series? The brand-new Fender’s top-of-the-line American Ultra II Stratocaster and the American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS featured select alder Bodies, quartersawn maple necks, ebony or maple fingerboards, Ultra II Noiseless pickups and Haymaker humbucker, Graph Tech TUSQ nuts, cold rolled steel tremolo block, single-ply aluminum pickguards, and luminlay side dots. These side dots glow in the dark making effortless to find the position on the neck on a dark stage.
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Credit: Future/Phil Barker
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Although Ultra Noiseless pickups were already very quiet, Fender revoiced every pickup set in the Ultra II Series to enhance tone and reduce noise even further. They also refined the pickups to better emulate the authentic single-coil sound, so the Ultra II Noiseless Vintage and Ultra II Noiseless Hot models delivered a more dynamic, warm, and sparkling Fender tone that players love.
The Haymaker humbucker was developed in-house by Fender’s design team, with major contributions from Tim Shaw—Fender’s longtime pickup designer and the creative force behind many of their recent pickups. |
“Our goal there was to design a pickup that was medium to high-gain, because the HSS Strat is more of a high-performance instrument,” said Allen Abbassi. “But we wanted to make sure it still had a really sweet midrange and top end, and when dirty we didn’t lose the string-to-string note clarity.”
Graph Tech TUSQ nuts offer self-lubricating qualities that minimize friction between the strings and the nut, enhancing tuning stability and reducing the risk of string breakage. Crafted from a synthetic material with consistent density, TUSQ nuts also promote more efficient energy transfer—resulting in greater harmonic richness and a livelier tone than conventional nut materials.
The new series instead kept the sculpted body contours and sleek rear body contours for next-level comfort and playability, the Modern “D” neck profile with the smooth Ultra Satin finish, the sculpted neck heel, the 10”-14” compound fingerboard radius, rolled fingerboard edges, 22 medium jumbo frets, the 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with pop-in arm, polished stainless-steel block saddles, the S-1 Switch, soft-touch knobs, and locking tuners.
Graph Tech TUSQ nuts offer self-lubricating qualities that minimize friction between the strings and the nut, enhancing tuning stability and reducing the risk of string breakage. Crafted from a synthetic material with consistent density, TUSQ nuts also promote more efficient energy transfer—resulting in greater harmonic richness and a livelier tone than conventional nut materials.
The new series instead kept the sculpted body contours and sleek rear body contours for next-level comfort and playability, the Modern “D” neck profile with the smooth Ultra Satin finish, the sculpted neck heel, the 10”-14” compound fingerboard radius, rolled fingerboard edges, 22 medium jumbo frets, the 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with pop-in arm, polished stainless-steel block saddles, the S-1 Switch, soft-touch knobs, and locking tuners.
American Ultra II Strat HSS in Ultra Burst finish - Credit: Future/Phil Barker
Another advanced, behind-the-scenes upgrade on the Ultra II HSS Strat were the treble bleed circuit and the Orange Drop capacitors.
Allen Abbassi explained: “Often when you turn down the volume on an electric guitar, you lose the high-end and the tone gets darker.” The treble bleed circuit let the higher frequencies pass through, maintaining that signature Strat sparkle—even at lower volumes.
Regarding the Orange Drop capacitors, Abbassi added: “It’s an inside thing, but it makes a difference. High-quality capacitors are known for producing smooth, warm tones and improving the stability of your tone. We wanted only the highest quality components for Ultra II.”
The series also came in a bunch of eye-catching finishes, such as Ultraburst, Solar Flare, Avalanche, Noble Blue, Sinister Red, and Texas Tea.
Antonio Calvosa
Allen Abbassi explained: “Often when you turn down the volume on an electric guitar, you lose the high-end and the tone gets darker.” The treble bleed circuit let the higher frequencies pass through, maintaining that signature Strat sparkle—even at lower volumes.
Regarding the Orange Drop capacitors, Abbassi added: “It’s an inside thing, but it makes a difference. High-quality capacitors are known for producing smooth, warm tones and improving the stability of your tone. We wanted only the highest quality components for Ultra II.”
The series also came in a bunch of eye-catching finishes, such as Ultraburst, Solar Flare, Avalanche, Noble Blue, Sinister Red, and Texas Tea.
Antonio Calvosa
