Is Fender’s new American Ultra Series its most advanced guitar range yet?
The new range replaces the American Elite, bringing advanced features to both traditional and modern players.
Fender has unveiled the American Ultra Series, the successor to the company’s top-end American Elite line of guitars. The new range includes two Strats, a Tele, a Jazzmaster, a Precision Bass and two Jazz Basses.
Touted as the “most-advanced modern guitar” by Fender, the American Ultra Series comes with a variety of features designed for professional musicians, such as revised body contours, Ultra Noiseless pickups and advanced switching options.
Feature Highlights
New ‘Modern D’ neck
One of the main highlights of the American Elite Series is the all-new ‘Modern D’ neck profile. Featuring a tapered neck heel, compound-radius fretboard, smooth satin back finish and pronounced rolled edges, the result is a neck that’s slim and fast – perfect for everything from effortless string-bends to silky runs. Check our demo of the American Ultra Telecaster above to see this new neck profile in action.
Upgraded electronics
The American Ultra guitars also feature two brand-new breeds of noiseless pickups: the Ultra Noiseless Vintage single-coils and the Ultra Noiseless Hot humbuckers. In addition, the American Ultra HSS Strat features the brand-new Double Tap Humbucker. Unlike most split-coil humbuckers, this pickup design by Fender comes with one overwound coil to ensure matched volume when used in coil-split mode. Check it out in our demo of the American Ultra Stratocaster HSS above.
Guitar Snapshots
American Ultra Stratocaster (pictured in Aged Natural) – £1,859
Additional specs:
- 22 medium-jumbo frets
- Custom circuit adds neck pickup sound to other configurations
- Chrome hardware and bone nut
- Sealed locking tuning machines
- Additional finishes include Arctic Pearl, Cobra Blue, Mocha Burst, Plasma Red Burst, Texas Tea and Ultraburst
American Ultra Stratocaster HSS (pictured in Texas Tea) – £1,859
Additional specs:
- 22 medium-jumbo frets
- Coil-split circuitry
- Chrome hardware and bone nut
- Sealed locking tuning machines
- Additional finishes include Arctic Pearl, Cobra Blue, Plasma Red Burst and Aged Natural
American Ultra Telecaster (pictured in Cobra Blue) – £1,859
Additional specs:
- 22 medium-jumbo frets
- Series/parallel circuit
- Chrome hardware and bone nut
- Sealed locking tuning machines
- Additional finishes include Arctic Pearl, Butterscotch Blonde, Mocha Burst, Plasma Red Burst, Texas Tea and Ultraburst
American Ultra Jazzmaster (pictured in Plasma Red Burst) – £1,959
Additional specs:
- 22 medium-jumbo frets
- Series/parallel circuit
- Chrome hardware and bone nut
- Sealed locking tuning machines
- Additional finishes include Cobra Blue, Mocha Burst and Ultraburst
American Ultra Jazz Bass (pictured in Arctic Pearl) – £1,959
- 21 medium-jumbo frets
- 3-band active preamp
- HiMass bridge with brass saddles
- Chrome hardware and bone nut
- Sealed locking tuning machines
- Additional finishes include Ultraburst, Aged Natural, Texas Tea and Cobra Blue
American Ultra Jazz Bass V (pictured in Ultraburst) – £1959
- 21 medium-jumbo frets
- 3-band active preamp
- HiMass bridge with brass saddles
- Chrome hardware and bone nut
- Sealed locking tuning machines
- Additional finishes include Mocha Burst, Aged Natural, Plasma Red Burst and Arctic Pearl
American Ultra Precision Bass (pictured in Mocha Burst) – £1999
- 21 medium-jumbo frets
- 3-band active preamp
- HiMass bridge with brass saddles
- Chrome hardware and bone nut
- Sealed locking tuning machines
- Additional finishes include Ultraburst, Aged Natural, Plasma Red Burst and Arctic Pearl
More information at fender.com.