Fender American Ultra Stratocaster Maple Fingerboard Electric Guitar: A Comprehensive Review
The Fender American Ultra Stratocaster Maple Fingerboard Electric Guitar perfectly balances Fender‘s timeless design with modern innovation. This advanced level of playability, superior sound, and premium aesthetic are targeted at professional and serious enthusiasts. From the main stage to the studio to your couch, this Ultra Stratocaster takes your playing to another level.
Key Specifications
- Body: Alder or Ash (varies by finish)
- Neck: Modern “D” profile maple neck with rolled edges
- Fingerboard: Maple (or rosewood for select finishes)
- Frets: 22 medium jumbo frets
- Scale Length: 25.5 inches
- Pickups: Ultra Noiseless Vintage Strat Single-Coil Set
- Bridge: 2-Point Deluxe Synchronized Tremolo with Pop-In Arm
- Controls: Master Volume (with S-1 switch), Tone 1, Tone 2, 5-way pickup selector
- Finish: Gloss polyurethane
- Additional Features: Locking tuners, contoured neck heel, bone nut
Design and Build
First impressions of the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster are that this is a guitar retaining the unmistakable silhouette of its forerunners. Closer scrutiny, though, reveals an instrument teeming with subtle new enhancements: its alder or ash body fuses classic tonewood characteristics with modern finishes in Arctic Pearl, Texas Tea, and Cobra Blue for a uniquely stunning visual appeal.
The modern “D“-shaped neck is designed for comfort, featuring rolled fingerboard edges and a satin finish on the back for smooth, hassle-free up–and–down navigation with extended playing sessions. What’s more, 22 medium jumbo frets allow generous room for string bending and intricate soloing, while the contoured neck heel facilitates comfortable access to those high frets.
Coming to features related to durability, the guitar introduces a gloss polyurethane finish that protects it from wear and adds class touches. The hardware is equally strong: the locking tuners and 2-point tremolo bridge installation will keep the instrument in tune–even with aggressive playing.
Sound Quality
Ultra Noiseless Vintage Strat Single-Coil Pickups remain the heart of its sound. They deliver that just quintessential Stratocaster tone with a truly crisp, clear, and articulate quality to it, yet virtually eliminating the hum that has long plagued traditional single-coils.
Impressive tonal versatility from the 5-way pickup selector and the S-1 switch in the master volume knob: the S-1 switch unlocks even more tonal combinations, joining pickups in series for fatter, robust tones. Shimmering cleans, warm mids, and biting leads–this guitar covers a wide tonal spectrum.
- Neck Pickup: Smooth and warm, good for rhythm playing or bluesy solos.
- Middle Pickup: Crystal-clear and well-balanced; ideal for clean strumming or funky grooves.
- Bridge Pickup: Bright and cutting with just enough bite for rock and lead work.
From jazz to funk, rock to blues, the American Ultra Stratocaster morphs seamlessly into your style, no doubt one of the most eclectic guitars in the Fender stable.
Playability
Fender designed the American Ultra Stratocaster with today’s players in mind. The modern “D“ neck profile is thinner compared to its classic Fender brothers and is known to appeal to faster playing styles and more demanding techniques. Also, rolled fingerboard edges give it a kind of broken-in feel that augments comfort, while the 10“-14“ compound radius provides easy playability with low action and smooth, effortless bending across the entire fingerboard.
Another fantastic feature in this guitar is the contoured neck heel for smooth, easy access to the highest frets. It will be perfect, right from intricate solos to leads of a wide range of genres. The locking tuners and pop-in tremolo arm further enhance playability with exceptional tuning stability, effortless fine-tuning: just turn and go.
From chords to solos, everything feels so naturally responsive on the Ultra Stratocaster that it begs to make the musician try his hand at one more note.
Durability and Reliability
The Fender American Ultra Stratocaster was made to hold up under regular use both on and off the stage, with high-quality tonewoods, premium hardware, and a gloss polyurethane finish built to last, not wear down.
The locking tuners keep the guitar in tune, even with great use of the tremolo, while the bone nut provides an increase in stability for the strings. The 2-point tremolo bridge isn’t smooth but also highly durable and withstands the harsh test of time. Players can be quite confident in using this guitar for deliveries that are consistent in any environment.
Who Is It For?
The Fender American Ultra Stratocaster fills many a need for many different types of musicians. These include:
- Professional Performers: With great tonal versatility and dependability, it‘s suitable for live performances.
- Studio Musicians: Noiseless pickups for extremely broad dynamic tonal range to suit many different recording styles.
- Such a guitar would be for advanced players who like premium features and craftsmanship.
- It’s the genre-hopping artist’s axe of choice: Its versatility lends itself to blues, jazz, rock, and funk among other styles.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Advanced Playability: Modern neck profile, rolled edges, and compound radius for ultimate comfort.
- Tonal Versatility: Ultra Noiseless pickups with S-1 switch offer a wide range of sounds.
- Premium Aesthetics: Stunning finishes and sleek design enhancements.
- Durable Hardware: Locking tuners and 2-point tremolo bridge improve tuning stability.
- High Build Quality: Superior craftsmanship ensures long-term reliability.
Cons:
- Price: Higher cost may deter beginners or casual players.
- Weight: Slightly heavier than some models, which may affect extended playing sessions.
Comparison to Similar Models
This Stratocaster has dominated the high-end category since the modern sound combined with its smooth playability strikes the right balance. Here is how it compared to the top-of-the-line Stratocasters:
- Fender American Professional II Stratocaster: While the Professional II focuses more on a traditional design, the Ultra concentrates more on modern upgrades that feature noiseless pickups and a compound radius neck.
- Fender Ultra Luxe Stratocaster: The Luxe model includes stainless steel frets and a different finish, but the normal Ultra has the top features included in its lower price.
- PRS Silver Sky: The Silver Sky was designed with John Mayer in an effort to have a more vintage and classic tone from it, rather than the more tonally versatile Ultra Stratocaster.
Overall Value
The Fender American Ultra Stratocaster Maple Fingerboard Electric Guitar has lots of value to bring in for professional musicians and advanced players. Given the price that it comes in at, features, build quality, and performance are meeting expectations. This is way more than just a tool; this can be the statement piece in any musician‘s collection.
Conclusion
The Fender American Ultra Stratocaster is the epitome of Fender‘s commitment to innovation and quality. Touting modern playability, versatile tone, and a striking design, it meets the demands that today‘s musicians present. Everyone-from touring artists and session players to simple enthusiastic players-should have at the forefront of their mind making sure the performance and reliability expected are there.
For the player who demands the ultimate, the American Ultra Stratocaster brings together Fender‘s most historic past with futuristic playability and tone.
