A CLOSER LOOK AT YOUR AMERICAN ULTRA II STRATOCASTER

The American Ultra II Stratocaster is the apex of modern Fender design, performance and craftsmanship. A masterful blend of cutting-edge tech and 150 classic hand processes in our Corona, California factory – from streamlined body contours and our fastest-playing necks to new Ultra II Noiseless™ Vintage Strat pickups and a versatile S-1™ switch – the Ultra II Strat both advances the state-of-the-art and stands the test of time.

We caught up with Allen Abbassi, Fender’s Director of Product Management, for a deep dive into each innovative feature, so you’re ready to unleash the searing leads and crystalline cleans of our most advanced Strat yet.

OUR FASTEST-PLAYING NECKS

There’s fast. And there’s Ultra II fast. Designed for the most discerning players, it’s only fitting the Ultra II Series features our fastest-playing necks ever. But what exactly makes the neck so fast? Let’s break it down.

MODERN “D” SHAPE

“The Modern ‘D’ shape is like a Goldilocks of necks; it’s a medium thickness – not too thick, not too thin,” Abbassi explains. “Compared to the Modern ‘C’ we use on the American Performer Series or the old Elites, the ‘D’ has shoulders that slope up a little – but not quite as drastically – so it feels a little flatter and thinner in your hand. A lot of times pros and advanced players gravitate toward thicker, vintage-style necks, and equate thickness with tone. But when they try something geared toward comfort and playability, they’re surprised at how nice it feels.”

COMPOUND RADIUS EBONY OR QUARTERSAWN MAPLE FINGERBOARD

The 10-14” compound radius means the curvature of the fretboard changes – with a smaller radius near the nut and a flatter radius toward the body. “This allows you to play higher registers – it’s easier to bend notes, and you’re less likely to fret or choke out,” he notes. As for the quartersawn neck? “It's a premium cut of wood, which results in a stronger, more stable neck – and you can feel it when you play it. They're more resistant to warping and the grain looks stunning – it's a great high-performance feature.”

EBONY OR MAPLE FINGERBOARD

Typically reserved for Custom Shop designs, ebony is about as premium a wood as you can get. “It’s bright like maple but not as snappy,” says Abbassi. “It’s a little smoother; it can be considered a midway point between rosewood and maple. Players might also find that ebony enhances the fastness of the neck.”

ULTRA ROLLED EDGES

“All the American-made guitars have rolled edges – but there are varying degrees. The edges on the Ultra II are more rolled than on any other Fender. This gives the guitars a more comfortable, broken-in feel. The difference is immediately noticeable.”

ULTRA SATIN FINISH

Many players liken the Ultra Satin finish to the feeling of a well-worn vintage neck – it has that comfortable, broken-in feel that usually only comes with years of playing. “The satin urethane finish on the back is a special treatment we call Ultra Satin – we take a little more time making it smooth and slick, which contributes to the neck being so fast.”

LUMINLAY® SIDE DOTS

For the first time in the history of Fender, every model in the American Ultra II Series features Luminlay® side dots – high-quality fluorescent inlays that glow in the dark. “It’s a great high-performance feature designed for the stage,” Abbassi notes. The feature addresses a common problem players face on tour – inadequate stage lighting – ensuring the fret markers on the neck are always visible, even in a dimly lit room.

ULTRA II NOISELESS VINTAGE STRAT PICKUPS

Equal parts responsive and expressive, the new Ultra II Noiseless Vintage pickups deliver definitive Strat sparkle for exceptional Fender tone – without hum. “We revoiced every pickup set in the Ultra II Series for improved tone and to make them even quieter – even though they were already very quiet on Ultra I,” Abbassi explains.

“When you plug your guitar into an amp and hear that hum – this gets rid of that. It’s a huge benefit, not just for recording in the studio, but for those who play live under fluorescent lights – which can contribute to buzzing – this helps tremendously. We also tweaked the pickups to make them sound more like a real single-coil – so the Ultra II Strat pickups have more of that dynamic, warm, crystalline Fender tone players know and love.”

The pickups feature an evolved architecture of specialized stacked coils with the top coil wound around Alnico V rod magnets to produce true single-coil Fender tone, while the isolated bottom coil is calibrated to preserve the tone and reject hum.

“It’s difficult to achieve because the nature of the construction is like a mini humbucker – with two single coils stacked on top of each other – but the newest version on Ultra II is the closest you can get to true noiseless single-coil tone.”

S-1 SWITCHING

Built for players boldly seeking the best, the Ultra II Series Strat is our most advanced model yet, with a host of upgrades designed to push your playing forward. Concealed within the volume knob, the patented S-1™ switch is no exception. Both highly functional and aesthetically pleasing, the switch makes a wider range of pickup configurations available on each model – adding incredible tonal versatility without altering the appearance of the instrument.

“When you push the button in on the Strat, it will add the neck pickup in positions 1 and 2,” notes Abbassi. It’s a popular mod among Strat enthusiasts – including David Gilmore, whose legendary Black Strat features a tiny toggle switch he installed to get the job done. “The S-1™ switch allows you to get configurations that are not possible with a normal 5-way switch. On the Ultra II SSS Strat, if you push the S-1 in with the five-way in the bridge position, you get the bridge and neck pickups, like a Telecaster. And with the 5-way in position 2 – with the bridge and middle on – the S-1™ switch will add the neck pickup in, so now you have all three pickups on. It essentially takes your tonal capabilities from five to seven.

ADVANCED ELECTRONICS

Another high-performance, under-the-hood feature on the Ultra II Strat is the treble bleed circuit. “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 allows the higher frequencies to pass through, preserving that coveted Strat high-end – even at low volumes.

And don’t forget about the Orange Drop capacitors. “It’s an inside thing,” Abbassi adds, “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.”

Looking for an amp that can stand up to your Ultra? Check out our full suite of guitar amps — from the legendary Twin Reverb to the cutting-edge Tone Master Pro.