A CLOSER LOOK AT YOUR AMERICAN ULTRA II STRATOCASTER HSS

The American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS 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 Haymaker Humbucker and Ultra II Noiseless Strat pickups – the Ultra II HSS 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 hot-rodded Fender tones and raw, expressive snarl of our most advanced HSS 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.

HAYMAKER™ HUMBUCKER & ULTRA II NOISELESS™ STRAT PICKUPS

With new Ultra II Noiseless Hot Strat pickups for articulate, hot-rodded Fender tones and a Haymaker™ Humbucker that unleashes a raw, expressive snarl, the Ultra II HSS Strat is about as versatile as you can get.

“With the Ultra II Series we designed a new humbucker called the Haymaker™ Humbucker. 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 – 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.”

Equal parts responsive and expressive, the new Ultra II Noiseless™ Hot single-coil pickups deliver articulate Fender tones – 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.”

The calibrated combination of Haymaker™ Humbuckers and Fender Noiseless™ Hot pickups delivers an incredibly versatile range of tones with immense output and incredible balance across all pickup configurations.

S-1 SWITCHING

Built for players boldly seeking the best, the Ultra II HSS 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.

“You can push the button and the S-1™ splits the humbuckers into a single-coil,” Abbassi notes. This gives players the best of both worlds: “you get those overdriven tones you want out of a humbucker but you still achieve that classic Fender single-coil tone.”

ADVANCED ELECTRONICS

Another high-performance, under-the-hood feature on the Ultra II HSS 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.