Stainless steel frets, painted headstocks and Floyd Rose options feature on new ultra-high-end lineup
(Image credit: Fender)
After an initial announcement at NAMM back in January, Fender has officially launched four mouth-watering new American Ultra Luxe electric guitar models, which take the already top-end America Ultra specs up a gear.
New features to the line include the addition of stainless steel frets – a first for Fender guitars, to our recollection – as well as unique Augmented “D” neck profiles with ultra rolled fingerboard edges, tapered neck heels and speedy 10”-14” compound-radius, 22-fret fingerboards.
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Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster rear contours(Image credit: Fender)
Fender American Ultra Luxe Telecaster rear contours(Image credit: Fender)
The guitars also boast advanced wiring options, sculpted rear contours, matching painted headstocks, sealed locking tuners, chrome hardware and bone nuts, and come with a molded hardshell case.
For details on all the new models, head below.
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster ($2,299)
(Image credit: Fender)
The American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster features a sculpted ash body and Ultra Noiseless Vintage pickups.
Pressing the S-1 Switch located in the volume knob adds the neck pickup to positions one and two.
The guitar is offered in 2-Color Sunburst (with rosewood fingerboard) and 2-Color Sunburst and Plasma Red Burst (with maple fingerboard).
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Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS ($2,399)
(Image credit: Fender)
The American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Floyd Rose HSS features Ultra Noiseless Hot single-coil pickups and an Ultra Double Tap humbucker, as well as an Original Floyd Rose Tremolo system.
That humbucker can be split into a hot single-coil via an S-1 Switch located on the volume control.
The guitar is offered in Silverburst (with maple fingerboard) and Mystic Black (with rosewood fingerboard).
Fender American Ultra Luxe Telecaster ($2,299)
(Image credit: Fender)
The Ultra Luxe Tele boasts a sculpted ash body and Ultra Noiseless Vintage pickups, with a rosewood fingerboard and TUSQ nut.
An S-1 Switch located in the master volume control activates series mode in the middle pickup position for chunkier, higher-output sounds.
The model is available in Transparent Surf Green and 2-Color Sunburst.
Fender American Ultra Luxe Telecaster Floyd Rose HH ($2,399)
(Image credit: Fender)
Yep: it's a Floyd Rose on a two-humbucker Tele. The Ultra Luxe Telecaster Floyd Rose HHfeatures a pair of Custom Double Tap humbucking pickups and an Original Floyd Rose Tremolo system.
And, of course, those humbuckers can be split into single coils via a push/push tone knob.
The guitar comes in Mystic Black with a maple fingerboard.
For more information on all the new Ultra models, head to Fender.
Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.
