Fender American Ultra Series Stratocaster

Has Fender refined the contemporary Strat to perfection here?

- Rob Laing

How does a guitar company innovate while protecting the very things people loved about its instruments in the first place? It can be a fine line – remember Gibson’s embrace of Robot Tuner models in 2015? Gibson probably wants to forget it too. Fender is approaching things in a more measured way – creating regularly revised lines for its iconic models built in Mexican and Corona to suit different budgets and tastes. And looking at the specs across the American-made Ultra Series, it’s undoubtedly Fender’s most contemporary. Does that make it the pinnacle of what a modern Fender can be too?

First, we need to go back to get to the future. In 2016 Fender launched the Elite Series, and the Ultras share a lot of the same traits. This series is essentially a refresh of the Elites with updates and refinements. And the features here are significant.

Combined, they suggest this is an instrument for people who play guitar a lot and need enhanced tonal versatility and comfort from their Fender. But that could just as well apply to any of us who can afford the entrance fee. The Strat arguably benefits the most from that too. So let’s break down what we have here and how it adds up.