Fender Ultra II Strat - The best Fender can do?

[@TheGuitarGeek]

Does the Ultra Strat 2 live up to its name? Get your Fender Ultra II at Sweetwater (US 🇺🇸) sweetwater.sjv.io/4P6OJM Get your Fender Ultra II at Thomann (EU 🇪🇺) thmn.to/thoprod/476978?offid=1&affid=288 Get your Fender Ultra II at Andertons (UK🇬🇧) elkqr.link/ndrk7

[@Flashfyre-p1k]

I know Fender is doing a marketing blitz right now but its nice to see a comprehensive/honest review that doesn't feel like shilling. Much appreciated.

[@TheGuitarGeek]

Thank you for taking the time to write this. I really appreciate your understanding and you posting an intelligent point of view

[@eddiejr540]

Andy, I don’t think you get the credit you deserve for your tone…you have a nice touch and always great tone…well done indeed 🤘

[@amaj7313]

I've realised after watching this video that you are the best reviewer of new guitars. You are now my go to KZbinr when new gear is released 😁

[@budmarra556]

I bought the Ultra HSS in its first ran release, and absolutely love it!!! I’m one of biggest Strat snobs around, and they just nailed it with the one I got! I’m surprised though Andy that you didn’t notice the weight of that loaded guard 😁 the pick guard weighs a shit ton on the Ultra’s, also, all HSS models come with ‘hot’ noiseless singles to better match the bridge output,,,and the bridge in single coil split mode, is designed to have the exact same volume as the full humbucker, one of its selling points for me, switching between pickups, and splitting the bridge is flawless, and perfectly balanced!!! Very professional in my opinion,,,fantastic Strat!!! I love my Arctic White Pearl Ultra,,,👍

[@zombee38]

For the 3 notes that i can play it is way more than I need ! ...beautiful guitar

[@KeenBulldozer]

Such an in-depth review and really appreciated the humour! Thanks!

[@prajnachan333]

Outstanding. That satin finish on the neck is excellent. The bridge humbucker included and noiseless pickups is really great. New control knobs with rubber top-sides and new features. Very sublte sparkle finish. What a gem. Fender you have evolved baby!

[@TemplarGuitar]

Andy, I don't think Quartersawn maple comes from a different part of the tree - the technique of quatersawn lumber refers to wood that is produced by milling boards at a 90-degree angle to the growth rings. (Quarter sawn, as opposed to flat sawn). Great for guitar necks, - glad to see it in use in Ultra 2.

[@judih.8754]

Yes!

[@montauta]

You are right, is about The cut angle

[@myronsamuels8798]

so are you stating it really shouldn't cost more due to this?

[@TemplarGuitar]

@@myronsamuels8798 it should cost more, yes - there is a small level of waste associated with quartersawn, there are sorting and "yield" metrics, so yes, cost should be higher for quartersawn.

[@mclinlin39]

I love the sound of your Strat! The second you started playing It,it sounded just like my first Strat which was a 79 Standard SSS that I had SD Hotrails put in & Split on all of them,. I had the neck shaved down & finished off with an original FRose Trem. Your guitar is the closest to it I have heard. I sold it years ago & I have looked for it for years. So this summer I bought a new Player Strat, HSS ,Maple Neck & a Floyd Rose Trem. I’m on a very strict budget so it is what it is & as soon as I can I’m going to mod it basically the same as I did to my 1st Strat. What I love about the Seymour Duncan PUs is even when they are at maximum volume they never sound “muddy”! Great 👍 job!

[@S-T-E-V-E]

I love the Blacked out look! I've done that on every Strat I've owned!

[@martianmurray]

Same here. I even put a black nut and tuners on one

[@S-T-E-V-E]

@@martianmurray Even my Black Maple Neck Tele has a Black Pickguard! 😂

[@climber7565]

Thank you so much for the review!! I loved this and enjoyed very much. I appreciate it!

[@mveitchmunich]

Having a tone control for the strat bridge pickup in 2024!! The breakthrough we've only waited 70 years for??

[@FilleIceRises]

And it can be yours for only 2000+ $, what a steal!

[@bradwoods371]

they've had tone control on the bridge since the late 70s

[@CaesarCapone]

@@mveitchmunich What are you talking about?

[@mveitchmunich]

Every Strat I ever owned had a single volume and two tones. The bridge pickup had no tone control. I guess I've only played the older ones :⁠-⁠)

[@CaesarCapone]

@@mveitchmunich I apologize I don't know why I thought you said neck.

[@Stoobers]

Oh that "Wind Cries Mary" piece sounded so nice....

[@joshsklair8356]

Long time and multiple Strat owner, I tested 2 Ultras this week. You confirmed my evaluation and more. Pass for now, as it lacks true Strat sonic character- was hoping the noiseless would be the solution. Little switch a little dinky and you revealed too much going on under the hood for this lifelong road dog. Thank you 🙏🏼

[@TheGuitarGeek]

You’re welcome!

[@brubakersflatcakes9755]

It reminds me a bit of my Big Apple Strat (HH) that I bought 24 years ago. Same (similar) Candy Apple Red, amazing neck, perfect fit and finish. It's still one of my favorite players today. This looks like a modern version of the same thing. Love how its routed for a neck humbucker. Super cool guitar!

[@robert-wr6md]

What a surprise another Fender Ultra ll review.

[@Robstafarian]

With respect, how is one push/push coil split and a different tone pot connection "so much going on"? In the present era, this feels like giving Fender a cookie for tying their shoes.

[@FlyGuy457]

Thank you so much, it pushed me over to get out and purchase one. Great review, honestly told.

[@dasninjastix]

Love the look, the red and black contrast is delicious, and the maple looks fantastic. I'm surprised, not a Strat guy but definitely like the sounds you get here, the fuzz especially. Can't attribute that all to the guitar, you're doing some excellent audio capturing on your end. I think I'd rather a Reverend if I was going to spend this kind of money, but this the first Fender series that has grabbed my attention. Great playing as well, appreciate the demo!

[@the_anderman]

Thank you for measuring the resistance of the pickups! I really wanted to know how hot the bridge humbucker is and I searched high and low before I found your video.

[@ZillianZilch]

Great review. If the only bad thing about the guitar is the strings, it’s a good guitar!

[@grahamnunn8998]

I had an gold anodised scratchplate on black Strat Plus once. It looked incredible but as i have fingernails (I also play classical and fingerstyle acoustic) it was really uncomfortable. I finally gave in a converted it to HSS, I had never got on with that before but a low output humbucker made it the perfect all rounder. I have DiMarzio Air noiseless single coils as the first few generations of Fender's noiseless were not great. Sounds like they are much closer with these. Nice "real world" guitar demo Andy, I like to hear someone playing a guitar the way most working musicians will.

[@Melskatesumtimes]

Beautiful , love the flat black pickguard , Your playing made me run to pick up my guitar thank you

[@infn8loopmusic]

Excellent excellent review! Very thorough, enjoyable and spot on.

[@TheMerc1950]

Nice playing Andy!!

[@TheGuitarGeek]

Many thanks!! I enjoyed this a lot. If only it had a bigger neck ;-)

[@TheMerc1950]

@@TheGuitarGeek Good thing they are bolt on ;)

[@iamanovercomer3253]

​@@TheGuitarGeek😂 for me I prefer fender necks.... fits my hands better than 12" radius...

[@krisbeenders3565]

Thanks Andy, I aleady bought one. Going to test it later today and I am putting 10.5 strings on it. Like the sound of that

[@TheGuitarGeek]

Wow! Enjoy those strings 😎

[@tzsteve33]

Would love to see a back to back with the original Strat ultra from the early 90’s

[@LLCoolRobbe]

I got the ultra II strat and tele...what should i say, there absolutely awesome. Sound, feeling, playability...perfect 4 me.

[@LiamRayJames]

u got played. The ultra 1s are better

[@robphillips8351]

Great review as always, and yes the new fender strat is pretty sweet..

[@roimodeste]

Fender American Ultra III : swamp ash body ,roasted maple neck, 24 stainless steel frets, inlay Led dots, no load tone pot, new noiseless ultra III hot custom classic pickups , new colors ( dark white , snow black , yellow snow, banana blue, pink elephant, transparent X ray )😁

[@grimeyhonkyracing3938]

From your lips to God's ears

[@lteske2]

Just subscribed. Been thinking about getting this guitar, appreciate the in-depth review. BTW, no offense but I just loved to hear you talk, you're just so British slang and all. Thanxxxxxxx!!!!!!!!!!

[@slide8570]

Years ago I wrote to the CEO of Fender about mods I did to a Kramer guitar...basically mods based on a Fender Jeff Beck strat that I played once. I made a compound radius fretboard, LSR Roller nut, beveled the bridge plate holes so there were no sharp angles for the strings to cross, got rid of the saddles and replaced with Graphtech Sting Saver saddles. In 2012 I bought one of their American deluxe strats the HSS series, the bridge plate had beveled holes, the neck was radius was 12 to 16", the wiring sucked, to me, to much going on IMO but the guitar still sounds great and plays great. I only changed the saddles to String Saver saddles..and if you haven't done that yet, you might want to consider doing that. It will save you a lot of money on broken strings!

[@Jamman610]

Cool quick connect.

[@papasmamas1]

Very nice strat, in candy apple red, and white pickguard and pickuos would be spectacular.

[@The..Butterfly..Effect]

Nice 80s guitar, I like the look - Looks like a good buy for someone who wants a fender

[@johnhmaloney]

The noiseless pickups are stacked humbuckers, so they're never going to be quite as bright and jangly as proper single coils, but those get very, very close and they sound really great.

[@1man1guitarletsgo]

I suspect there is some sort of cavity shielding, because there's a ground wire screwed down inside it (see around 15:50). Maybe the cavity was shielded before the red paint went on.

[@theodordimov6518]

You're absolutely right, there's no reason to have a ground wire screwed in the wood unless it's making contact with something conductive.

[@YTPartyTonight]

@@1man1guitarletsgo Perhaps they did this step to help facilitate shielding if the owner potentially opts to add it by simplifying the job a little-just add conductive copper tape or MG Chem Super Shield paint.

[@Txkagisan]

loved the video man. keep it up

[@AndyInTheUK]

I think it sounds great!

[@HerrPapa]

Does anybody else hear a 12k-ish tone sometimes in the audio of this clip or is it me? 8:34 right after "it's noisless firstly..." 8:50 over the "used" when Andy says "... I'm used to as a strat player"

[@fribersson]

Also hearing some weird frequency, I thought it was my earbuds. Weird?

[@PhillipHolt-f9r]

Maybe not a high price

[@TycknoLabInc]

I'm listening on a pair of Mackie XR824s, and it's definitely there at least some of the time. Started driving me crazy in the first few seconds. And if I'm not mistaken, it's a whine that he had in the room with him. In places, you can hear it come and go with his speech (with quick fades in between words), and sometimes it pokes out with chord trails as well.

[@mikeybeeee07]

what a beautiful instrument.

[@retromacman620]

Love the idea of the Ultra Strat, both this one and the original, as in the modern specs as opposed to vintage specs. For me, I'd usually rather do the Player Plus as the specs are close enough and the price is better, or...recently I traded a player plus towards a 90's American Standard, because it's a dream guitar of mine. ❤

[@obsidian7644]

I have the ultra 1 texas tea maple neck...i replaced the pickguard with a replica of david gilmours black pickguard and pickups. I shaved the nut down polished all the laquer off the frets. Its as perfect a strat as ill ever need.

[@hannosolo]

I’m always in awe and disappointment at the same time at how flawless video demo guitars are…with videos (not published) of my delivered/returned Fenders.

[@davroshalfbeard8368]

Got to say I was pleasantly surprised at how decent fender noiseless pickups are got them on a tele pretty hot though not to everyone's taste but I like em 😂

[@GrantCarter-m4d]

Thank you, brother, I got the S S S and the same problem with the strings/tuning! Swapped them out for some Ernie ball 9s and all good to go! What the heck is Fender doing with them strings? Loving the guitar big time, great demo God bless

[@davidfung7902]

Regarding being unable to get a DC resistance reading on the middle pickup. There wasn't anything wrong - your multimeter can be set to read in different ranges with the main knob. There's a long time (weird) tradition in multimeters - the LCD for the most significant digit can only show a "1" instead of having all the segment to show any digit. When setting up the reading ranges, it will only read up to 1.999 or 19.99, or 199.9. It's a weird cost saving from the old days! So in your specific case, the resistance of the noiseless middle pickup was greater than 19.9 kohms, which was over the range that the meter was set for, and it showed a "1" which means "over range". 20K ohm is unusual for a guitar pickup, but what they're doing with this Noiseless pickups. That's confirmed by the slightly lower 19 Kohms your read on the neck pickup. When you see that, flip the knob on the multimeter to the 20K range and you can take a proper measurement.

[@Aidenbro-s2k]

I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it.

[@Flukey_1970]

I wish they had done the sss model with black pickups and knobs i love the blacked out look on the HSS

[@11000038]

Wow. It's evolved so much in the last 70 years! 🤓

[@TheGuitarGeek]

Exactly mate. Boss take stuff from existing products and rehash and add stuff to make new stuff.

[@distrustfulmonkey2832]

Was really hoping you'd be a tele guy! Great review none the less though. I really need to play that tele though so I can hopefully convince myself I don't need it.

[@pierrelorthios851]

à oui , those golden sparkles in that red color...MIAM MIAM🥲🥲

[@Hiro.the.God.]

I see they gave you a red one! These all look and sound absolutely amazing! I’m going to go cry on my pillow now, cuz I can afford them. 😢😂

[@ArifBalyemez]

Video 👉🏼 high pass filter 👉🏼enter 👍🏼

[@markbarboza1407]

I bought a Fender Lead III back in the early 80s. I still have it and they should bring it back.

[@gavriloprincip11]

BREAKING NEWS: Fender made a "new" strat !!!

[@jmorg1267]

😂

[@buzzardluck]

Rumors have it they have something called a "Telecaster" in the works.

[@mrmz3802]

Lol.. they have glow in the dark dots.. angle pickups selector on tele 😂😂😂😂😂 that is newwwwwwww

[@allenmitchell09]

Yeah and Gibson just released a new Les Paul. 🤦‍♂️

[@gavriloprincip11]

@@allenmitchell09 whats next overpriced signature epiphones?? crazy times we live in .The futer is now!

[@jaygriz]

I have tried to like the noiseless pickups (both on KZbin and in person), but they don't have the spank, quack, and ice pick sounds that make a Strat a Strat. Furthermore, they are simply less dynamic and sound compressed. This is true for both Ultra I and Ultra II. They sound neutered. If you like the rest of the features, swap out the pickups. That 14" radius is sweet up above the 12th fret. The fretwork is excellent. Pop-in whammy is great. Kinda wish Fender would have contoured the fret access on the FRONT of the body, but I get why they didn't. They would've had to use a non-standard Pickgaurd.

[@place_desjardins]

Nice review.

[@Bloom64-rt5cm]

Love watching videos about stuff I will never want to pay for 😂

[@mrskint55]

I have an ultra strat and at first I wasn’t sure I could gel with it,but I now love it.

[@mrb2436]

@@Willemguitar 100%

[@oliverlangrall2014]

I traded in for an Am Pro II Strat 3 months ago and it's my current favorite guitar I own. I was going to swap the pickups because I played the original vmods years ago and hated them but these pick ups are great, the quality is great and I have 0 issues with it. I was just looking at these Ultras wondering how they could be better. I mean, no rosewood fretboard!? *scoff* It also doesn't hurt that I got mine for about $500 worth of pedals (lol) which probably affects my opinion of it. It is a B stock refurb but aside from the serial number being replaced it's a new Am Pro II strat, though I may be more critical of it if I had payed the 1600 or whatever they cost new.

[@sagittated]

I adore both my Am Pro II guitars. The V mod 2 pickup series are really pleasing. I think I still prefer them to the ultra 2 series because I'm partial to the straight 9.5" radius and non-locking tuners, but for people who really want that, these are probably worth the extra few hundred bucks.

[@oliverlangrall2014]

@@sagittated I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about that compound neck but I do love playing my strat! I did swap the tuners for locking though 🙊

[@GibsonFender]

Yep I gotta get it

[@metallsnubben]

It seems VERY nice! ...and extremely out of my budget, looking forward to the Harley Benton ST Modern review haha

[@MurrayWilliams]

So, the big issue you had with guitar is you had to change the strings?

[@prajnachan333]

You can't say the cost? Did I miss it? Beautiful guitar 🎸 how much? Around 2000 I bought a beautiful new white Strat with ebony fingerboard for $400 @ Guitar Center. I've been really happy with it. Quite a value.

[@fribersson]

Mate, there's a weird noise thing around your speaking (sometimes, not all the time), no idea what it is? I listening with earbuds, so don't know if people notice otherwise? But seems a few did. (Otherwise great video, as always :) )

[@danielhahn7329]

@@fribersson Yeah, noticed it too. Good stuff, but it put me off for a sec aswell.

[@AVM-Music]

Andy I love your videos but you have a serious audio issue in the Treble end when narrating Rather high frequency digital hiss

[@uziforyoutosay1749]

Darn it Andy, just watching your style in playing, the opening….ugh I need more lessons, especially from you…………cheers.

[@TheGuitarGeek]

Thank you! I’m putting together an album so that is an idea I’m playing about with at the moment. Glad it landed!

[@JoshuaCarterliberty]

you are wrong about the s1 switch. i read that the s1 button just adds the neck to theother pickups

[@michaelmenkesOZSKIB]

I'm a little concerned with any guitar which gives up a tremolo effect with the trem arm not even installed. FYI quartersawn maple doesn't come from a specific part of the tree. It is how any tree trunk is cut into lumber. Quartersawing has more waste but gives you more up and down grain which is better for neck stability.

[@TheGuitarGeek]

Point 1 - any trem guitar can manipulated without having the bar in. You just have to know how. Point 2 -So by the tree being cut in a specific way and not using specific parts, you ARE using a specific part of the tree.

[@1man1guitarletsgo]

@@TheGuitarGeek No, Michael's right about quartersawn lumber.

[@thatfunk]

​@@WillemguitarI don't know why you would think a quarter sawn neck is $300 more 😂 These are the same price as an Ultra 1, so you aren't paying any more for a quartersawn neck anyway

[@billybob-b7t]

I don't need this at all but.... I'm gonna get one.

[@surenag9091]

🤣🤣🤣🤣👍

[@dougckelly]

there's still the weird little routing hole on the bottom edge of the bridge, once you see it, you can't unsee it...

[@Paulo-ze1tl]

Just want to point out that the HSS comes with an Ultra II noiseless hot Strat pickups, while the SSS have the noiseless vintage. I think the latter should get you closer to a vintage sound, while the former is slightly hotter, as the name suggests.

[@derelictconfusion9498]

Im amazed Fender arnt giving options for stainless steel frets,looks nice though

[@humiut2041]

Ultra Luxe, but I see that the vast majority of fender fans do not like the ss frets.

[@derelictconfusion9498]

@@Willemguitar Thanks for that

[@11000038]

It would be perfect if it was an LP!

[@peterhall4852]

Nice and very balanced review,Andy. I think it sounds fantastic clean ,for me a little tame when its driven. I think modern strats lose something of the snarl of classic strats. It seems to me that Fender are aiming for the home recording,session muscian market. Its not a fire breather,but a really usable modern guitar.

[@TheGuitarGeek]

Thanks Peter. I agree with all your points here. I think the drive is great but it shines on cleans

[@peterhall4852]

@@TheGuitarGeek It would be an interesting comparison against one of the top end Pacificas. I genuinely like this guitar and am going to think hard about buying one. Some of the negativity just seems to be that it's not voiced like a Vintage strat. At least Fender are trying to do something different. I don't think it's overpriced for a USA Fender, but it's a harder sell against a Yamaha or a boutique build.

[@Reinemachefrau]

Let's go to Fantasy Land for a bit. You travel back in time to August 1972, just as Deep Purple finish their sound check. You hand this guitar to Ritchie so he can A/B it against his regular black Strat with the big headstock. Same amp settings. How effing cool would that be!

[@michaelammerman8316]

You did a great review of the Fendor 70th Anniversary American Vintage II 1954 Strat. Can you tell us if the AVII '54 has more of the Vintage sound this one is missing? Also, anything that jumps out at you as differences. I think in that video you really liked that guitar as well. Would love to know if one is better than the other in anyway. Thanks.

[@joesmith8398]

I wish Fender would lighten up on the tinting of the maple necks. They look almost yellowish-orange. I'd prefer a much lighter staw-yellow tint.

[@alexc3744]

That genuinely looks and sounds like a decent guitar. But I can't help feeling that Yamaha have done this kind of thing years ago... and less expensive. I'm sticking to my high end Pacifica.

[@MrPhotonjockey]

I have the original Ultra Strat. It is my favorite Fender. The slight upgrades on the version II aren’t enough to make me give it up.

[@phenixreturns]

No stainless frets

[@michaelspiering7585]

I want an SSS in Texas Tea finish with a rosewood fingerboard.

[@paulmckenfitnessnutrition2434]

The question that's burning me is if whether or not this guitar is better than the Core Silver Sky

[@esbee1177]

Nice review, thanks! I think, if Jimi Hendrix would live today, it was very likely, he used on of these. Maybe, maybe not. What do you guys think? Traditional 54 Reissue and stay true to grandpa or go for the new stuff? Any comments/ideas on that? 🍿

[@peterlennox6572]

G’day, great review! Do you like the pickups in this guitar, both single coil and the humbucker ? Do they sound great ???

[@marshp2749]

Price?

[@MasterMojo85]

So the only "issue" was that the delivered strings were bad? I can live with that. This Strat looks very tempting to me. I want that old and vintage stuff but I also want some modern features like a good playable neck. This really seems to be the best of both worlds. And (at least for my taste) Strats and LP look the most gorgeous. But my next guitar will actually be a Les Paul Standard, so this one here has to wait (I already own a 2000 American Standard Strat). Maybe I'll get the Ultra III in ten years. :-)

[@stockholm1752]

I’m impressed. Looks great and seems very versatile. Nice demo, Andy.

[@6stringstrum]

Del-Tone is the guitar brand for me.

[@Earthstein]

When measuring the worth of Art and of it's tools, the term 'best' begs so many questions. Best for whom; for what? (my list can go on and on.) I like your channel. I will declare it the 'best'?

[@Nizodizo]

It looks like they changed the wiggle stick from the one that came with the Ultra.

[@oresterodriguez839]

What are your settings and channel for the Royalist used in this demo please? Thank you 🙏

[@tubingforever]

You have the biggest hands I've ever seen. Holy shit!!

[@mattc2674]

totally get that some people don’t like nitro, but personally I wouldn’t spend $2000+ on a guitar with a plasticky urethane finish. Lots of S types in that price range with nitro, but not from fender…what gives?

[@jake2355]

@@mattc2674 it’s because they’re a mass manufacturer. They have to play to what the majority of people want. The majority of players would be distraught if they got a mark, dent or scratch on their pride & joy. Even more so if they cared for it perfectly and after a few years the paint still started to crack/check. I’m with you. I love when my nitro finishes age gracefully or get a few battle scars from a gig. Gives them character. But that’s not the majority. The majority would be bedroom players, who want their gear pristine. and Fender’s sales would suffer if they went for nitro on the models these customers buy. And it’s simply not cost-effective for them to make some nitro and some poly. Because that would mean creating 2 manufacturing streams for the different finishes. More cost. Just the way the world works unfortunately

[@basiltiffani8850]

I'm surprised at how hot the pickups are.

[@Grid21]

It's funny, I was watching part of Fender's video of this, but then I came here for an unbiased review because you give it to us straight and don't try to upsell anyone. Love it! Oh Also, why was there a high pitch ringing sound when you spoke into your mic? It sounded like some strange ringing noise floor issue?

[@joermnyc]

Pretty much nowhere in my price range, but maybe some of the specs will trickle down (eventually)? HSS is tricky as the Humbucker can be too much for the single coils, and then splitting the humbucker might cause the opposite problem. Edit: the middle and neck are so high because of the noiseless coils in the circuit. It's probably more likely around 9-10 for both. I noticed the Ultra 2 Metora has a tone knob AND a bass cut... are Fender trying to go after G&L (and Reverend)? (But they made it a hardtail... I like the whammy bar on the MIM.)

[@ManWithNoName-t2d]

I'll stick with my Mexican Fender Jaguar HH special. Left handed, of course. My friends and I have a surf music cover band and I get some sweet rythym sound out of it