Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Review 2024 – Is It Worth It?

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Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster Review

There is no turning back in the world of Fender electric guitars, especially with the emergence and availability of the American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster.

This is for players who demand nothing but the best when it comes to tone and performance.

And as expected from this Fender product, it meets the expectations and even more.

Being one of the most advanced in the brand’s basses and guitars, it has an elevated overall design, feel, and show.

It is your following versatile and state-of-the-art instrument that will push you to play and make beautiful music like never before.

Editor's Pick
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster
4.5
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The Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster

When Fender released its American Ultra Series, it undertook an impressive job, and that is refining and giving one of its most loved guitars of all time a balanced upgrade. And they did a superb job with the Ultra-Luxe Stratocaster.

Fender has not taken the Strat to a higher level, and there is no turning back. With its one-of-a-kind augmented “D” profile neck and electrifying new distinction, this guitar has become an elevated version of the standard Fender products.

This premium-performance Stratocaster from Fender is simply beautiful. With its ash body and maple neck with a compound-radius fretboard furnished with 22 medium-jumbo frets, you can play this Strato for hours at a time. There’s no stopping you, and this guitar is with you in every strum and note.

It is fitted with a threesome of Ultra Noiseless Vintage pickups transmitted to a five-position blade switch. And to achieve a more tonal diversity, it comes with a trust S1 switch that helps you add the neck pickup to particular positions.

Other hardware features also include having a Tusq nut and sealed locking tuners. In addition, the Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster comes in 2-color Sunburst and Plasma Red Burst.

Without any doubt, the American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster is an instrument intended for high performance. It is the best partner of professional musicians who can go on for hours and discerning amateurs still finding their rhythm and style.

Read: 10 Best Electric Guitars for Beginners

Pros

  • Enhanced playability for all kinds of musicians regardless of tenure
  • Integrated S1 switch for additional versatility
  • It comes with a premium molded hard-shell case for easy transport and security
  • It comes with an Ultra Noiseless Vintage pickup
  • Has advanced wiring options to broaden the tonal possibilities – all without a hum

Cons

  • Not for the left-handed musicians
  • Very minimal difference from the previous Elite version

Stainless Steel Frets

The American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster comes with 22-stainless steel medium jumbo frets. This means that the frets are considerably smoother and harder than the conventional frets made of nickel and silver. This assures you durability when using the instrument.

Additionally, stainless steel frets also provide you with that glassy playing feel, making bending easier. It is so smooth that you might think that there’s actually nothing there. There is no felt resistance between the frets and the strings, so the bends take lesser effort.

Also, thanks to its stainless steel frets, you will soon discover how vibrating the note at the top of the bend can now be achieved easier with the Ultra Luxe Stratocaster.

Augmented D-shaped Neck

The American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster boasts an augmented “D” neck that gives more body than the usual Modern “D.” This profile is a huge plus because it slightly becomes fuller towards the twelfth fret completed with shoulders that are softer in its higher register.

What makes the neck more beautiful is its ultra-rolled fingerboard edges that give off that extra smooth and silky satin finish. This makes playing this instrument easy and almost effortless.

You can play this instrument in stretches at a time without feeling any discomfort, making it an ideal choice for musicians who need endless hours of practice and performance.

Ultra-Noiseless Vintage Pickups

The Ultra Noiseless Vintage pickup always gives you that satisfying classic Fender tone but without any of the annoying and distracting hums. Instead, it produces a more contemporary fullness to the sound, making it suitable to the less bluesy and more rock-ful territory.

fender american ultra luxe stratocaster pickups

You will be overwhelmed by how quiet these pickups are. And thanks to the volume knob’s S1 switch, you have a different neck pickup in a convenient switch position.

Improved Body Contours

Everything in the American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster is designed with the convenience of the musician in mind. Every contour and angle is meant to give the player a more seamless musical experience.

It features a thinning neck heel that allows matchless and unrestricted access to the fingerboard’s upper registers. The sculpted rear body silhouette, meanwhile, is all about comfort and flexibility.

fender american ultra luxe body

Its curved heel joint is something that you might have seen before, but this is a revolutionary change for the Strat design. If you take your time in the highest ranges of your instrument’s fretboard, then this is a huge plus because of the freer access that it can provide.

Locking Tuning Machines

This feature provides increased tuning stability so you can toggles between your strings faster and easier.

This mechanism can guarantee that your strings are locked in place and that the strings won’t come to lose despite hours of playing. This is important for long sets and gigs where you have minimal to zero time to make adjustments.

10-inches to 14-inches Compound Radius

The compound radius is already an excellent feature because no player would usually play bass notes on their thumbs past the 12 or 15 fret, and with this, you can get a super low action.

The American Ultra Luxe Standard’s compound radius is designed for easy bending and speed. The 10 to 14 inches compound radius fingerboard is designed to be rounded close to the nut. It results in a better chord that musicians can appreciate. It also becomes flat, as it nears the upper register for free bending.

Specs

Conclusion

Editor's Pick
Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster
4.5
CHECK PRICE ON SWEETWATER CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON
We may earn commission from purchases made from our links, at no additional cost to you.

The Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster proves that good things can still be better. This series is a way better option for hard-core musicians who want to play it hard for endless hours.

Fender did very well with this Strat, and there’s no turning back now when it comes to performance and quality. This is a great purchase and worth every cent and penny.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Just got a brand new Ultra Luxe three days ago. Can’t stop playing as it’s beauty is so inspiring, comfortable to play and really has some super sound.

  2. Wow I have had a lot of guitars in my 30 years of playing and never have I had one stay in tune like this Strat. I’ve listened to other players say how their rig would stay in tune all night long. I always thought it was bs. Well I finally have one that does. I know the Floyd Rose is supposed to but that’s not always the case. Speaking of case the TsA case is nice. Fits very well. Not like my Tele case, that case does not fit at all. Feels like the high E tuner is gonna snap off. The stainless frets are nothing short of amazing. The double tap Bridge pick up sounds great. The satin finish neck feels SO good. By far the most comfy neck ever. The pick guard is aluminum and I hate it. It feels terrible when your nails scratch it I will definitely change that out. The volume knob is too close, I keep turning it down as I play. I dime it out and seldom ever turn it down and I don’t use the S1 switch so I popped it off, problem solved. The action was set way too high for me and the neck had too much bow. I’ve never touched a truss Rod adjuster but after watching a YouTube video I was able to get the action dialed in. The intonation is so dead nuts on when you play an E cord you can actually feel it resonate in your body with no amp even on. The mystic black is really nice has a nice metallic look through it the chrome hardware is also very nice fender included a nice set of strap locks and the Allen keys. I rate this guitar a perfect 10.
    I’m completely amazed at how well it stays in tune

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