Fender Ultra Series

Tenebrous

The finish on that Tele really is nice.

guitars4you

Haych said:

I wish Fender (and a lot of other manufacturers, for that matter) would consolidate the range a bit.  There are just too many different models and different price points, it's confusing and unnecessary.  Add to that the fact that the range and line up seems to change year on year and it's even more confusing and unnecessary.

Totally agree

Then add to this the many discussion points we have on FB, whereby the local dealer has nowhere near the selection of stock that can be found on www. and/or offered by the big boys - If you are open minded and want a nice USA Strat for say around £1500/1800, then many stores can help - But with the range so large then a dedicated request for the Ultra Strat with the HSS option, in Inverness Green, with a maple board and stop tail, then chances are only a few larger accounts will be able to help you with such a guitar available of the shelf today

WildWayz

So essentially, they are offering more variety to be more consumer friendly, but in doing so they are alienating smaller stores?

Hmmm bit of a rubbish way of dealing with sales...

I remember years ago ('93ish), my local store used to sell Ibanez guitars. I asked if he could get me an EX370FTR in flame green in. He said he would have to order 12 Ibanez guitars as the dealer wouldn't ship smaller quantities. In the end, he called up another independant store 45 miles away who had one, did a deal with him to buy it off him at cost price (or did a trade on something the other store wanted and didn't have) and had it shipped over to him. THAT's customer service.

Apart from the fact they sent it over in flame red - which I loved more lol

Philly_Q

Jalapeno said:

Strat54 said:

More nonsense and an excuse for a price rise no doubt. They couldn't even come up with a new name for the series....anyone remember the late 80's?

http://xhefriguitars.com/Stuff/Fender%20Brochure%201990%20p1.jpg

Still got mine (and it was the mid 90s, but no matter)

I think @Strat54's right.  I got my Deluxe Strat Plus (or was it a Strat Plus Deluxe?) in 1989, about six months before I bought my flat.  I had to sell it to keep up with those first few mortgage payments.

guitars4you

Philly_Q said:

Jalapeno said:

Strat54 said:

More nonsense and an excuse for a price rise no doubt. They couldn't even come up with a new name for the series....anyone remember the late 80's?

http://xhefriguitars.com/Stuff/Fender%20Brochure%201990%20p1.jpg

Still got mine (and it was the mid 90s, but no matter)

I think @Strat54's right.  I got my Deluxe Strat Plus (or was it a Strat Plus Deluxe?) in 1989, about six months before I bought my flat.  I had to sell it to keep up with those first few mortgage payments.

The Ultra version followed the Strat PLus Deluxe - Top of the line of the range - Figured maple 'veneer' tops plus 'exotic' finishes - and some had the 'locking' Floyd Rose style trem, or should I say designed/licenced/inspired by' F Rose, although some had no F Rose label on them and some say designed by George Banda (Fender designer at the time - I think that is his name) - No fine tuners but still you had to nip off the ball end - Came out around 1990 - And ebony boards - Think they all had the HSS format on the Strat

imalrightjack

They don’t seem much of a step up from an Elite.

I have a Strat-type coming from HJ Williams soon, custom built, with Fralin Vintage Hot pickups, a nice flame maple top (yes, not to everybody’s tastes), an oiled birdseye neck, matching my favourite carve (PRS wide fat) with 10-14 compound radius, my choice of colours etc. It isn’t costing much more than these and it’s absolutely to my spec. Hard to argue a case for the Fender.

not_the_dj

imalrightjack said:

 Hard to argue a case for the Fender.

I like the case that comes with these.

impmann

TBH, the Jazzmaster answers a lot of things I've wanted Fender to do for some time - mainly to do a 'modern' Jazzmaster, including having the truss adjuster on the headstock end. Whilst the purists get their pants wet for the vintage correct thing, its a PITA on the road.

But why oh why oh why oh why do they fit that shitty bridge? Purists may get narky about this, but Jazzmasters are improved many time fold by the fitment of better bridges - there's a reason why the vast majority of long term JM players fit either Staytrems or Masterys. And to have a guitar geared up for a modern player yet still have a flawed bridge (and YES it is flawed) - especially if you are going to fit thinner strings than the 12s/13s fitted in 1965.

Prices? That price doesn't sound outrageous to me if its well made. And seeing as the new price of a CS Strat is over £3.5k, its not that bad really. Yes, you can buy S/H but you can say similar about other products. 

impmann

merciful-evans said:

the American Ultra Series will cater for all with the new body contours and rolled fingerboard edges to provide the most comfortable playing experience. T

Wrong!
Some of us despise rolled edges. 

Why?

Philly_Q

guitars4you said:

Philly_Q said:

Jalapeno said:

Strat54 said:

More nonsense and an excuse for a price rise no doubt. They couldn't even come up with a new name for the series....anyone remember the late 80's?

Still got mine (and it was the mid 90s, but no matter)

I think @Strat54's right.  I got my Deluxe Strat Plus (or was it a Strat Plus Deluxe?) in 1989, about six months before I bought my flat.  I had to sell it to keep up with those first few mortgage payments.

The Ultra version followed the Strat PLus Deluxe - Top of the line of the range - Figured maple 'veneer' tops plus 'exotic' finishes - and some had the 'locking' Floyd Rose style trem, or should I say designed/licenced/inspired by' F Rose, although some had no F Rose label on them and some say designed by George Banda (Fender designer at the time - I think that is his name) - No fine tuners but still you had to nip off the ball end - Came out around 1990 - And ebony boards - Think they all had the HSS format on the Strat

Yes, it could be 1990.  My Strat Plus Deluxe had the Blue/Silver/Silver Lace Sensors, then I got the new Fender catalogue with the range as listed in the ad above, and changed mine to the new Red/Silver/Blue configuration - which didn't sound as good as the previous setup!

Not long after that they dumped the Wilkinson roller nut in favour of the LSR, and Sperzel locking tuners in favour of Schallers.

guitars4you

Philly_Q said:

guitars4you said:

Philly_Q said:

Jalapeno said:

Strat54 said:

More nonsense and an excuse for a price rise no doubt. They couldn't even come up with a new name for the series....anyone remember the late 80's?

Still got mine (and it was the mid 90s, but no matter)

I think @Strat54's right.  I got my Deluxe Strat Plus (or was it a Strat Plus Deluxe?) in 1989, about six months before I bought my flat.  I had to sell it to keep up with those first few mortgage payments.

The Ultra version followed the Strat PLus Deluxe - Top of the line of the range - Figured maple 'veneer' tops plus 'exotic' finishes - and some had the 'locking' Floyd Rose style trem, or should I say designed/licenced/inspired by' F Rose, although some had no F Rose label on them and some say designed by George Banda (Fender designer at the time - I think that is his name) - No fine tuners but still you had to nip off the ball end - Came out around 1990 - And ebony boards - Think they all had the HSS format on the Strat

Yes, it could be 1990.  My Strat Plus Deluxe had the Blue/Silver/Silver Lace Sensors, then I got the new Fender catalogue with the range as listed in the ad above, and changed mine to the new Red/Silver/Blue configuration - which didn't sound as good as the previous setup!

Not long after that they dumped the Wilkinson roller nut in favour of the LSR, and Sperzel locking tuners in favour of Schallers.

Allegedly the blue/silver/silver combination is desirable yet less of them - I like the Strat Plus/Plus Deluxe spec'd models from that era - The neck shape varies - Some have more of a rounded depth which I prefer, but I'm not sure I've nailed this size down to a specific year as such - Some appear to have it, so probably a variance within the 'production run/tolerance'

Again I'm not so sure I can tell the difference between blues and silvers and gold etc - Yes the Lace Sensors have a softer, more rounded, voice to a traditional Strat pick-up, but as for the various options within the Strat Plus them I'm less inclined to notice which is which

dickieguitar

@impmann The bridge looks OK to me. It has Mustang saddles and is the right width for the neck, unlike the one on the Am Pro!

I'm more intrigued by what they've done to the jazz circuit, replacing it with some sort of phase/blend stuff. I had a grope of the JM at the launch last night but only the Strat and Tele were plugged in to try out.

StefB

impmann said:

TBH, the Jazzmaster answers a lot of things I've wanted Fender to do for some time - mainly to do a 'modern' Jazzmaster, including having the truss adjuster on the headstock end. Whilst the purists get their pants wet for the vintage correct thing, its a PITA on the road.

But why oh why oh why oh why do they fit that shitty bridge? Purists may get narky about this, but Jazzmasters are improved many time fold by the fitment of better bridges - there's a reason why the vast majority of long term JM players fit either Staytrems or Masterys. And to have a guitar geared up for a modern player yet still have a flawed bridge (and YES it is flawed) - especially if you are going to fit thinner strings than the 12s/13s fitted in 1965.

Prices? That price doesn't sound outrageous to me if its well made. And seeing as the new price of a CS Strat is over £3.5k, its not that bad really. Yes, you can buy S/H but you can say similar about other products. 

I wonder why 21 frets on an ultra modern Jazzmaster though?

Coda have a healthy selection of USA made Fano Jazzmaster style derivates that already address many of these vintage shortcomings, and they are still cheaper than this production line Ultra range.  Granted they don't say Fender on the top though...

Wazmeister

WildWayz said:

BeardyAndy said:

"You'll never play a Fender the same way again"

Because they put a belly carve on a Telecaster??

I've got a big belly and not had a problem with it on my Tele... could do with a tit carve too tho

Brilliant. And I propa chuckled at that 

Philly_Q

@guitars4you I can't honestly remember the neck shape on my Plus Deluxe - I liked it, but I was less fussy about neck shapes then! 

I can remember owning a couple of American Standards later in the '90s and being more conscious of the necks being a bit thin, sharp fretboard edges etc - that was before the Modern C became the official neck profile and I think they started rolling the fretboard edges when it became the American Series in 1999 or 2000?

dickieguitar

StefB said:

Coda have a healthy selection of USA made Fano Jazzmaster style derivates that already address many of these vintage shortcomings, and they are still cheaper than this production line Ultra range.  Granted they don't say Fender on the top though...

Nah, those are hardtails.

guitars4you

Philly_Q said:

@guitars4you I can't honestly remember the neck shape on my Plus Deluxe - I liked it, but I was less fussy about neck shapes then! 

I can remember owning a couple of American Standards later in the '90s and being more conscious of the necks being a bit thin, sharp fretboard edges etc - that was before the Modern C became the official neck profile and I think they started rolling the fretboard edges when it became the American Series in 1999 or 2000?

Agree about the 'thinner' profile on the Std models and I don't find it to my taste - Some Strat Plus based models have more of a deeper C - Nothing like a 59LP but more depth - Remember they are a 43mm 1 11/16 nut width as well, to a touch wider than a traditional Strat nut width of 1 5/8

TTBZ

Bit underwhelmed. I was hoping they’d make them look a bit different, maybe remove the pickguard and go a bit more Suhr Pete Thorn or something. They’ve priced them way out of my budget anyway so I’m not exactly the target market!

Strat54

guitars4you said:

Philly_Q said:

Jalapeno said:

Strat54 said:

More nonsense and an excuse for a price rise no doubt. They couldn't even come up with a new name for the series....anyone remember the late 80's?

http://xhefriguitars.com/Stuff/Fender%20Brochure%201990%20p1.jpg

Still got mine (and it was the mid 90s, but no matter)

I think @Strat54's right.  I got my Deluxe Strat Plus (or was it a Strat Plus Deluxe?) in 1989, about six months before I bought my flat.  I had to sell it to keep up with those first few mortgage payments.

The Ultra version followed the Strat PLus Deluxe - Top of the line of the range - Figured maple 'veneer' tops plus 'exotic' finishes - and some had the 'locking' Floyd Rose style trem, or should I say designed/licenced/inspired by' F Rose, although some had no F Rose label on them and some say designed by George Banda (Fender designer at the time - I think that is his name) - No fine tuners but still you had to nip off the ball end - Came out around 1990 - And ebony boards - Think they all had the HSS format on the Strat

George Blanda   

Wazmeister

I thnk the Teles look great...

Im possibly in the market for a Tele (again) and love my relics, but I do like the look of these. Having played a Suhr for some time, Ive been proper spoilt with the tuning, sounds, consistency etc.