MusicRadar Verdict
A high price tag, but a quality instrument, the Fender American Ultra Luxe Vintage provides an old-school aesthetic and tone combined with modern playability. It is perhaps a narrow band of people who sit within that crossover, but if you do, it may be the perfect guitar.
Pros
- +
Sublime vintage Strat tones.
- +
Excellent modern playability.
- +
S1 switching for extra versatility.
Cons
- -
The checking will divide opinion.
- -
Switch from Ultra Noiseless pickups means hum is part of the package.
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What is it?
Old guitars just look cool. The vintage spec, however, is not for everyone, so what do you do if you like the '60s aesthetic, but would prefer an electric guitar spec more akin to Fender's high-end and modern Ultra II line? This is where the American Ultra Luxe Vintage range fits in, looking to combine the comfort of modern playability with a classic look and sound.
Fender’s current lineup not only serves almost every price point, but also includes a wealth of iterations on their classic designs that can appeal to the traditionalist or someone who likes all the up-to-date accouterments. On the modern side, the company has been regularly releasing and tweaking the specs of their offerings, with the current flagship being the Ultra II range, sporting a compound fretboard radius, an ergonomic heel joint, noiseless pickups, and more.
The Ultra Luxe Vintage, then, is an attempt to combine this modernity with something that those with old-school tastes in aesthetic and tone might appreciate. From this new line, what I have in my hands is the '60s Stratocaster, in a rather fetching Ice Blue Metallic. A high-end guitar, commanding a hefty price tag, I am expecting a lot as I get stuck in.
Specs
- Launch price: $2849.99/£2899/€3449
- Made: USA
- Type: Six-string electric guitar
- Body: Alder
- Neck: Quartersawn maple, Modern D
- Fingerboard/radius: Rosewood/10-14" compound radius
- Scale length: 647.7mm/25.5"
- Nut/width: Graph Tech Tusq/42mm
- Frets: 22, medium jumbo, stainless steel
- Hardware: Fender Deluxe locking tuners, Fender 2-point Ultra Synchronized Tremolo, stainless steel block saddles
- String spacing at bridge: 51mm/2"
- Electrics: Fender Pure Vintage '61 single-coil pickups, 5-way selector, S1 Switch
- Left-handed options: No
- Finishes: Ice Blue Metallic (as reviewed), Surf Green in Heirloom Lacquer finish
- Cases: Fender '60s-style hardcase
- Contact: Fender
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★½
At this price point, there is not a lot of room for forgiveness when it comes to build quality. Thankfully, no mercy is needed. The Fender Deluxe locking tuners work exactly as expected, and the fret work on the stainless steel, medium jumbo frets is immaculate.
I’d personally prefer to see truss rod adjustment carried out via a wheel at the base of the neck, a la the older Elite Strats, but here, Fender has opted for the allen key by the nut, as they have on the Ultra II.
The carved heel joint is faultless, and the 2-point synchronized deluxe tremolo just laughs at me as I try to catch it out with some abuse, expecting the guitar to fall out of tune. It instead stays impressively stable, meaning you can safely execute your repertoire of Jeff Beck dive bombs.
I find myself appreciating the rubberised volume knob, making volume swells a breeze with its grippy texture. Here, I find the S1 switch to be a little fussy, as it needs a good, firm press to activate, and it sinks into the control in such a way that requires a bit of accuracy with the finger. The upside is there’s no chance of accidental activation, but the downside; I can see myself not quite getting it right as I try to deactivate it under the heat of a live performance.
If you're someone who likes a low action (my preference is for something a little higher), this test model arrived with almost the perfect setup. It is impressively low, but just a little overdone on the G string, causing some notes to choke. An easy fix.
Aesthetically, the Ice Blue Metallic Aged Heirloom finish on the carved alder body is a colour I greatly approve of, and it's vintage up the front and modern on the side with clay dots on the fretboard and Luminlay dots on the side of the neck. To my taste, the checking is a little over the top, but we are in the realm of subjectivity there.
Playability
Playability rating: ★★★★★
With a build as solid as it is, I’m expecting a lot as I start playing, and I am pleased to confirm, the Ultra Luxe Vintage delivers. Immediately obvious, and in contrast with its vintage looks, is that this is a guitar for the player who prefers the modern feel.
The first thing I notice in this vein is the 10-14” compound radius. For me, it’s the sweet spot for modern guitars, allowing comfortable chord playing by the nut and - if you have them in your locker - more than enough facility to deploy the blistering legato licks at the other end.
Another up-to-date feature is the Modern D neck profile, which has quite a skinny feel compared to my Elite Strat, sporting a Modern C carve. It’s not at all in wizard thin, super-strat territory, but is skinny enough to allow for a good shred.
With a smooth "Ultra" satin finish on the back of the neck, it’s effortless to use in the hand, and access to the higher frets is no problem with a heel joint that’s carved in such a way that it is barely noticeable as you glide by it.
Arriving with a set of 9s, the guitar is about as easy to play as any Stratocaster I’ve ever had my hands on. This is not for the traditionalist, but running through everything from classic Clapton-style blues licks to modern tappy riffs, it’s a feel that covers a lot of bases.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★½
Rather than the noiseless pickups present on the Ultras, Fender has gone for a set of Pure Vintage '61 single-coils on the Ultra Luxe Vintage. My previous experience of Noiseless pickups on a Strat has been positive - although they don’t quite sound as 'stratty' as traditional pickups, they retain that Stratocaster thing with a modern edge and significantly reduced noise.
There are some modern tweaks, the first being a tone control wired to the bridge pickup instead of the middle
But that slight reduction in 'stratiness' has drawn a little ire from some. In using the "Pure Vintage 61" pickups, this problem (if you saw it as one) is bypassed, meaning we have a traditional-sounding instrument, noise and all.
There are some modern tweaks, the first being a tone control wired to the bridge pickup instead of the middle, which is appreciated because, as with any traditional Strat sound, that bridge pickup bites! In this position and running through my Hot Rod Deluxe, Tube Screamer, and a J Rockett PXO, I find myself rolling back the tone control in both clean and overdriven sounds. Which is exactly what I’d expect from a ‘60s Strat
The neck pickup is a particular treat
A suitably quacky position two and a more rounded position three yield two different and equally rewarding cleans that instantly have me playing through Nile Rodgers-style funky riffs. Trigger the Tube Screamer here, and it’s a bluesy heaven.
No Strat test would be complete without referencing at least a couple of John Mayer riffs in position four. There’s something dynamic and extra responsive about the way the low end reacts in position four on a good old-fashioned Strat, qualities which are certainly present on this iteration.
The neck pickup is a particular treat, with a sound that is pleasingly warm but still retains that Strat-type scoop, preventing it from getting too woolly. My favourite tone is this pickup with a good serving of drive, utilising both the Tube Screamer and PXO to create a relatively heavy rock sound.
In keeping wth the features of its modern cousins, we have an S1 switch that brings in the neck pickup in positions one and two. I found it particularly useful in helping tame the bridge pickup in heavier sounds, nudging it a little closer to humbucker territory, but without the inherent compression.
I don’t find it as useful in position two, as it takes away from the quaky, mid-focused nature I crave here; however, adding the neck pickup in this position creates a softer sound, which some may find to be a good alternative to position five.
All of these variations, however, sound quintessentially Stratocaster. The noise is worth the compromise as the joy of traditional single-coil Strat pickups is in that scooped sound and dynamic response, resulting in a visceral and addictive experience of which the American Luxe Vintage Strat successfully recreates. The only problem is that this can easily see the hours disappearing as though they were minutes.
Verdict
The elephant in the room is the price. Set significantly above the American Ultra II range, and the initial Luxe models that followed, we are unsurprisingly paying an additional premium for that vintage look. Having said that, and being someone who has had a Strat in his life ever since I started playing, this is easily up there with one of the best Strats I have tried.
An interesting juxtaposition of modern feel with a sound that is very much steeped in tradition
It's an interesting juxtaposition of modern feel with a sound that is very much steeped in tradition. There’s a playability that allows for the Strat's creative potential to be mined even deeper and perhaps in new ways, with a tone that's steeped in its history. Meaning it perfectly serves a specific person – a player who sits in the crossover between vintage tone and modern playability. For those within that group, it’s hard to imagine a guitar more perfectly suited.
Music Radar verdict: A high price tag, but a quality instrument, the Fender American Ultra Luxe Vintage provides an old-school aesthetic and tone combined with modern playability. It is perhaps a narrow band of people who sit within that crossover, but if you do, it may be the perfect guitar.
Test | Results | Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality | A well built guitar as you should expect of the price tag. The checking may divide opinion on this finish. | ★★★★½ |
Playability | An effortless playing experience, nothing to fault. | ★★★★★ |
Sounds | A traditional Stratocaster sound with the S1 switch providing some extra, if not always useful, versatility. | ★★★★½ |
Overall | A great guitar that serves those who like the modern feel but crave that vintage sound and look. | ★★★★½ |
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