It's always a risk for an iconic company like Fender to release an 'out there' guitar design, since the whole industry has been defined in major part by its masterful marques like the Strat and Tele. Likewise with the other company's Les Paul and SG. The success rate in introducing something truly new has to be less than 50%. Maybe less than 25%.

However, with the Fender Meteora Ultra II, I think Fender has really broken the mold. I have never played the first model version of the Meteora, but this Ultra II is fantastic. First off, I'm a lap player and the way it sits is perfect. It's offset, but it's not that much different than a Strat. The body is beautiful with its stunning sculpted burst and metal pickguard. At first, I was nervous I wouldn't be able to get used to the very thin neck, but I've quickly come to love it. It's thinner than all of my other guitars, even my Les Paul Standard '60's, which had been my thinnest neck prior to. Maybe it's the 10-14 compound radius, but it's a guitar that I really look forward to playing because it's different than all of the others; it's almost inviting because it's its own thing. When you play it, you really feel like you're getting 'one' with it.

The Haymaker pickups and the three knurled knob controls work so well together. In single coil mode, you can get near accurate 50's/60's Strat tones. In HB mode, you get good girth, not quite like PAFs or Burstbuckers, but you can still play classic Les Paul tunes and not feel like you have to reach for the other company's guitar. Elsewhere, when I play my Strats, I tend to have the tone knobs dialed and instead adjust tone through pickup selection. This is not the case with the Meteora. I find I really do use the Treble and Bass roll-offs for tonal accuracy. They are very responsive allowing me to find the sweet spot I'm looking for. Lastly, the Meteora is lightweight and comes with a beefy case, totally roadworthy, if that's what you need it for.

I'm a guy with too many guitars (says my wife), so I'm always evaluating what to keep and what to sell. In the latest round of 'should it stay or go,' the Meteora made the cut pretty easily (and I'm still within my 30-day SW return policy). Instead another beautiful guitar in my collection was moved on to its new owner this past Monday, like a baby bird gently pushed out of the nest.

The Fender Meteora Ultra II is a keeper, for sure...

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