Ultra II Performance Meets HSS Firepower
Emboldened with a hard-hitting Haymaker humbucker, the Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS reshapes and refines Leo Fender’s iconic double-cut guitar for the performance-minded musician. From the second you sling up this Strat, you’ll enjoy enhanced playing comfort thanks to the select alder body’s tapered neck heel and deep neck joint contour. Naturally, these changes grant effortless access to the Modern D quartersawn maple neck’s compound-radius fingerboard, which boasts Ultra Rolled edges for a seamless feel against your palm. The electronics section begins with two Ultra II Noiseless Hot Strat pickups in the neck and middle positions, providing a searing single-coil bite to balance against the heat of the bridge position’s Haymaker humbucker. Plus, Fender’s S-1 switch splits the Haymaker into a shimmering single-coil to give you access to traditional SSS Strat sonics. You also get a host of high-performance hardware appointments, including Fender’s 2-point American Ultra Synchronized tremolo, a cold-rolled steel trem block, Deluxe locking tuners, and a stylish 1-ply aluminum pickguard. Cutting-edge and classic all at once, the American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS elevates Fender’s time-tested S-style formula to bold new HSS heights.
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High-performance quartersawn maple neck
Fender’s American Ultra II series is all about superb 6-string performance, and nowhere is that more apparent than in this Stratocaster’s easy-playing neck. A comfortably slim Modern D maple neck lays the foundation, topped with a compound-radius fingerboard that steadily flattens out from a 10-inch radius on the low frets to a 14-inch radius up high. This design ensures both easy, natural-feeling chording on the lower half of the neck and effortless multi-step bends up high without a hint of fret-out. To further aid your fleet-fingered endeavors, this guitar’s neck is topped off with Ultra Rolled edges and an Ultra Satin finish, resulting in a nearly frictionless feel against your palm.
Cover HSS and SSS tones on a single Strat
From sparkling neck-position cleans to all-out distortion-drenched chug, Fender’s American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS is an immensely versatile instrument that covers both high-octane HSS and SSS tonalities. Two Ultra II Noiseless Hot Strat pickups in the middle and neck positions start this Strat off with a slightly fuller and more authoritative single-coil voice, all without a hint of hum. In comparison, this guitar’s bridge-position Haymaker humbucker crunches with the best of them — it’s a superb do-it-all dual coil that retains cutting clarity, even when you heap on the gain. Furthermore, the American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS’s S-1 switch splits the Haymaker into a single-coil to further expand your tonal palette.
Limitless access to all 22 frets
Sculpted to perfection, the Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS sports expertly engineered contours that smooth over the Strat’s traditionally chunky neck joint. This guitar’s tapered neck heel pairs with a deeply sculpted body contour at the neck joint, resulting in a nearly seamless transition from neck to body. Moreover, Sweetwater’s technique-heavy guitarists appreciate how these cuts ensure unfettered access to all 22 frets, with no need to twist and contort your fretting hand when laying down licks and solos on the highest notes.
Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS Features:
- A high-performance reimagining of Fender’s iconic Stratocaster guitar
- Select alder body, complete with deep neck joint body contour and sculpted neck heel for limitless upper-fret access
- Fast-playing quartersawn maple neck in Fender’s comfortable Modern D profile
- 10-in. to 14-in. compound-radius maple fingerboard offers effortless low-position chording and seamless upper-register bends
- Luminlay side dots ensure you’re always in the right position, even on the darkest of stages
- Ultra Rolled fingerboard edges are smooth and sleek against your hand
- Versatile HSS pickup configuration includes 2 Ultra II Noiseless Hot Strat single-coils and a high-heat Haymaker humbucker
- S-1 switch splits the bridge pickup for traditional SSS tones
- 2-point American Ultra Synchronized tremolo with polished stainless steel block saddles and cold-rolled steel block allows for expressive pitch-bending possibilities
- Rock-solid short-post locking tuners for fast and efficient string changes
- Stylish anodized aluminum pickguard
