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Fender American Ultra Stratocaster

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Electric Guitar

Fender American Ultra Stratocaster

Fender · American Ultra Stratocaster

Price: 15 EUR – 3.651 EUR

Price history 07.09.2026 14.09.2026
Cheapest seen Most expensive seen

Availability: 9/10 (Common)

The original American Ultra Stratocaster launched in November 2019 as Fender's replacement for the American Elite series, introducing the Modern D neck, a 10-14 inch compound-radius fingerboard, and fifth-generation Ultra Noiseless pickups. Its S-1 switch was notably more elaborate than the later Ultra II's - adding the neck pickup in series across three switch positions rather than two parallel combinations.

Where available? Go to the best price – 15 EUR About this instrument

About the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster

When the American Ultra Stratocaster arrived in November 2019, it replaced the American Elite series as Fender's technically most advanced regular-production tier, marketed around precision, performance and modern playability rather than vintage accuracy. The Modern D maple neck carried Ultra Rolled fingerboard edges and a tapered heel for easier upper-fret access, paired with a 10-to-14-inch compound-radius fingerboard and 22 medium jumbo frets. The three Ultra Noiseless Vintage pickups represented, according to one contemporary review, the fifth generation of Fender's stacked noise-cancelling single-coil design, built with shielded wire and higher-output Alnico V magnets. The S-1 switch, built into the volume pot, was considerably more elaborate on this first Ultra generation than on its eventual successor: engaging it added the neck pickup in series across three of the five switch positions rather than the two parallel combinations the later Ultra II offers - position 1 combined bridge and neck, position 2 combined bridge, middle and neck, and position 3 combined middle and neck. That's a genuine reduction in switching complexity between generations, worth knowing for anyone comparing a first-generation Ultra against the Ultra II that replaced it in 2023/24.

Where to buy

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Source: https://reverb.com/item/94529104-fender-fender-american-ultra-luxe-stratocaster-2021

Sound character of the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster

The fifth-generation Ultra Noiseless pickups deliver what one reviewer called a really impressive and versatile Strat voice with a genuinely wide range of usable tones, free of the hum that plagues traditional single coils without sacrificing dynamic response. The more elaborate S-1 series-wiring options on this generation - three engaged combinations rather than two - meaningfully expand the tonal palette beyond the standard five-way switch positions, giving this first Ultra generation arguably more built-in switching variety than its own successor.

Bright Crisp Modern/Hi-Fi Resonant

What owners of the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster say

Owners and reviewers generally regard this generation as a genuinely versatile, well-executed instrument, with the fifth-generation Noiseless pickups earning particular praise for their tonal range. The more nuanced sentiment, echoed by at least one contemporary reviewer, is that it represented an evolution rather than a revolution over the American Elite it replaced - a fair, if less marketable, way to frame its actual place in Fender's lineup history.

Playability & handling of the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster

Reviewers credited the Ultra-specific features - the tapered neck heel in particular - with genuinely enhancing playability rather than being cosmetic changes, making upper-fret access noticeably easier than on a standard-heel Stratocaster.

Recommended accessories & strings for the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster

Standard 25.5-inch scale takes .009-.042 or .010-.046 sets equally well. This first-generation Ultra's more elaborate S-1 switch rewards active experimentation across all three switch-plus-S-1 combinations rather than defaulting to just the standard five-way positions, since it unlocks noticeably more tonal range than the simplified version found on the later Ultra II.

Technical data for the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster

Type Solid-body electric guitar, double cutaway, bolt-on neck
Production Fender American Ultra series, 2019-2024, built in Corona, California, USA
Neck Maple, bolt-on, Modern D profile, Ultra Rolled fingerboard edges, tapered heel
Fingerboard 10-14 in. compound radius, 22 medium jumbo frets
Scale length 25.5 in. (648mm)
Nut Bone
Pickups 3x Ultra Noiseless Vintage single-coils (5th-generation stacked-coil design)
Controls Master volume with S-1 switch (adds neck pickup in series across 3 switch positions) and treble-bleed circuit, 2 tone controls, 5-way selector switch
Tuners Fender Deluxe rear-locking tuners
Successor Replaced by the American Ultra II series in 2023/24

Price history for the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster

Cheapest seen: 15 EUR  ·  Most expensive seen: 3.651 EUR

3.651 EUR15 EUR 07.09.2026 12.09.2026 14.09.2026
Cheapest seen Most expensive seen

The history of the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster

This guitar marked Fender's shift from the American Elite series to the American Ultra name, positioned explicitly around technical precision and modern playability for demanding players. One contemporary review offered a candid assessment worth preserving: the differences from the preceding American Elite model were, in that reviewer's judgment, relatively minor - this was framed as a refinement and rebrand of an already solid platform rather than a radical reinvention. The series ran until September 2024, when the American Ultra II succeeded it with a quartersawn neck option, an ebony fingerboard choice, revoiced pickups, and - notably - a simplified S-1 switch that dropped from three engaged combinations to two. That simplification is a genuine trade-off future buyers comparing generations should know about, since it's a rare case of Fender reducing a feature's scope in a direct successor rather than only adding to it.

About Fender as a manufacturer

Built at Fender's Corona, California plant as the company's technically most advanced regular-production Stratocaster tier from 2019 to 2024, positioned above the American Professional series and explicitly succeeding the American Elite line.

Notable players & recordings featuring the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster

No verified professional endorsement ties a specific touring artist to this exact 2019 American Ultra model in the sources reviewed for this research round.

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