Get one here: bit.ly/americanultrastrat Stuff I use: www.amazon.co.uk/shop/livingroomgeardemos Merch store: teespring.com/stores/living-room-gear-store
@@matthewgordon2655 I'm pretty sure they can lend the tools from EVH, Charvel, Jackson or any other company they own which use SS Frets. Also some of them (EVH for example) are made in the same factory in Corona, California. :-)
I've been playing American Fender Strats for over 40 years and this new Ultra is by far the best sounding and playing Strat I've ever owned. The compound radius neck is by far the fastest playing neck Fender has come out with yet and the new contoured neck heel is a winner.
Have you played the American professional? I have one and am thinking about buying the Ultra. I'm curious how the Ultra's feels and plays regarding the modern D shape neck, compound radius fingerboard and medium jumbo frets. I can't test it in a nearby store so I'm hoping if I buy it there won't be a steep learning regarding the new feel.
I had mexican one for 8 years and today I played same “ultra” guitar and was blown away. I swipe my credit card and got it for 1900$ being happy. Got home and played it for 3 hours. Amazing guitar
I went to GC to look at Strats. I figured I'd look at a squire or maybe even a lower level American. Saw the ultra on the top row and I asked to see it...big mistake. It felt so good I couldn't bring myself to even pick up a squire and I ended up walking out with it.
In reply to stainless steel frets: The problem is SS frets are rough on guitar strings especially players that press hard when bending. professional guitar players that use SS frets frequently restring after every performance to avoid problems.
I just bought me one two days ago with maple neck...This guitar is amazing, I came for Clapton Strat and left with ultra. The neck is absolutely comfortable
the neck is great. rolled to perfection. you get what you pay for. Unless youre on tour playing guitar for hours every night you dont NEED Stainless frets. its just a thing now. For over 60 years many greats played with regular frets, not SS. Jimi, Eric, Jeff - they dont need them.
@@brooklynboy1000 mainly because stainless wasn’t thought of at the time and machinery wasn’t able to keep up. Innovation is nice and at THAT PRICE all guitars should come with stainless. This strat is aimed that the serious player and as such makes sense to have stainless.
I like how you did a section of "objective" and "subjective" remarks. Never heard anyone do that before. Great idea. Great playing and sound too. I'm seriously looking at buying one.
Don't know about the strats. But I am getting the Tele Ultra. Played 1 fell in love with the feel of the neck. Comin my December 17. Merry Christmas to me.
Please tell me what color is this guitar in the Ultra Series? I'm unable to find it. Maybe if I knew the exact color then I probably have a chance on finding this beautiful guitar!
The difference between this and the Elite, I think, is the S1 switch. The Elite has a few new settings and the Ultra either splits the humbucker or brings in the neck pickup.
I got this exact guitar. I’m still working on adapting to and liking the pickups. I’m coming from Custom Shop Texas Specials and the neck pickup on those seems far superior to me than these noiseless.
@@dimitrikezis well it was setup as they intended, which was very low fast action. Too low IMO, but I can fix that myself. With the crappy noiseless pickups and extremely low action, I see they are targeting this guitar at the home recording artist and not the live lead player. I finally put in Custom Shop Texas Specials and now the guitar is awesome.
I had same experience as you only i went in debt for half of it. 😬 paid $900 owe $900. An gonna pay off asap so i dont feel guilty or stress about it. I am loving it. I have the Cobalt blue sss maple neck
Nice video, but one of the big new selling points was the new carve on the back and you never slowed down to show it. But I did like the sound of the new vintage noiseless pickups.
@@LivingroomGearDemos I find them quite dull compared to "real" single coils... I don't think the way a noiseless is made could ever allow them to sound like proper single coils AND be noiseless. They're great on stage though...
Can someone please explain me how the first thing with the bridge and middle pickup is played?? I'm just a beginner but that sounds so damn nice!! Thnx in advance!
Bought one in texas tea and so far it's the only strat I liked. It's really good and a fully loaded platform. I prefer the pro II deep C neck but hate those narrow tall frets. The Ultra feels better to me because of that. I will add a white blonde AO50s strat in a few years tho. Now THAT is gorgeous
Great review. Whether you like strats or not you cannot dispute they are the most popular electric guitar for a reason. Versatile, easy to play, great range of tones BUT with big box manufacturers the quality consistency is an issue I suggest you play as many as you can before selecting the one that sounds the most dynamic/loudest unplugged.....if that's ticked and the neck is straight everything else can be modded to your taste
I've got 6 mim strats and teles I've found in different pawn shops here in Texas for around $300 =$200 including nice fender hard cases ! All well kept Guitars and I have them set up with 10 s and they sound and feel awesome ! I gig with them ! I'm a happy Texan ! I dont think I would spend a few grand for a guitar unless I was playing with Zeppelin ! Lol ( in my dreams ) 😁
2-300 for MIM's is a great deal any day of the week. Buddy spent around 800 recently for a new one which I think was a mistake considering what u can shop for in the American used.
It's expensive for sure, but from all of the guitars I've tried ("normal" guitars, custom shops, boutique etc) I personally feel that it's worth the price. Are you basing it on the specs only?
Living Room Gear Demos the specs yes. The radius on the neck seems a little unusual. I get the pickups are noiseless too but I don’t know if that could justify a price hike. Also, and I know this is personal taste, but the colours that Fender have been coming out with lately have either been lovely or disgusting (but mostly disgusting for my taste). I go on feel of the guitar to be honest, so maybe I need to pick one up.
This does get a little aggravating but it's big money trickling down to pressure the marketing.....can anybody say Iphone? Nobody is forced to buy one however. Thank God the guitar doesn't come with some software that needs updating.
turn down the treble and change your strings dude. Its an awesome guitar. That Mocha burst is stunning. I tried every Strat. NO Comparison. forget relics and custom shop bullshit paint jobs.. this is the Strat to play.
I'm sure this is an amazing guitar, I think for the money though I'd rather buy one of the original Strat Ultras with a Lace Dually Red in the bridge,Silver in the middle and Blue in the neck, complete with an ash body,ebony fretboard and locking tuners!, love the sound the Laces give in my Tele Plus.
I have an HM Strat Ultra in blue frost from 1990, very rare and was a special order from Fender. I’ve put a video clip on RUclips as there’s no other video on here or anywhere, will have to do another one demoing the guitar.
New Pickups Sound Great. Finally Locking Tuners. Now Fender needs to: #1 put Stainless Steel Frets, #2 Upgrade the Tremolo System and #3 Replace the String Trees ( bad friction point, creates unstable tuning ). I just bought a Suhr and they have Improved upon Everything - Trust Me !!!
BS - Stainless steel frets change the tone - it is not an "upgrade" just different and more expensive; they have always had locking tuners; my Strats and Tele have absolutely no issue staying in tune; the only change John made to the trem was to drill out the mounting holes a bit larger.
If it's anything like the Ultra Telecaster then No! Those frets were so sharp it hurt to play and it had less twang than my Strat! Neck was way too thin as well despite being wide and jumbo.
This line is cool but this is in the same price point than some suhr, Ibanez AZ prestigue that have much more to offer regarding to the specs like SS frets, roasted maple necks etc. I like the jazzmaster and an HSS seems cool but if I ever decide for something like this I would wait them to hit the used market.
oh dude! niceeee I honestly am really looking into the jazzmaster version. However... I'm not so sure about it, Fender quality has been disappointing me for some time already, and would rather build my own than buying one. Let's see if they change my mind! What's the difference from the Elites then?
I just got the tri color burst one today. I had been researching guitars for like two years. Was coming from a MiM SSH Strat, bought an epiphone les Paul standard pro last year. Loved it, but still felt like I settled not buying what I really wanted and the epiphones even though they have come a long way are not that great. I tried like 15 Strats from the player series, all the way up to this one and to answer the question on everyone’s mind: ITS WORTH EVERY PENNY. People can say oh I’d spend the money on this guitar and upgrade it to that. No, just no. This thing can’t be topped at least right now and it sounds just absolutely incredible and the quality is absurd.
They made lots of fender series in the past and now here we go again! Can’t wait to see a new fender stratocaster with “Hey Siries!” Feature. Hey Series! What’s the best riff today?
I think Fender has really done a good job with several of the products this year: The changes to the pickups seem to make it a bit more open sounding as compared to the Elite [I have the Elite], the Tele Acoustsonic [now the strat], the Tone Master amps as well as some very usable pedals. Like you, it took me a while to get used to the 14" radius fretboard. But, after a couple of weeks, I really like. Nice video.
So I just bought one of these Ultras. After playing it for a month I can tell you that it is NOT worth the money. Let me explain why. I own a Mexican Strat that I decided apply various upgrades to. I installed the EMG Dave Gilmour pickup set Model: # EMG-DG20) (5 minute self-install), Fender locking tuners installed (another 5 minute self-install), had my Luthier install an LSR Roller Nut, and installed a Super-Vee Blade Runner Tremelo (self-install 5 minutes). I also lightly sanded the back of the neck with 1000 grit sandpaper, just to get rid of the sticky gloss shine. It is now a guitar that plays as smooth as butter. Costs: Used Mexican Strat $300US, EMG Gilmour Pickups $400US, Roller Nut & Labor $75.00US, Super-Vee Trem $190.00US. TOTAL COST: Mex Strat upgrade: approx $1000.00US vs new Fender Ultra $2800.00US. To top it all off, the Mexican Strat actually has a lower action and a neck that is more comfortable. And the EMG David Gilmour Pickups sound better than the new noiseless pickups that come with the Ultra SSH. Sorry FENDER, you really need to step up your game. I was very disappointed that, with a few simple upgrades, I could get a Mexican Strat to feel, play and sound better than your Ultra Series and still save $1800.00US
Hey! Sorry you don’t like it. I’ve had similar experiences myself, so I can’t really argue on everything you say. But. More expensive guitars tends to be way more consistent in quality from the factory. I have a cheap tele which is close to custom shop quality. But I’ve also tried several similar models that weren’t that good at all. So that’s my take on the whole thing.
@@LivingroomGearDemos That's true. The less expensive models can definitely be hit-or-miss. But if you try enough you'll het a hit, and then it's so worth the extra shopping around.
I own a Mexican made Stratocaster which is actually the guitar that I play the most just because it's my only guitar that's always out on the guitar stand. All my Americans are always cased when not being played. I have upgraded the tuners to American Standards, changed the pickups to Custom Shop '54's and completely rewired to with vintage push back wire. Replaced the awful pots with CTS's and output jack with Switchcraft. I replaced the horrendous stock bridge (it made it have dead spots all over the fretboard) to a Callaham bridge ( that really woke the guitar up! I highly recommend that upgrade!). The guitar sounds and plays really well. Bought it for $500 and put about $350 in to it. The only thing that I can say that I don't love about it is the neck. I have long hands and fingers and my left hand start to cramp after playing chords on it for a while. The neck is just too small & thin. The American necks are just more substantial, fuller. More finished, polished. They feel smoother and completed. The rounded fretboard edges are like butter and feel so well played. I could play it all day/night long. No matter what I could do to the MIM Strat neck, I could never get it to be as comfortable. I'd be apprehensive to do a night of gigs with it as my main guitar for fear of my hand cramping.
@@LivingroomGearDemos Sure man. And well... yeah, people gonna nag lol. Guitar looks cool though, but i'm perfectly fine with my 2006 Standard. About the price, it's high but nothing too crazy like Gibson pulls off all the time.
The Ultra Strats are pretty and I'm sure they play like butter, but they just don't sound like a Strat should to me, especially the neck position. No silvery bell-like tone whatsoever. For comparison, I think Dan Patlansky's "The Beast" is what a Strat should sound like.
I don't really get the title, Ferraris are super expensive and reserved to an "elite". This guitar is neither. There are plenty of "luxury instruments" brands out there like Knaggs that makes those kind of guitars. The guitar looks and sounds fine, but I don't think "luxury instrument" is what Fender was going for. Btw love your channel, keep up the good work !
Hey! Thanks and thank you for the comment. Well, I respectfully disagree, even though it was Fender that presented the term "Ferrari" to me. I think it's a luxury instrument, it's a huge step up from most of the Strats I've played. And the color is kind of similar etc.
@@LivingroomGearDemos I can see that coming from them. But they are still factory instruments that you can buy on Amazon. If you want a brand new Ferrari you have to order it, wait 1 to 2 years, etc...They are made in small batches (I think) not thousands at a time like those guitars. And even if they are a step up from the previous factory Fender, a nice custom shop/boutique guitar will still be superior (most of the time) and unique. I would compare them to the Audi/Mercedes of guitars. ;)
@@LivingroomGearDemos In answer to your question, difficult to put in words. To my ear they lack character. They are bland sounding. I have several Strats and Teles with the noiseless pickups and I'm tired of them.
Noiseless pickups have a place in any kit. The Gen4 are excellent [I have a Strat with Fat50 and one with Gen4 noiseless] They are very comparable in tone, with the noiseless having more output and bottom end. The new noiseless seem to be a bit brighter and more open sounding. I put the Fishman noiseless in my Tele - to my ear, they sound better than the stock Fender pickups.
@@northof50now A musician friend gave me a scolding about my criticism of the new Fender noiseless. He feels that this generation of pickup has come a long way and that they are very good pickups. I've decided to have a listen to the new Fender Ultra to test my complaint. Thank you for your response, northof50now.
I pray for anyone who pays more than $1200 on a solid body guitar. It sounds good but honestly a well set up American standard or hell even a Mexican with some upgrades will sound 99% as good. To each their own I suppose.
It's depends whether you want to just play the guitar, or whether you want to spend your time finding all the upgrades for a mim, find a tech that's actually up for the task, wait for them to make the upgrades and set up the guitar, all while praying that something didn't go wrong in this process and that the tech is actually good at what they do I've played a few good MIM's, but they were all heavily modified and have been through the hands of several techs to get where they are. I've never played a stock MIM that didn't have fret buzz, notes choking out during bends, or an action that you'd think is set up for slide. And when I think how much time and money goes into these mods that could of been spent practicing and performing, the price difference doesn't really seem that significant. Time is money too. But as you said, to each their own.
I just got a mim player's stratocaster and it plays better out the box .no fret buzz pick ups are fine if you got a decent amp sounds great not like the American original 50s stratocaster I got factory set up was terrible straight from corona and I never bonded with it it was a 1000 dearer than the mim strat so sold it got a mm and couldn't be happier you are just paying for american labour I have two Japanese fender telecasters great guitars less than half the price of these ultras the noisless pick ups don't do it for me sound to thin to my ears
If anyone is selling a set of 5th gen noiseless strat pickups SSS please hit me up and I'll buy them ASAP, lefty trying to build my own Ultra Strat here :/ What an expensive project this'll be...
BS..Strat is a strat get a good MIM and swap pick-ups..and study...study...study...study...study...study and when you thing you know some thing...study more..guitar is a guitar...dont belivie in this crap...fashion
@@shawn4189 Cheap people??? I own a couple of the MIM Vintera series Fenders that cost $1,000....I don't think that's "cheap", and they play and sound excellent. Throw Squire Affinity in the cheap section, not MIM. The cheapest MIM Strat is $700
Wait. It has taken you this long to realise that locking tuners are a handy thing to have. Since you don't seem to be a lead guitarist, I guess you didn't even notice the new neck joint and contoured neck...
I have, during this lockdown, just built my own strat from ebay bought parts (not Fender) it sounds just as good as this overpriced overated guitar. Please bear in mind that, as has become the norm, this also has not been demoed through a basic non pedal enhanced inexpensive amp. With a bit of time setting any guitar up correctly and to suit your own playing style you can can get some excellent sounds. I am sure some will say that this is an " I cannot afford one so I will knock it" comment - not so. As a once owner of an extremely expensive strat I can put my hand on my heart and say that Fender have sadly become a "lets see how we can sell more at higher prices by making minor changes" (not improvements) A very exited music store guy tried to sell me the latest offering from Fender but by the time I had taken his selling points apart I think he was glad to see me leave the shop. Sorry Fender, try selling DIY strat kits at really sensible prices, you will probably sell more and give guitarists the enjoyment of making their own instrument.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Get one here: bit.ly/americanultrastrat
Stuff I use: www.amazon.co.uk/shop/livingroomgeardemos
Merch store: teespring.com/stores/living-room-gear-store
DUDe cant u afford locking tuners?!
Sadly still no stainless steel frets. Was really hoping they would offer the same what everyone else is doing in this price range.
good point
Same here, I want to buy a Tele but I'm sick of refrets. No more nickel frets here!
Cutting corners
Fender don't offer stainless steel frets at any level because of the damage they do to their tools.
@@matthewgordon2655 I'm pretty sure they can lend the tools from EVH, Charvel, Jackson or any other company they own which use SS Frets. Also some of them (EVH for example) are made in the same factory in Corona, California. :-)
I've been playing American Fender Strats for over 40 years and this new Ultra
is by far the best sounding and playing Strat I've ever owned. The compound radius neck
is by far the fastest playing neck Fender has come out with yet and the new contoured neck
heel is a winner.
Have you played the American professional? I have one and am thinking about buying the Ultra. I'm curious how the Ultra's feels and plays regarding the modern D shape neck, compound radius fingerboard and medium jumbo frets. I can't test it in a nearby store so I'm hoping if I buy it there won't be a steep learning regarding the new feel.
I just bought one. I concur with Mr. Crowley
Thoughts on needing a setup out of box? Anything need adjusting?
@@dimitrikezis
No
I had mexican one for 8 years and today I played same “ultra” guitar and was blown away. I swipe my credit card and got it for 1900$ being happy. Got home and played it for 3 hours. Amazing guitar
Congrats! Great choice. Did you need a setup or was it good to go out of the box?
I went to GC to look at Strats. I figured I'd look at a squire or maybe even a lower level American. Saw the ultra on the top row and I asked to see it...big mistake. It felt so good I couldn't bring myself to even pick up a squire and I ended up walking out with it.
In reply to stainless steel frets:
The problem is SS frets are rough on guitar strings especially players that press hard when bending. professional guitar players that use SS frets frequently restring after every performance to avoid problems.
Where did you hear that silliness?
I just bought me one two days ago with maple neck...This guitar is amazing, I came for Clapton Strat and left with ultra. The neck is absolutely comfortable
For the price, they should have added stainless steel frets. £1,899 on average here in the UK. Crazy expensive!
the neck is great. rolled to perfection. you get what you pay for. Unless youre on tour playing guitar for hours every night you dont NEED Stainless frets. its just a thing now. For over 60 years many greats played with regular frets, not SS. Jimi, Eric, Jeff - they dont need them.
@@brooklynboy1000 mainly because stainless wasn’t thought of at the time and machinery wasn’t able to keep up. Innovation is nice and at THAT PRICE all guitars should come with stainless. This strat is aimed that the serious player and as such makes sense to have stainless.
@@TheJMan1K
SS frets will destroy guitar strings depending on your style. the more pressing you do. the more frequently you will need to restring.
Agreed, this guitar has swayed my attachment to vintage specked guitars...it’s just fabulous!
First time Strat owner here and I went all out with the ultra! It’ll be here Wednesday!
I like how you did a section of "objective" and "subjective" remarks. Never heard anyone do that before. Great idea. Great playing and sound too. I'm seriously looking at buying one.
Don't know about the strats. But I am getting the Tele Ultra. Played 1 fell in love with the feel of the neck. Comin my December 17. Merry Christmas to me.
Sounds great.You can tell it will give you the full beauty in a loud band, shimmering or rasping in the right place.Thanks.
Please tell me what color is this guitar in the Ultra Series? I'm unable to find it. Maybe if I knew the exact color then I probably have a chance on finding this beautiful guitar!
The difference between this and the Elite, I think, is the S1 switch. The Elite has a few new settings and the Ultra either splits the humbucker or brings in the neck pickup.
Ferrari of guitars, does it come with a bad team strategy too?
nah, we're talking Schumacher era
@@LivingroomGearDemos oh yeah baby!
😎
Do they send cease and desists if you play metal on them?
Lace sensors (gold and red at least) are also warmer and the bridge is very pleasing sounding.
I got this exact guitar. I’m still working on adapting to and liking the pickups. I’m coming from Custom Shop Texas Specials and the neck pickup on those seems far superior to me than these noiseless.
of course!
Did you need a setup after getting it? I assume you bought new.
@@dimitrikezis well it was setup as they intended, which was very low fast action. Too low IMO, but I can fix that myself. With the crappy noiseless pickups and extremely low action, I see they are targeting this guitar at the home recording artist and not the live lead player. I finally put in Custom Shop Texas Specials and now the guitar is awesome.
Played this at a guitar store best experience I’ve ever had playing a guitar can’t even describe it too broke to buy it tho
I had same experience as you only i went in debt for half of it. 😬 paid $900 owe $900. An gonna pay off asap so i dont feel guilty or stress about it. I am loving it. I have the Cobalt blue sss maple neck
Nice video, but one of the big new selling points was the new carve on the back and you never slowed down to show it. But I did like the sound of the new vintage noiseless pickups.
What about the S1 switching system?
I played the tele and it was one of the most comfortable fun experiences I have ever had.
This, or the ultra tele - which would you choose? I'm buying my first premium electric :) Cheers, nice demo!!
Depends what sound you want. I would say the tele is a little more versatile.
It's funny, 6 youtube guitar channels I follow release a video about the Fender Ultra Serie at the exact same time.
haha, yes! It's a common thing with some brands. We get a release date and time.
@@LivingroomGearDemos I guess it ;), the timing was too perfect to not think that. Great review as always btw.
Does the S1 switch add them in series?
Dry sounds are better for demos . .too much lush reverb/delay are not needed.
Can’t tell what guitar sounds like with all the effects.
why do i love the finish of this guitar so much
First thing I did on my American Deluxe was get rid of noiseless pickups...
Why?
@@LivingroomGearDemos I find them quite dull compared to "real" single coils... I don't think the way a noiseless is made could ever allow them to sound like proper single coils AND be noiseless. They're great on stage though...
Paul Ross You don't have a video of this guitar on your channel, show it to us!
Can someone please explain me how the first thing with the bridge and middle pickup is played?? I'm just a beginner but that sounds so damn nice!! Thnx in advance!
A negative? The price
Well, a custom shop or any boutique brand is even more expensive. It's not cheap though, that's for sure. But I think it's worth it.
Bought one in texas tea and so far it's the only strat I liked. It's really good and a fully loaded platform. I prefer the pro II deep C neck but hate those narrow tall frets. The Ultra feels better to me because of that. I will add a white blonde AO50s strat in a few years tho. Now THAT is gorgeous
Just got this guitar in Texas tea. What a treat
Great Review man.... I ordered one and it's on the way now. I was looking for this Plasma Red Burst but it's nowhere available.
I love your approach to reviews. Very straight forward, no fluff (not you Fluff). Where are you located? (anyone that knows may reply)
Thanks! Oslo, Norway:)
I agree. You're a pretty damn good player too!
Great review. Whether you like strats or not you cannot dispute they are the most popular electric guitar for a reason. Versatile, easy to play, great range of tones BUT with big box manufacturers the quality consistency is an issue I suggest you play as many as you can before selecting the one that sounds the most dynamic/loudest unplugged.....if that's ticked and the neck is straight everything else can be modded to your taste
Sounds beautiful, what pickups does it have?
Nice Squier you got there
thanks!
I've got 6 mim strats and teles I've found in different pawn shops here in Texas for around $300 =$200 including nice fender hard cases ! All well kept Guitars and I have them set up with 10 s and they sound and feel awesome ! I gig with them ! I'm a happy Texan ! I dont think I would spend a few grand for a guitar unless I was playing with Zeppelin ! Lol ( in my dreams ) 😁
2-300 for MIM's is a great deal any day of the week. Buddy spent around 800 recently for a new one which I think was a mistake considering what u can shop for in the American used.
@@clarksvilletnlandscapingse6985 I agree ! Hope you have a great new year !!😁👍
Yes not for everyone 😉
Amazing guitar. Caught a Pantera riff around 3:45. Lol thanks for the video
So wiring was it gilmour mod?
Fender I think are really trying to milk their market for money. These guitars are not worth over £1600.
Hi! Have you played one?
Living Room Gear Demos Not yet. Unlikely to any time soon. What makes them worth the money is what I want to know?
It's expensive for sure, but from all of the guitars I've tried ("normal" guitars, custom shops, boutique etc) I personally feel that it's worth the price. Are you basing it on the specs only?
Living Room Gear Demos the specs yes. The radius on the neck seems a little unusual. I get the pickups are noiseless too but I don’t know if that could justify a price hike. Also, and I know this is personal taste, but the colours that Fender have been coming out with lately have either been lovely or disgusting (but mostly disgusting for my taste).
I go on feel of the guitar to be honest, so maybe I need to pick one up.
This does get a little aggravating but it's big money trickling down to pressure the marketing.....can anybody say Iphone? Nobody is forced to buy one however. Thank God the guitar doesn't come with some software that needs updating.
you didn't test the S1 switch
I did when I filmed, but I ended up not using it because I recorded it wrong. My bad!
Had nothing negative to say hmm
PAID SHILL!
;)
Paid Shill Blues in G minor 👌🏻
Well it certainly sounds great with that rig!
sorry, but which color is it? i don't see it on the website...
Plasma Red. They've stopped making this model unfortunately. Or this color.
@@LivingroomGearDemos ok, i read about the woods problems...they reduce the ash
....
@@LucaCo
wood problems, reduce ash?
turn down the treble and change your strings dude. Its an awesome guitar. That Mocha burst is stunning. I tried every Strat. NO Comparison. forget relics and custom shop bullshit paint jobs.. this is the Strat to play.
Did u tried the Elite ? Any difference ??
May I ask what fuzz you're using around the 4:50 mark? Sounds excellent.
Fuzzrocious 420 Fuzz!
@@LivingroomGearDemos Thanks. Looks complicated, but really does sound yummy in your clip. I may need to investigate further.
It's awesome! And not too complicated
I'm sure this is an amazing guitar, I think for the money though I'd rather buy one of the original Strat Ultras with a Lace Dually Red in the bridge,Silver in the middle and Blue in the neck, complete with an ash body,ebony fretboard and locking tuners!, love the sound the Laces give in my Tele Plus.
I have an HM Strat Ultra in blue frost from 1990, very rare and was a special order from Fender. I’ve put a video clip on RUclips as there’s no other video on here or anywhere, will have to do another one demoing the guitar.
Why is this color hard to find?
The end removed this finish, but it will be back at some point I’ve heard.
New Pickups Sound Great. Finally Locking Tuners. Now Fender needs to: #1 put Stainless Steel Frets, #2 Upgrade the Tremolo System and #3 Replace the String Trees ( bad friction point, creates unstable tuning ). I just bought a Suhr and they have Improved upon Everything - Trust Me !!!
BS - Stainless steel frets change the tone - it is not an "upgrade" just different and more expensive; they have always had locking tuners; my Strats and Tele have absolutely no issue staying in tune; the only change John made to the trem was to drill out the mounting holes a bit larger.
Tengo una fender american deluxe 60 aniversario y suena exactamente igual.!! Muy elegante.
If it's anything like the Ultra Telecaster then No! Those frets were so sharp it hurt to play and it had less twang than my Strat! Neck was way too thin as well despite being wide and jumbo.
Does anyone know if these come with stainless steel frets?
They do not.
1:12 Trondheimsvien, Grorud?
Jepp
I’m getting the ultra tele. Can’t wait
Just found your channel. Really cool :) subscribed :)
Awesome, Paul! Thanks!
In that color is in ash not Alder nice video and guitar! 🤘👌
This line is cool but this is in the same price point than some suhr, Ibanez AZ prestigue that have much more to offer regarding to the specs like SS frets, roasted maple necks etc. I like the jazzmaster and an HSS seems cool but if I ever decide for something like this I would wait them to hit the used market.
The ultra is AWESOME 🤟🎸🙂
Why no lefty options in the Ultra range Fender?
Don’t know...
Let's get the same honest opinion video on that Mustang!
oh dude! niceeee
I honestly am really looking into the jazzmaster version. However... I'm not so sure about it, Fender quality has been disappointing me for some time already, and would rather build my own than buying one. Let's see if they change my mind! What's the difference from the Elites then?
Different radius, different wiring, different contour, different pickups, different neck heel. That’s it, mostly
I just got the tri color burst one today. I had been researching guitars for like two years. Was coming from a MiM SSH Strat, bought an epiphone les Paul standard pro last year. Loved it, but still felt like I settled not buying what I really wanted and the epiphones even though they have come a long way are not that great. I tried like 15 Strats from the player series, all the way up to this one and to answer the question on everyone’s mind: ITS WORTH EVERY PENNY. People can say oh I’d spend the money on this guitar and upgrade it to that. No, just no. This thing can’t be topped at least right now and it sounds just absolutely incredible and the quality is absurd.
La guitarra es muy versátil excelente para tocar diversos géneros musicales y sin el molesto ruido de las clásicas vintage, cuestión de gustos
They made lots of fender series in the past and now here we go again!
Can’t wait to see a new fender stratocaster with “Hey Siries!” Feature.
Hey Series! What’s the best riff today?
Compare it to a music man cutlass. Even an non roasted one.
Owned a Cutlass. I prefered my Ultra, to be honest.
I think Fender has really done a good job with several of the products this year: The changes to the pickups seem to make it a bit more open sounding as compared to the Elite [I have the Elite], the Tele Acoustsonic [now the strat], the Tone Master amps as well as some very usable pedals. Like you, it took me a while to get used to the 14" radius fretboard. But, after a couple of weeks, I really like. Nice video.
So I just bought one of these Ultras. After playing it for a month I can tell you that it is NOT worth the money. Let me explain why. I own a Mexican Strat that I decided apply various upgrades to. I installed the EMG Dave Gilmour pickup set Model: # EMG-DG20) (5 minute self-install), Fender locking tuners installed (another 5 minute self-install), had my Luthier install an LSR Roller Nut, and installed a Super-Vee Blade Runner Tremelo (self-install 5 minutes). I also lightly sanded the back of the neck with 1000 grit sandpaper, just to get rid of the sticky gloss shine. It is now a guitar that plays as smooth as butter. Costs: Used Mexican Strat $300US, EMG Gilmour Pickups $400US, Roller Nut & Labor $75.00US, Super-Vee Trem $190.00US. TOTAL COST: Mex Strat upgrade: approx $1000.00US vs new Fender Ultra $2800.00US. To top it all off, the Mexican Strat actually has a lower action and a neck that is more comfortable. And the EMG David Gilmour Pickups sound better than the new noiseless pickups that come with the Ultra SSH. Sorry FENDER, you really need to step up your game. I was very disappointed that, with a few simple upgrades, I could get a Mexican Strat to feel, play and sound better than your Ultra Series and still save $1800.00US
Hey! Sorry you don’t like it. I’ve had similar experiences myself, so I can’t really argue on everything you say. But. More expensive guitars tends to be way more consistent in quality from the factory. I have a cheap tele which is close to custom shop quality. But I’ve also tried several similar models that weren’t that good at all. So that’s my take on the whole thing.
@@LivingroomGearDemos That's true. The less expensive models can definitely be hit-or-miss. But if you try enough you'll het a hit, and then it's so worth the extra shopping around.
I own a Mexican made Stratocaster which is actually the guitar that I play the most just because it's my only guitar that's always out on the guitar stand. All my Americans are always cased when not being played. I have upgraded the tuners to American Standards, changed the pickups to Custom Shop '54's and completely rewired to with vintage push back wire. Replaced the awful pots with CTS's and output jack with Switchcraft. I replaced the horrendous stock bridge (it made it have dead spots all over the fretboard) to a Callaham bridge ( that really woke the guitar up! I highly recommend that upgrade!). The guitar sounds and plays really well. Bought it for $500 and put about $350 in to it. The only thing that I can say that I don't love about it is the neck. I have long hands and fingers and my left hand start to cramp after playing chords on it for a while. The neck is just too small & thin. The American necks are just more substantial, fuller. More finished, polished. They feel smoother and completed. The rounded fretboard edges are like butter and feel so well played. I could play it all day/night long. No matter what I could do to the MIM Strat neck, I could never get it to be as comfortable. I'd be apprehensive to do a night of gigs with it as my main guitar for fear of my hand cramping.
You play great, i don't mean only technically, your playing has a lot of musicality to it.
Wow, thanks a lot! Finally some more positive comments on this video 😃
@@LivingroomGearDemos Sure man.
And well... yeah, people gonna nag lol. Guitar looks cool though, but i'm perfectly fine with my 2006 Standard.
About the price, it's high but nothing too crazy like Gibson pulls off all the time.
Sound like a Strat
The Ultra Strats are pretty and I'm sure they play like butter, but they just don't sound like a Strat should to me, especially the neck position. No silvery bell-like tone whatsoever. For comparison, I think Dan Patlansky's "The Beast" is what a Strat should sound like.
CraigSteps is that the “modern” we hear? It should chime! It did not. Or at least not like a vintage Strat.
@@Steven_SK Totally!
I don't really get the title, Ferraris are super expensive and reserved to an "elite". This guitar is neither.
There are plenty of "luxury instruments" brands out there like Knaggs that makes those kind of guitars.
The guitar looks and sounds fine, but I don't think "luxury instrument" is what Fender was going for.
Btw love your channel, keep up the good work !
Hey! Thanks and thank you for the comment. Well, I respectfully disagree, even though it was Fender that presented the term "Ferrari" to me. I think it's a luxury instrument, it's a huge step up from most of the Strats I've played. And the color is kind of similar etc.
@@LivingroomGearDemos I can see that coming from them. But they are still factory instruments that you can buy on Amazon. If you want a brand new Ferrari you have to order it, wait 1 to 2 years, etc...They are made in small batches (I think) not thousands at a time like those guitars.
And even if they are a step up from the previous factory Fender, a nice custom shop/boutique guitar will still be superior (most of the time) and unique.
I would compare them to the Audi/Mercedes of guitars. ;)
I have always disliked Fender's noiseless pickups. I don't imagine that these pickups are an improvement.
What do you don't like about them?
@@LivingroomGearDemos In answer to your question, difficult to put in words. To my ear they lack character. They are bland sounding. I have several Strats and Teles with the noiseless pickups and I'm tired of them.
Teachering yeah i love the feedback though on any non noiseless single pickup
Noiseless pickups have a place in any kit. The Gen4 are excellent [I have a Strat with Fat50 and one with Gen4 noiseless] They are very comparable in tone, with the noiseless having more output and bottom end. The new noiseless seem to be a bit brighter and more open sounding. I put the Fishman noiseless in my Tele - to my ear, they sound better than the stock Fender pickups.
@@northof50now A musician friend gave me a scolding about my criticism of the new Fender noiseless. He feels that this generation of pickup has come a long way and that they are very good pickups. I've decided to have a listen to the new Fender Ultra to test my complaint. Thank you for your response, northof50now.
I pray for anyone who pays more than $1200 on a solid body guitar. It sounds good but honestly a well set up American standard or hell even a Mexican with some upgrades will sound 99% as good. To each their own I suppose.
🙏🏻
It's depends whether you want to just play the guitar, or whether you want to spend your time finding all the upgrades for a mim, find a tech that's actually up for the task, wait for them to make the upgrades and set up the guitar, all while praying that something didn't go wrong in this process and that the tech is actually good at what they do
I've played a few good MIM's, but they were all heavily modified and have been through the hands of several techs to get where they are. I've never played a stock MIM that didn't have fret buzz, notes choking out during bends, or an action that you'd think is set up for slide. And when I think how much time and money goes into these mods that could of been spent practicing and performing, the price difference doesn't really seem that significant. Time is money too. But as you said, to each their own.
I just got a mim player's stratocaster and it plays better out the box .no fret buzz pick ups are fine if you got a decent amp sounds great not like the American original 50s stratocaster I got factory set up was terrible straight from corona and I never bonded with it it was a 1000 dearer than the mim strat so sold it got a mm and couldn't be happier you are just paying for american labour I have two Japanese fender telecasters great guitars less than half the price of these ultras the noisless pick ups don't do it for me sound to thin to my ears
i think the body is ash, not alder. this guitar sounds really great.
It is alder, fender does not use ash amymore.
@@Torus1Knot1 The plasma burst in this video has an ash body. The stopped making this finish since, because, as you say, Fender stopped using ash.
If anyone is selling a set of 5th gen noiseless strat pickups SSS please hit me up and I'll buy them ASAP, lefty trying to build my own Ultra Strat here :/
What an expensive project this'll be...
Is this the secret guitar that you told us about?!?
Yea
BS..Strat is a strat get a good MIM and swap pick-ups..and study...study...study...study...study...study and when you thing you know some thing...study more..guitar is a guitar...dont belivie in this crap...fashion
My guitar bud has a newer MIM and it feels nothing like my American Pro. Its night and day better feel than the MIM.
Yeah that's just something cheap people say. The differences are clear in the hardware, playability and sound.
@@shawn4189 Cheap people??? I own a couple of the MIM Vintera series Fenders that cost $1,000....I don't think that's "cheap", and they play and sound excellent. Throw Squire Affinity in the cheap section, not MIM. The cheapest MIM Strat is $700
Same scenario with me. Buddy's MIM felt like what it is, a knock off.
Sounds like a strat!!!
Hope that's a good thing!
Uuh, that tone of Hamstead.
It's 🔥
Wait. It has taken you this long to realise that locking tuners are a handy thing to have. Since you don't seem to be a lead guitarist, I guess you didn't even notice the new neck joint and contoured neck...
text to speech has come such a long way
Always fun with nice comments when you've worked on a video for a week and you're kind of happy with it.
@@LivingroomGearDemos Im here because I'm a fan, though. You do amazing work and youre a great guitarist, too. If the joke is old, I apologise.
Oh, I didn't get the joke. I'm always up for being joked with! Maybe you can explain?
@@LivingroomGearDemos It was a nudge regarding your somewhat staccato-like pronunciation.
🤖
😍😍
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That really was not a review. As you said... sponsored by Fender.
2 bad things: Fret material and their website. The site just DOESN'T work :P other than that Fender seem to be pretty on point this year
La guitarra definitiva
Its way too expensive..i couldn't afford
It’s not looking as good as it’s competition, that’s for Suhr...
that is a good play on words, that's for Suhr...
I have, during this lockdown, just built my own strat from ebay bought parts (not Fender) it sounds just as good as this overpriced overated guitar. Please bear in mind that, as has become the norm, this also has not been demoed through a basic non pedal enhanced inexpensive amp. With a bit of time setting any guitar up correctly and to suit your own playing style you can can get some excellent sounds. I am sure some will say that this is an " I cannot afford one so I will knock it" comment - not so. As a once owner of an extremely expensive strat I can put my hand on my heart and say that Fender have sadly become a "lets see how we can sell more at higher prices by making minor changes" (not improvements) A very exited music store guy tried to sell me the latest offering from Fender but by the time I had taken his selling points apart I think he was glad to see me leave the shop. Sorry Fender, try selling DIY strat kits at really sensible prices, you will probably sell more and give guitarists the enjoyment of making their own instrument.
2.000 euro......
Do I hear a German accent? Hahaha
Norwegian!
Living Room Gear Demos hahaha 😂your country is beautiful!! I’ve just discovered your channel, so good!! Keep it up, bro!!
No!
just an overpriced strat