Fender tease an elite new guitar range with new Stratocaster and bass models
Never Play A Fender The Same Way Again?
Fender is teasing an elite new guitar range which looks like a modern Stratocaster and the teaser campaign has a few brief views of a sculpted body shape and fancy new sparkling blue finish. Whilst their official teaser site hints at even more models in the new series too.
Never Play A Fender The Same Way Again
You can watch the official teaser video below, of what appears to be a new Stratocaster model from Fender, although there could be more than one model of guitar in the range of course. It reminds me a lot of the Elite Stratocaster range and with that sculpted heel access, I’d imagine that it is a hot rodded Strat. More of an American Ultra Series then perhaps?
Fender tease an elite new series · Source: Fender
American Ultra Series?
We can see knurled metal control knobs and a metallic Fender logo on the headstock, so I’m assuming it will be a US made high end Strat model, with maybe a Telecaster version, as well as a bass model or two in there somewhere too. I say this as you can see some silhouetted players holding a bass guitar in one of the shots on the official teaser page over on Fender’s main website.
Fender bass teaser · Source: Fender
The official release date is Tuesday, 5 November, so not long to wait for these American Ultra Series to get officially launched. For now you can watch the video below or follow my link below to see the official Fender Teaser webpage. Tell us what you think the new range will be called and what new models Fender will be adding to their line-up, in the comments section below.
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7 responses to “Fender tease an elite new guitar range with new Stratocaster and bass models”
Concentric controls, locking tuners
Roasted maple neck
So, they finally decided to make a Suhr? Better have stainless steel frets or it’s a pass.
Not sure why they’re making such a big fuss about it. The tuners look exactly like the locking Fender tuners (Made in Taiwan, by the way) that you could buy for ages at a reasonable price. And the heel looks pretty much what Warmoth is producing at very competitive prices.
Actually, come to think of it, maybe Warmoth has been eating into their pie a bit too much so now they rather sell fancy bodies themselves.
Fender ‘Silver Sky’?
So word on the street is that it’s a revival of the Ultra series, with very unspectacular changes: it’s replacing the Elite series, but with a truss rod adjustment at the headstock. Bone nut. Rolled edges. New pickups. More accessible neck heel. And that’s about it.
Must say I’m not digging it. I have a few Fender US-made necks here, and the job on the bone nuts is quite terrible, the “rolling” is careless, and still using very soft fret wire. Overall the value added won’t justify the – presumably – high price of this new series, as the parts themselves, or equivalents, can be had for less than the price markup Fender is likely going to ask for.
The sparkle finish I’m not digging either. Just recently I purchased a Fender body in Candy Apple Red, paid about $250 street price, factory-new. The sparkle finish, MIM, is good enough, you won’t find flaws, and all that at $250, so I’m not seeing how a blue or silver sparkle finish MIA would somehow mean that it’s now an “ultra” instrument when the same quality can be had from their colleagues in Mexico at a fraction of the price. It’s not like nowadays a sparkle finish would be a challenge to make or something. Harley Benton has a few of those, 300 to 400 Euros for the full guitar. Including stainless steel frets.
Maybe Fender is going to start making PRS guitars? Gotta keep John happy somehow…
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