Fender Ultra American Strat: New 70th Anniversary models
4,1 / 5,0 | 
As part of their 70th Anniversary celebrations, Fender has just announced a new Ultra American Strat and the American Vintage II 1954 Stratocaster.
Ultra American Strat
The Fender Ultra American Strat 70th Anniversary model has a distinctive and eye-catching Amethyst finish. It has the exact flip-flop colour change as some car finishes and models like the original EBMM Petrucci guitars. This means it has a subtle shine and glimmer as it reacts to the light.
Key Specifications
Specifications include an alder body paired with a bolt-on roasted maple D-profile neck fitted with 22 medium jumbo frets.
Ultra Quadra Tap
It has an HSS configuration, a 70th Anniversary Ultra Quadra Tap Humbucker on the bridge, and two 70th Anniversary Ultra Noiseless Strat single coils. The hardware comprises a Fender 2-Point Deluxe Synchronised Tremolo with a Pop-In Arm and deluxe locking tuners.
It is due out officially in April and includes a hard case in the price.
American Vintage II 1954 Stratocaster
The second release is this far more traditional American Vintage II 1954 Stratocaster, a limited run for the 70th Anniversary. 1954 being the first official year of the Stratocaster production and the the release of Leo Fender’s space age electric guitar.
Specifications are as you might expect for a ’54 Strat, including an ash body paired with a bolt-on one-piece maple neck. The neck is a 1954 “C” profile with black dot fret markers and 21 vintage-style frets.
The three single-coil pickups are 70th Anniversary 1954 models, and they have a vintage correct Pure Vintage Synchronised Tremolo with bent steel saddles. Overall, this model is what many traditional Stratocaster fans will gravitate towards. It comes in a vintage tweed hard case and looks great in that 2-color Sunburst nitrocellulose finish.
Verdict
Both are excellent examples of the classic Fender Stratocaster, and there is something there for modern players and traditionalists alike. I prefer the more traditional 1954 version, but mainly as I like that vintage-style tremolo system with six screws rather than the contemporary 2-point trem system.
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