The Fender American Ultra Luxe Strat and Tele - Should you Buy One? Episode  

55 year old newbie learner. Went to Guitar Center and spent a lot of time playing a lot of guitars. I ended up with the Ultra Luxe not because of prestige or looks but simply the way it felt and played….for me…it was not close. I would have bought a PRS, Gibson, Squire, etc….brand didn’t matter. I ordered the version that best appealed to me visually and have not regretted it once. I love it. Side note, my Ultra Luxe stays in tune for long periods of time….way longer than I thought possible.

I was actually considering going Custom Shop order w/Fender until I played the Ultra and Ultra Luxe Teles back to back at a local GC of all places. I had printed the almost 70 pages of the Fender Custom Guide and had started w/specs. I ended up going w/a Tele Ultra in Arctic Pearl and I really love the guitar. My decision was somewhat based on the ss frets which I don’t prefer either. I have an ESP w/ss frets and yes they look and feel great but I like the feel and tone from the nickel. My LP Classic has them and I just prefer them. Who knows, it’s probably more in my own mind but I couldn’t justify the $500 jump in price for different fret wire and the FR isn’t a need for me on a Tele. I love an old classic Tele and I enjoy the noisy bite of the pups but there’s the metal head, high gain side of me that has wanted a more modern “classic” looking Tele for a long time since the Elites came out. However, I didn’t really love those noiseless pups but this generation is the best yet IMO. Would’ve loved the Custom I’m sure but $2k right now and no wait feels a lot better than 5k. I personally think Fender is going to give Suhr, Knaggs, and some other boutique builders some competition if they play their cards right as I like my “T” type guitars to be Fender and generally less than $3k. My 2 cents

**Mexican** Player Series. RE: the double tap humbucker. I think it means exactly that. Instead of splitting the humbucker, it taps each coil (hence the 'double tap") bringing the overall output down to a typical single coil while retaining its hum cancelling properties.

I have had the Ultra Luxe regular Strat for 3 years +. Perfect Strat for me.

My Luxe Strat is the most comfortable board and neck I have ever played! It feels like a 80s Ibanez Roadstar II RS 440. My Elite Strat is a close 2nd. My first opinion of the Luxe neck was small at first glance. It feels small in my hand also! Perfection. It’s seems small but it’s not is the best way I can describe it! And I’ve never had a Strat stay in tune as good as the Luxe when I’m using the wammy Bar!

I played one (strat ultra luxe non Floyd) at the local guitar center last week and I was very impressed! I own a 2018 American Elite, so it has similar specs, yet the ultra luxe blows it away! The Stainless frets are as smooth as glass! Gilmore style bends were effortless! I thought I hated the pained headstock from the photos but in-person, it actually looked nice and didn’t bother me. I think I’m going to sell my 2018 American Elite and pick up one of these as a replacement. My other strat is a 2020 Lincoln Brewster Artist series which is a totally different guitar and has become my number one player, it’s a shame it doesn’t get more notice, it’s the best strat I’ve ever owned or played.

I’m late to the game. I just never had a love for strats. Then I played an ultra luxe. My new luxe just arrived today. Perfection. If you wanted a custom shop equivalent (in particular SS frets) you HAVE to choose masterbuilt and will be looking at $6000 minimum.

Great presentation, thanks! The Floyd Rose Tele looks pretty fun

just bought the ultra luxe Strat... only thing I wish it had is roasted maple neck... the thing is absolutely perfect!!!!!

I am actually thinking of getting an IVY - but mainly because you supposedly return it for free on Amazon. This could really change how people buy guitars. Because the one thing we do not know about purchasing any guitar is the probability that one will be bad, and that information costs us if we have to return it. But if returns are free then everybody should be buying them and returning them and getting high quality guitars for very little money. And if you buy a cheap guitar you can afford to get aftermarket pickups, replace the neck at a later date when the frets wear out, and so on.

I bought one (Tele) with the Texas Tea finish. Found it used in mint condition in Texas. It is a great guitar and allows for more aggressive playing and fast action. It also has solid harmonic response. I don't completely love the pickups but I do like the button where you can have the pickups in series. It's definately perfect for my hands, which are a bigger. That's why I sought it out. When you pick it up, its hard to put down. I compared it to my other Tele which is a vintage 50's (made by Nash), they are totally diffrent and sound different. I like them both and use them for different types of songs and playing. I am considering buying different pickups. I need advice on which one's to get. Looked at Lollar and Seymour Duncan. Maybe you have somethings sweet Dylan....Maybe I should check out your pickups. If so, which ones that allow me to have the series wiring button too.

I've played Ultras/Elites and they are not noticeably better than the Pro tier models. What makes this almost a grand more than a Pro? - Stainless frets, which saves you on leveling costs over time, which could add up to a few hundred dollars. - Noiseless pickups, which come on the Deluxe MIM guitars. - Headstock paint. Who cares. They do this on most Squiers. - Presumably the finest of wood selection. Okay, this is something you notice when you pick up a guitar, and it makes you think 'oooh this is nice.' But at the end of the day, I mean who really cares, you're getting a mass produced guitar. - Contouring, extremely standard feature with other companies Fender, being pretentious about the past, withholds features that smaller companies employ standardly, insisting on retaining old and terrible ideas like the violin radiuses, or the one-way truss rod hidden in the neck pocket...and then they gradually dish out these minor features as part of their premium packages. For my money they should work on making guitars that can be set low without buzzing everywhere. The last two US Pro Teles I bought: one had a big asymmetry at the neck heel, and the other was utterly impossible to stop the low E from buzzing. I tried everything you can try, and I mean damn near literally everything short of paying for a PLEK. I like Fender's aesthetics a lot, they are incomparable - Fender is a paradigm more than it is brand; but for my money you're better off, say, picking up a 300 dollar roasted neck with 12" radius and jumbos, and putting it on the body of any used Tele with a cool color, and maybe upgrade or tweak the existing pups.

So basically just buy a compound radius warmoth neck with ss frets and some sandpaper to roll the edges. Already did a long time ago.

Waited 11 months for my Luxe Strat, my medium working man’s hand find the profile perfect, fit, finish, playability and tone of the 2 colour sun burst with rosewood phenomenal, enjoying so much that I ordered it’s Tele twin and my only point of concern was no rosewood availability for that finish.

Actually, the guy at Warmoth did an A/B and he thought there was a small difference - which surprised him - the stainless being a bit bright and fizzy (my words).

i know im gonna get flamed for this, but the features i think are missing is an hsh model and reversed head, preferrably on the silver burst strat. that being said i still REALLY want one! i've never GAS'd this hard for a fender before

I like the new series, but som things i would like to see: texas tea strat with gold pickguard as the previous series. Roller nut on the non floyds.

They should have more colors with dark fingerboard and lower the price.

I just ordered the tele+Floyd....because I wanted a tele+Floyd. I was torn between this and the Ibanez AZS2200BK which looks similar but has a single at the bridge and gotoh trem. I hope it will give me a traditional Tele quack among its range of sounds...

Thanks for weighing in on this model @DylanTalksTone , I've been very curious about it. My hands are definitely on the small side, and I'm ready to (massively) upgrade from my old Made In China Squier Frankenstrat. Do you think the "augmented D" shaped neck is likely to be too wide for me? I feel like C-shape may be my only way to go.

Not for me. I am just a weekend warrior player. Very happy with my Classic vibe Squiers.

I bought the Umber from Guitar Center- Dylan, the missing features are- smoke screen, oil slick, and bridge machine gun.

I want a 7.25 only way to get that I know of is replace the neck with a warmoth. Honestly for the money, I’d look hard at the Kenny Wayne Sheppard signature model. Bound neck, block inlays, getting more of the strat you expect and want but, actual luxury appointments.

A toggle switch, or the other pot with a switch to allow choice of humbucker/single (bridge single/neck humbucker) option.

The neck is actually thinner than the modern c.. I would definitely recommend it for smaller hands.

I sand the necks down on my guitars so as to fit my little hands.

I have the FL Tele on order. I wish it had double binding and gold hw, otherwise it might just be the guitar of my dreams

where is truss rod adjustment?? doesnt say in anything i can find??

Here's my mods:1 * Harley Benton Fusion-T HH HT Roasted FNT Guitar 2 * Seymour Duncan P-Rails 2 * Seymour Duncan Triple Play Pickup surrounds 1 * Fishman / Wilkinson Power Bridge (Trem) 1 * Fender Super Wafer switch 2 * 500k CTS, Linear, Long Shaft Pots 1 * Set of Graph Tech Ratio Staggered Locking Tuners 1 * Pure Tone Gold Plated Input socket 1 * WBC World’s Best Guitar Cable 1 Set of Dean Markley Helix Strings (9 - 42) Battery Holder, 9v Battery + mini on off switch/s and a rechargeable (USB) Battery. 1 Wiring Diagram

I purchased an UltrLuxe telecaster about a year ago. I have to admit I have already experienced tech issues in the electronics. As far as the sound, I have been on the fence between my ultra and my Mex Telecaster. I like the punch and bite of my older Mex Tele better than the Ultra. I am still discovering this new telecaster, but I am currently missing some of the important elements of the vintage telecaster.

You know, i kept seeing Telecaster with Bigsby content and said to myself "I wonder what would happen to the Tele if they stuff a Floyd Rose on it?" Googled it, scrolled down, and wouldnt you know Mr Reliable is here to break it down for me:) Also note, Britney Spears and Dylan giving zero fucks;P

Great video Dylan , is it possible to find a relic body with the feel of this ultra?

I have a silver burst Floyd Ultra Lux Strat. I love it but I don't understand the Double Tap and some days If I really concentrate I think I can hear the difference it's supposed to make, but then I'm like, nope can't hear any difference. That aside, the guitar is great

"I don't know anyone but me who doesn't like stainless frets" There's a handful of tubers. Danish Pete on Anderton's - a feel thing for him iirc. Kris Barosci (own channel and Thomann stuff) doesn't like the sound. Crimson Ben is kinda indifferent about them - hard nickel and particularly jescar variant are almost as hard (Stainless guys, don't shoot the messenger, just providing info/context)

Wish the s1 did something more useful on the hss Strat

What string gauge does the fender ultra lux stratocaster come with. And it seems Ill have to get used to the augmented neck at first i didnt like it .im not a lead player cording above the 12th fret feels difficult. Maybe its better suited for lead work? Thants great reveiw you did.

I bought the Stratocaster. It is refined. I traded my 2008 Am Std Stratocaster in towards this. Kept my Deluxe Roadhouse Stratocaster and Squier. This is like my PSR 513 in quality. I like the tremelo better on the Luxe. I like the tones from S1 on the DRH and kind of wish the Luxe had these too as a toggle with what it is. Maybe a Luxe +. Lol

I have a Fender Ultra. It is the nicest guitar I've ever owned.

The only thing I like are the noisless pickups and the ss frets

Haters are just gonna hate and hate hate hate. Just pre ordered this only because of the stainless steel frets. Just received my be-loved esp USA with stainless steel frets and god I will never buy another guitar without them. Just when I sadly thought I could not buy a vintage guitar like a les paul or strat the. Bang, fender did it. Thank you!

For me it was underwhelming: I own a Tele Elite (the previous series) and in comparison they only added stainless frets and the bevel near the horn (not the one in the back, which is in place since Tele Deluxe), while dropping the nut adjustment for the truss rod at neck pickup level... In addition, I don't know, but the "new" pickups look to me a step back...

Do you know if the truss rod is Bi-flex? Cheers

They seem like good guitars; however, I have significant criticisms: 1.) I absolutely hate the painted headstock, 2.) I think it's ridiculous that you have to buy their range-topping model to get stainless frets, and 3.) At these prices I'd expect to see a nitro finish option. With the cost of these guitars, I shouldn't have this many nitpicks. That's enough for me to not even consider buying them.

They should have put the 2 x RI CuNiFe WRHs in the Floyd Tele's in my opinion... Just my .02c as this would be the first thing I'd mod, if I ever bought this guitar, which I would never do and I've already done this mod on my existing Tele anyway.

Neck and Frets… also, I like Ash body guitars

I love the belly cut, I have been waiting for that a long time, it's a shame they didnt taper the top to, like the strat have, maybe that will come in the next year? what I don't like is only the green one have a rosewood neck, I guess that one will sell the best, and not enough color options, I think they are nice guitars though. but bursts together with maple necks is just plain ugly to me.

Wedley-deedly end… Nice!

I have the strat floyd rose luxe and the Tele two tone burst. Amazing guitars! Definitely get one if you have the chance

comment tu peux avoir confiance d"un mec qui porte un tee shirt de britney spears.....

Everything is perfect (for the non floyds) except for the boring colour scheme and that stupid black headstock.

I put together my own. Not a luxe, deluxe, ultra, marvelous, fantastic modern vintage special super duper Stratocaster NO!! All you need is a Fender Stratocaster. End of story.

First. lol Can always use another Strat, right?

if these guitars had roasted maple neck, it would've been my dream guitar

CGS’s Guitartan > Fender Luxe

I would like to see you rate a Solar guitar from Ola Englund

Have they gone back to shielding their guitars yet? You know...like every $500 guitar by any other brand has?

AHHHH you dont need locking tuners on a FR???? Try gigging ...break a string...and then spend 10min removing and putting on your string without them.......

No lefty versions. . Shame on Fender

I'd buy the tele with the floyd rose for the hum buckers but delete the floyd rose

Errrrr ... no!

I wanted to see ebony on such expensive strats!!!

Britney's shirt really?

Britney Spears? Seriously? LOL!