If you're attracted to brands like Suhr, Grosh, etc...you really owe it to yourself to check out a Fender Ultra. They're cut from the same cloth and will certainly help you scratch that itch.

Fender's Ultra Series of instruments represent the company's most modern-leaning designs.

So, what makes this guitar an Ultra? What's modern-leaning about it exactly?

It's all in the details, friends. We're staring with an Alder body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, 25 1/2" scale length, 1 11/16th nut (bone)...which is to say, we're starting from a pretty standard Strat foundation (though the nut is slightly wider than the standard 1 5/8" nut).

Upon this foundation, the Ultra folds in some very modern specs: a 10-14" compound fingerboard radius (flatter fingerboards are great for faster, sleek, easy playability), 22 medium-jumbo frets, Noiseless Vintage single coil pickups w/an S-1 switch (this easily adds the neck pickup to any position on the 5-way switch, specifically the 1st and 2nd positions), a 2 post tremolo with block style saddles, a satin finished "modern D" neck carve (it feels a bit like a 60's oval C in our hands, truthfully), a tapered neck heel, and locking tuners.

Whew. That's a lot to take in.

Indeed. What you ultimately end up with as a very, very easy playing Strat that expands the tonal range w/the S-1 switch - and - zero hum. If you're the type that's bothered by any extraneous buzz from your amp while playing, this setup will put a grin on your face. It's wild to play a Strat, which is normally a touch buzzy, with no 60 cycle hum - dead silence. Perfect for the OCD types among us and for anyone who does a lot of tracking.

All in all, a very cool Strat that will appeal to players seeking a more refined instrument without abandoning the past altogether.