Fender Ultra Luxe Vintage Key Features
- Heirloom Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish
- Satin Nitro Neck Finish
- Pure Vintage Pickups
- S-1 Switch
- Quartersawn Maple Neck with either Maple or Rosewood Fingerboard
- Alder or Ash Bodies
- Modern D Neck with Compound 10”-14” Radius
- Tapered Neck Heel
- ‘Ultra’ Rolled Fingerboard Edges
- Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel Frets
- Locking Tuners
- Graph Tech TUSQ Nut
- Luminlay Side Dots
- ‘Ultra’ Body Contours
- Rosewood Fingerboard Features Clay Dots
- Modern Precision Hardware
What is the Heirloom Finish?
Capturing a similar vibe to the Custom Shop Closet Classic finish, the Heirloom finish showcases the natural, eye-catching ageing that happens to instruments finished in Nitrocellulose Lacquer. There are no major scratches or wear marks; however, there is a beautiful, subtle chequered patina that can be seen if admired close up. In essence, it’s like a real vintage guitar from the ‘50s or ‘60s that’s been carefully stored away under the bed or in a closet. Not only does the chequing display a bucket load of rock and roll mojo, but also due to the natural porous qualities of Nitro finishes, the guitar is able to ‘breathe’ more, therefore resulting in a more overall naturally resonant guitar.
Fender Ultra Luxe Vintage Stratocaster
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The Ultra Luxe Vintage Stratocaster is offered in ‘50s, ‘60s or HSS ‘60s variations. The ‘50s Strat comes with either a beautifully grained, open-sounding Ash body elegantly finished in White Blonde or with an Alder body finished in a classic Sunburst. Both feature a Maple neck and Pure Vintage ’57 pickups for bell-like chime.
The ‘60s and ‘60s HSS versions feature Alder bodies with stunning dark Rosewood fingerboards. They are offered in a selection of classic ‘60s custom colours including Fiesta Red, Surf Green, Ice Blue Metallic and Sea Foam Green. Both models feature Pure Vintage ’61 pickups, and the HSS includes a Fender Haymaker humbucker in the bridge position for a more modern, aggressive humbucking tone.
Fender Ultra Luxe Vintage Telecaster
Like the Strat, the Fender Ultra Luxe Vintage Telecaster comes in both ‘50s and ‘60s variations. The ‘50s model features an Ash body beautifully finished in transparent White Blonde or Butterscotch Blonde and is perfectly presented with black pickguards, Pure Vintage ’51 pickups and Maple necks.
The ‘60s Telecaster Custom comes in 3-Colour Sunburst or Lake Placid Blue with single-ply white body binding and features Fender Pure Vintage ’63 pickups and a Rosewood fingerboard.
| American Vintage II | Ultra II | Ultra Luxe Vintage | Fender Custom Shop | |
| Body Material | Alder, Ash or Mahogany (model specific) | Alder | Alder or Ash (model-specific) | Any |
| Neck Material | Maple | Quartersawn Maple | Quartersawn Maple | Riff Sawn, Quartersawn or Flamed Maple, Rosewood |
| Fingerboard Material | Maple or Rosewood | Maple or Ebony | Maple or Rosewood | Maple, Rosewood or Ebony |
| Pickups | Pure Vintage | Ultra II Noiseless, Haymaker Humbucker | Pure Vintage, Haymaker Humbucker | Custom Shop Hand Wound/Any |
| Electronics | Modern | Modern with S-1 | Modern with S-1 | Vintage-Accurate, Modern, and other special electronics such as S-1, Clapton Boosts etc. |
| Hardware | Vintage-Accurate | Modern | Modern | Any |
| Tuners | Vintage-Accurate | Locking | Locking | Any |
| Finish | Nitrocellulose Lacquer | Gloss Urethane | Nitrocellulose Lacquer (Heirloom Finish) | Nitrocellulose Lacquer (offered in a range of Relic options) |
| Other/Special Features | Vintage reproduction through and through, featuring era-specific neck shapes and profiles. | Contemporary take on classic Fender designs featuring Modern D neck profile, compound fingerboard and ‘Ultra’ contours. | Fusion between vintage and contemporary featuring modern profiles and hardware with vintage pickups. | Fender’s Dream Factory, if you can think it, they can build it! |
Fender Ultra Luxe Vintage Vs. Fender American Vintage II
The Fender American Vintage II guitars and basses are built top to bottom for the purists! Minus the addition of a ‘modern’ 5-way pickup selector switch on the Stratocaster models, these instruments are built to be as near an exact replica as Fender USA can get. Featuring era-correct neck profiles with 7.25” fingerboard radii, vintage styled fret wire and authentic hardware, these instruments are for those who live and breathe the organic electric guitar tones of the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s and for those who feel without any doubt that Leo got it right the first time! To some though, these golden-era workhorses are quite literally a horse and cart in an age of high-speed modern convenience. Vintage neck profiles and vintage frets are not known for their ergonomic feel, and 7.25” fingerboards are renowned for choking out with extreme modern bends. It can also be hard for vintage-styled hardware and tuners to keep up with the accuracy found in more modern variations. In short, there’s a reason why, as modern music got more technical, so did the guitars.
Fender Ultra Luxe Vintage Vs. Fender American Ultra II
When Fender began reissuing the classics in the 1980s, they decided that it was however still important to continue a line of instruments dedicated to the pursuit of modern perfection and innovation. Focusing more on ergonomics, playability and tones to suit a wider range of genres, including the latest high-gain trends, these models moved tradition aside to offer Fender’s most modern and versatile models. The Fender American Ultra II series is Fender’s most contemporary version, featuring reimagined ‘Ultra’ body contours, Ultra II Noiseless pickups complete with S-1 switching, ergonomic neck profiles with a compound fingerboard radius, as well as a whole plethora of thought-out design tweaks. With so much focus on the modern features, there are some who find that these contemporary versions lack some of the mojo/vibe/imperfections found on the originals that made them magical.
Fender Ultra Luxe Vintage Vs. Fender Custom Shop
Fender’s ‘Dream Factory’ is renowned for building some of the best instruments in the world and certainly some of the best guitars and basses that Fender has ever produced. Handcrafted in California, the Fender Custom Shop fully demonstrates the sum of Fender’s expertise and knowledge that they have accumulated in their 75+ year history. Just about anything is possible from painstaking recreations of ‘golden era’ instruments to unique colour or wood configurations, right up to the completely weird and wonderful. Like the Ultra Luxe Vintage series, one of the most popular configurations we have seen is the fusion of vintage and modern. Vintage voiced instruments with modern playability and a roadworn aesthetic, providing a classic sounding instrument that can do it all. Built using the finest materials available, these instruments carry a premium price tag that can sometimes feel hard to justify.
Fender Custom Shop – Buying Your Dream Guitar
At Andertons Music Co. in Guildford, Surrey, we house and display one of the largest collections of Fender Custom Shop electric guitars and basses in Europe. From authentic vintage replicas to modern masterpieces, one-off spectacles imagined and built by one of the prestigious Master Builders, and everything in between, we have it all! With expert staff available in-store, over the phone or online, finding your dream Fender Custom Shop couldn’t be easier. Can’t find exactly what you’re looking for? Then no problem, speak with our Guitar Gallery staff today about specing and ordering your very own Fender Custom Shop electric guitar or bass today, if you can dream it, they can build it!
FAQ
Where are Fender Ultra Luxe Vintage guitars made?
The Fender Ultra Luxe Vintage Series is proudly made in Corona, California, in the same factory that makes the American Performer, American Professional II, American Ultra II and American Vintage II ranges.
Does the Fender Ultra Luxe Vintage series come with hard cases?
Yes, they come with a Fender Deluxe Hardshell case offering superior protection at home or on the road.
Fender Ultra Luxe Vs. Ultra Luxe Vintage?
Discontinued in 2024, the American Ultra Luxe series was a souped-up version of the original Fender Ultra line, pushing the series to even more contemporary heights. Notable upgrades included Stainless Steel frets, new colours with matching headstocks, Ash bodies and an Augmented D neck profile.
Conclusion
In my opinion, the Fender Ultra Luxe Vintage series perfectly fills a gap which I feel has been missing from the Fender lineup for many years. An American production Strat and Tele, perfectly fusing new and old, offering a premium electric guitar that truly competes with the many boutique builders offering a similar vintage/modern S-Type or T-type guitar. The Heirloom finish looks stunning, and the Pure Vintage pickups are the perfect choice for the range. In hand, these guitars feel amazing! The neck is effortless, and the overall experience is one where you quickly begin to forget about the ‘gear’ element and just focus on playing the best you ever have. It’s a modern feeling guitar that still retains all the vibe, tone and mojo found in vintage styled instruments, making it the perfect choice for a true do-it-all, workhorse Fender.
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