Emboldened with a hard-hitting Haymaker humbucker, the Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS reshapes and refines Leo Fender’s iconic double-cut guitar for the performance-minded musician. From the second you sling up this Strat, you’ll enjoy enhanced playing comfort thanks to the select alder body’s tapered neck heel and deep neck joint contour. Naturally, these changes grant effortless access to the Modern D quartersawn maple neck’s compound-radius fingerboard, which boasts Ultra Rolled edges for a seamless feel against your palm. The electronics section begins with two Ultra II Noiseless Hot Strat pickups in the neck and middle positions, providing a searing single-coil bite to balance against the heat of the bridge position’s Haymaker humbucker. Plus, Fender’s S-1 switch splits the Haymaker into a shimmering single-coil to give you access to traditional SSS Strat sonics. You also get a host of high-performance hardware appointments, including Fender’s 2-point American Ultra Synchronized tremolo, a cold-rolled steel trem block, Deluxe locking tuners, and a stylish 1-ply aluminum pickguard. Cutting-edge and classic all at once, the American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS elevates Fender’s time-tested S-style formula to bold new HSS heights.

Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS at a Glance:

• Select Alder Body with Ultra Contours and Sculpted Neck Heel
• Quartersawn Maple Modern “D” Profile Neck
• 10"-14" Compound Radius Ebony or Quartersawn Maple Fingerboard with Ultra Rolled Edges and Luminlay Side Dots
• Haymaker™ Humbucker, Ultra II Noiseless™ Hot Strat® Pickups, Advanced Electronics and S-1™ Switching
• 2-Point American Ultra Synchronized Tremolo with Polished Stainless Steel Block Saddles, Cold Rolled Steel Block and Pop-In Arm
• Short Post Locking Tuners

Ultra-high-performance quartersawn maple neck

Fender’s American Ultra II series is all about superb 6-string performance, and nowhere is that more apparent than in this Stratocaster’s easy-playing neck. A comfortably slim Modern D maple neck lays the foundation, topped with a compound-radius fingerboard that steadily flattens out from a 10-inch radius on the low frets to a 14-inch radius up high. This design ensures both easy, natural-feeling chording on the lower half of the neck and effortless multi-step bends up high without a hint of fret-out. To further aid your fleet-fingered endeavors, this guitar’s neck is topped off with Ultra Rolled edges and an Ultra Satin finish, resulting in a nearly frictionless feel against your palm.

Cover HSS and SSS tones on a single Strat

From sparkling neck-position cleans to all-out distortion-drenched chug, Fender’s American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS is an immensely versatile instrument that covers both high-octane HSS and SSS tonalities. Two Ultra II Noiseless Hot Strat pickups in the middle and neck positions start this Strat off with a slightly fuller and more authoritative single-coil voice, all without a hint of hum. In comparison, this guitar’s bridge-position Haymaker humbucker crunches with the best of them — it’s a superb do-it-all dual coil that retains cutting clarity, even when you heap on the gain. Furthermore, the American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS’s S-1 switch splits the Haymaker into a single-coil to further expand your tonal palette.

Limitless access to all 22 frets

Sculpted to perfection, the Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS sports expertly engineered contours that smooth over the Strat’s traditionally chunky neck joint. This guitar’s tapered neck heel pairs with a deeply sculpted body contour at the neck joint, resulting in a nearly seamless transition from neck to body. Moreover, Sweetwater’s technique-heavy guitarists appreciate how these cuts ensure unfettered access to all 22 frets, with no need to twist and contort your fretting hand when laying down licks and solos on the highest notes.

What Fender Says...

Built for players boldly seeking the best, American Ultra II is our most advanced series of instruments. American Ultra II guitars and basses feature premium materials, precision craftsmanship and cutting-edge design for instruments that both advance the state-of-the-art and stand the test of time. The Fender® American Ultra II Stratocaster® HSS features a select alder body with sculpted body contours. For effortless playability, the quartersawn maple neck features our Modern D profile and smooth Ultra Satin finish. Ebony or quartersawn maple 10”-14” compound radius fingerboards feature Ultra rolled edges, medium-jumbo frets, Luminlay® side dots and Graph Tech® TUSQ® nuts. The tapered neck heel and sculpted body contours allow unparalleled access to the higher register. Under the hood, a pair of Ultra II Noiseless™ Hot Strat® pickups paired with a Haymaker™ Humbucker deliver everything from sweet crystalline cleans to searing leads, all without a hint of hum. Our patented S-1™ switch cleverly splits the Haymaker for even more tonal variety. Additional road-ready features include 2-Point American Ultra synchronized tremolo with pop-in arm, polished stainless steel block saddles, cold rolled steel block, deluxe locking tuners, soft-touch knobs and 1-ply anodized aluminum pickguard. The American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS infuses iconic style with advanced appointments to take your playing to stratospheric new heights. For players who demand flawless tone, infinite versatility and limitless performance, American Ultra II delivers.

Select Alder Body with Ultra Contours and Sculpted Neck Heel

A resonant alder body provides classic Fender tone, while the tapered neck heel allows unparalleled access to the upper registers of the fingerboard and “Ultra” sculpted rear body contours are as beautiful as they are functional.

Quartersawn Maple Modern “D” Profile Neck

Slim with wide shoulders, the “Modern D” neck profile works for any style of playing, while extra-strong quartersawn maple ensures unparalleled stability.

Compound Radius Ebony or Quartersawn Maple Fingerboard, Ultra Rolled Edges, Luminlay Side Dots

Built for speed, comfort and facility, the 10”-14” compound-radius fingerboard is rounded near the nut, becoming increasingly flatter as it nears the upper register. Luminlay® glow-in the-dark side dots provide exceptional visibility even on the darkest stages while “Ultra” rolled fingerboard edges and a silky, smooth “Ultra” satin finish make the neck effortless to play.

Haymaker™ Humbucker, Ultra II Noiseless™ Hot Strat® Pickups, Advanced Electronics and S-1™ Switching

Equipped with the Haymaker™ humbucker and Ultra II Noiseless™ Hot Strat® pickups this guitar delivers an incredibly versatile range of tones with immense output and incredible balance across all pickup combinations. The Ultra II Noiseless single-coil pickups offer articulate, hot-rodded Fender tones without hum. In conjunction with the expressive snarl of the Haymaker™ humbucker this calibrated set offers dynamic Fender tone that is second to none. Our patented S-1™ switch splits the Haymaker™ humbucker for even more tonal variety, while the treble bleed circuit maintains your highs at any volume.

American Ultra Synchronized Tremolo, Stainless Steel Saddles, Cold Rolled Steel Block, Pop-In Arm

This precision manufactured synchronized tremolo features a deluxe pop-in tremolo arm, polished stainless steel block saddles and a chamfered cold rolled steel block for endless sustain, precise attack and rock-solid tuning stability.

Short Post Locking Tuners

A high-performance feature, short post locking tuning machines provide a sharper and more consistent break angle over the nut for increased sustain and enhanced tuning stability while making string changes fast and easy.