Fender American Ultra II series is here

[phillipkregg]

I got a chance to sit down and play both the new Ultra 2 Jazz 5 and the P Bass today.

Here's my thoughts in a nutshell:

• Both basses looked pretty nice. The finishes look better in person than in photos.

• The 5-string jazz bass had a wonderful neck and some of the lowest action I've seen on a Fender.

• The P Bass also had a nice feel to it, but not quite as good as the Jazz - a slight tweak of the truss rod and dropping the saddles down a bit would probably fix it.

• Both the jazz and the p bass had improved tone over the Ultra 1 series, however, the preamp only offers slight coloration. You don't really get a huge boost from any of the controls, and honestly that's fine with me because Fender has always excelled in their passive tone voices, and these preamps compliment that well.

• There is a switch that changes the frequency focus point of the mids - from either an emphasis on the high mids, or an emphasis on the low mids. This, like many other things, is totally subjective, but for me the tone was always better with an emphasis on the low mids.
  
  
• Speaking of preamp, the knobs are built like an M1 tank. They almost feel too rough actually. And unfortunately, the concentric ones kinda stick together. I spent about a half hour tweaking knobs and turning one of the stacked knobs often caused the other one to turn with it accidentally. This might be aleviated by losening one of them and raising it a bit, but who knows.

• Also speaking of knobs - the blend knob is basically just a switch. I couldn't get anything to actually "blend". If you bump it one millimeter toward the P pickup, it's 100% precision. Bump it slightly toward the jazz pickup - it's 100% jazz. This has been a problem on most active Fender basses in my experience.

• All of this stuff is subjective, but both basses were too heavy to me. The Jazz bass felt like it was over 10.5 lbs... and the P Bass was probably around 9.5. I'm a big weight stickler and have been known to show up to Guitar Center with a fishing scale. I've gotten pretty good at guesstimation, but yeah, I wouldn't wanna be lugging either one of them around for 4 hours on a stage.

• The new "global" tone option is a godsend and greatly improves everything about these preamps. In active mode, and with the tone wide open, both basses are just way too brittle sounding. Rolling the tone off, then bumping the mids a bit - damn, that's a good freakin tone. Especially on the jazz bass. Fender is crazy for having put this off for so long.

• The luminlay side dots are awesome. They really are easier to see and are a big improvement.
  
  
  Final thoughts:
  
  They are definitely an improvement on the Ultra series, and I didn't expect to be as impressed as I was by them.
  
  Will I buy one? ..... probably not. Mainly because of the weight. If they could offer that 5 string Jazz at around 8.5 lbs, then maybe we'll talk.
  
  If you're fine with a heavy bass, and you don't mind the other details, you'd probably love these new Ultras. But there's a heck of a lot of competition in the bass world within that price range.

 

[nigel65nigel]

Anybody know why there's a skunk stripe with a glued on fretboard? Fender usa dont do this. Along with the truss rod adjust at the top and i swear these are mexican.

 

[Wander Guzman]

I got a chance to sit down and play both the new Ultra 2 Jazz 5 and the P Bass today.

Here's my thoughts in a nutshell:

• Both basses looked pretty nice. The finishes look better in person than in photos.

• The 5-string jazz bass had a wonderful neck and some of the lowest action I've seen on a Fender.

• The P Bass also had a nice feel to it, but not quite as good as the Jazz - a slight tweak of the truss rod and dropping the saddles down a bit would probably fix it.

• Both the jazz and the p bass had improved tone over the Ultra 1 series, however, the preamp only offers slight coloration. You don't really get a huge boost from any of the controls, and honestly that's fine with me because Fender has always excelled in their passive tone voices, and these preamps compliment that well.

• There is a switch that changes the frequency focus point of the mids - from either an emphasis on the high mids, or an emphasis on the low mids. This, like many other things, is totally subjective, but for me the tone was always better with an emphasis on the low mids.
  
  
• Speaking of preamp, the knobs are built like an M1 tank. They almost feel too rough actually. And unfortunately, the concentric ones kinda stick together. I spent about a half hour tweaking knobs and turning one of the stacked knobs often caused the other one to turn with it accidentally. This might be aleviated by losening one of them and raising it a bit, but who knows.

• Also speaking of knobs - the blend knob is basically just a switch. I couldn't get anything to actually "blend". If you bump it one millimeter toward the P pickup, it's 100% precision. Bump it slightly toward the jazz pickup - it's 100% jazz. This has been a problem on most active Fender basses in my experience.

• All of this stuff is subjective, but both basses were too heavy to me. The Jazz bass felt like it was over 10.5 lbs... and the P Bass was probably around 9.5. I'm a big weight stickler and have been known to show up to Guitar Center with a fishing scale. I've gotten pretty good at guesstimation, but yeah, I wouldn't wanna be lugging either one of them around for 4 hours on a stage.

• The new "global" tone option is a godsend and greatly improves everything about these preamps. In active mode, and with the tone wide open, both basses are just way too brittle sounding. Rolling the tone off, then bumping the mids a bit - damn, that's a good freakin tone. Especially on the jazz bass. Fender is crazy for having put this off for so long.

• The luminlay side dots are awesome. They really are easier to see and are a big improvement.
  
  
  Final thoughts:
  
  They are definitely an improvement on the Ultra series, and I didn't expect to be as impressed as I was by them.
  
  Will I buy one? ..... probably not. Mainly because of the weight. If they could offer that 5 string Jazz at around 8.5 lbs, then maybe we'll talk.
  
  If you're fine with a heavy bass, and you don't mind the other details, you'd probably love these new Ultras. But there's a heck of a lot of competition in the bass world within that price range.

Another reason not to get it I'm even selling my pro II because it's almost 10 lbs and I'm barely using it. And if this new ultras are the same or almost I'll see what I can get from the MIJ fenders, sandberg or any other brands

 

[Deleted member 409773]

Another reason not to get it I'm even selling my pro II because it's almost 10 lbs and I'm barely using it. And if this new ultras are the same or almost I'll see what I can get from the MIJ fenders, sandberg or any other brands

I'm looking at Sadowsky Will Lee 5s (german Warwick made) as an alternative for this Ultra II's.

 

[Romain909]

I have not tried one yet but from the specs :

I dislike :

• The skunk stripe (it looks like a cheap Squier)
• The trussrod nut at the top of the neck
• The lazy color choices
• I miss the binding and block inlays
• (and this one is very personal, but I hate how aluminum pickguard feel)

I like :

• Quarter sawn necks. We want stable necks
• The general Tone control !!! Great idea to avoid your active preamp to zing too much.
• Luminlay dot is a nice addition. Not that useful but it's funny, why not.
  

I own an Ultra I Jazz Bass. It's my second one and I have played like 5. They ALL had similar issues :

• Uneven quality : rough fretboard, flawed binding, poor adjustments here and there.
• They all come unshielded, meaning your high end bass pick ups the radio interferences and buzzes
• They all have uneven fretboard, and sometime the ski slope is so bad that the board has to be defreted, leveled then refreted.
• They all rattle somewhere, mostly at the bridge or at the tuning bushings. Playing dry with no amp make it sound like a Squier.
• Pickup pots is a switch, you can't have 60% front 40% bridge pickup. It basically has 3 positions : Neck / Both / bridge.
• Some basses have uneven coils, which means the pickups are uneven humbuckers that will produce some 60/50 cylcles hum ..

My BIGGEST fear is that all the points above have not been fixed so far on the Ultra II.

 

[ScotJam Bassie]

Anybody know why there's a skunk stripe with a glued on fretboard? Fender usa dont do this. Along with the truss rod adjust at the top and i swear these are mexican.

Maybe the necks are made in the Mexican Fender factory? There is a difference between Made in The USA and Assembled in Corona, California. I believe this is why Corona Fenders don't say Made in USA on them - like my 'USA' 60th Anniversary Jazz Bass - I'm sure at least the 60s style bridge is made across the border in Mexico. As long as the wood is properly selected and seasoned, Baja Californian necks should be good… Maybe some Fender nerds, or insiders can give a better answer? Does the truss rod nut at the headstock also suggest the necks are Mexican?

 

[ScotJam Bassie]

I'm looking at Sadowsky Will Lee 5s (german Warwick made) as an alternative for this Ultra II's.

Good call. I'll still put my 2006 Korean Lakland Skyline Joe Osborne 5 string Jazz with factory Fralin pick ups, and an East J Retro pre up against any 'US' 5 string Fender jazz. I do like Ultra 4s though.

 

[steveinohio]

I bought a Precision Ultra last year that I love. That being said the line has gotten a little bit confusing. The bass I have doesn't offer a string through option, the bridge they used is the same bridge they use on lower tier models, and the heel of the neck isn't as nice as the Am Pro II P. Those are just a few things I find funny. I also wish they would do something addressing the weight of these as well. I think the new improvements are a step in the right direction. Ultimately more options is not a bad thing. I really do love the one I have but it's not without its flaws.

One thing I do like about it is the preamp. It gets a lot of flack from people but I really think it's pretty nice. It accentuates the passive sound of the bass. Doesn't really color it. The additions that they've made may add a little more flexibility to it and give it a little more sizzle that active players are looking for.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

I spent about two hours with an Ultra II Jazz 5'er that I was somewhat tempted to buy if not for a few issues.

Pros:
Sounded excellent! Very even and consistent sound across the entire neck. Very punchy, even acoustically, and the B was tight and full without being muddy.
The electronics/preamp worked very well for the most part. The passive volume was very even in output to the active preamp. The preamp's tone shifting capabilities gave you what you expected and didn't get too harsh or muddy. The mid tone switch was also usable in both settings.

The feel of the neck was quite incredible. The new satin finish is somehow a step up from the Pro II, the rolled edges are very comfortable, and I'm beginning to feel like compound radius necks should be the new standard for any US Fender instrument (if it isn't already). Fretwork was great, and access to the upper frets was very adequate. Also, the weight felt to be less than 9lbs. It was very comfy.

Cons:
Oh boy. The nut slots were somehow cut at an angle for the E, A, and D strings. In other words, when looking from the base of the neck up to the nut you saw the nut cut from the top right and move diagonally to the bottom left. It was wild. The opening for the truss rod access was sloppy with wood not properly cut away and still hanging on for dear life. There was also some slight discoloration on the neck that was red, almost as if a red Sharpy slightly grazed it and wasn't rubbed away before setting. From the preamp side, the mid volume and blend knobs were affixed to one another, so moving volume up or down also moved the blend control with it.

Other:
I'm really not a fan of the font used for "Jazz Bass" on the headstock. It looks a little cartoonish to my eye. Also, and this is kind of a big one, the "quarter sawn" neck only seemed applicable to the fretboard. The neck, itself, seemed like any other normal maple neck and didn't have the pattern you normally see on Custom Shop necks. I admit that I'm not an expert in this arena. The avalanche white was also fine but not super inspiring. I felt like the white pearl of the Ultra I was much prettier.

 

[JenderBazzFass]

I own an Ultra I Jazz Bass. It's my second one and I have played like 5. They ALL had similar issues :

• Uneven quality : rough fretboard, flawed binding, poor adjustments here and there.
• They all come unshielded, meaning your high end bass pick ups the radio interferences and buzzes
• They all have uneven fretboard, and sometime the ski slope is so bad that the board has to be defreted, leveled then refreted.
• They all rattle somewhere, mostly at the bridge or at the tuning bushings. Playing dry with no amp make it sound like a Squier.
• Pickup pots is a switch, you can't have 60% front 40% bridge pickup. It basically has 3 positions : Neck / Both / bridge.
• Some basses have uneven coils, which means the pickups are uneven humbuckers that will produce some 60/50 cylcles hum ..

My BIGGEST fear is that all the points above have not been fixed so far on the Ultra II.

I have owned 3 Ultra basses and have not experienced any one of these issues.

 

[BassComa]

...and the heel of the neck isn't as nice as the Am Pro II P.

This surprised me as i thought that the Ultra II should have the same nice neck heel as the Am Pro II has. I have the Ultra I bass and the fact that the Ultra II did have the same neck heel and a very limited options of colors i will not buy the Ultra II.

Am Pro II neck heel on the new Ultra II and more colors such as Umbra Burst would have made me buy another Ultra bass...

What i do love is the Ebony fretboard on the Ultra II.

 

[countmattula]

Maybe the necks are made in the Mexican Fender factory? There is a difference between Made in The USA and Assembled in Corona, California. I believe this is why Corona Fenders don't say Made in USA on them - like my 'USA' 60th Anniversary Jazz Bass - I'm sure at least the 60s style bridge is made across the border in Mexico. As long as the wood is properly selected and seasoned, Baja Californian necks should be good… Maybe some Fender nerds, or insiders can give a better answer? Does the truss rod nut at the headstock also suggest the necks are Mexican?

I asked a friend of mine (Fender factory employee) why they stopped stamping "Made in the USA" on their guitars after 2017. Turns out the reason is because their US factory is located in Corona California. The manufacturing laws in CA are strict, and make it so you cannot stamp "made in the USA" unless at least 95% of the product is fabricated and manufactured in the US. Music Man also had to take it off their guitars as well as a few other manufactures (Taylor guitars too). There is no 100% made in the USA guitar, and haven't been that way for decades, but laws were more relaxed before, so that if something was assembled and painted in the US, and predominantly sourced with US parts, they could stamp "Made in the USA" on the product. Things like pots, fretwire, binding materials, magnets, plastic parts, etc are being made in different parts of the world, so they cannot legally say "Made in the USA" on their instruments any more to be in compliance with the law. It doesn't indicate that there has been any change to the manufacturing process, its more of an intention to make the "made in the USA" label more transparent and accurate. The new necks are made in California, therefore "made in the US". Because Fender hasn't used a headstock truss access for a while now on their US basses, we associate it with a lesser quality import version, but in reality, pretty much all of their US guitars have had the truss adjustment located at the headstock for some time now, and during different times in the past US basses have had the truss rod adjustment location at the headstock.

 

[countmattula]

I spent about two hours with an Ultra II Jazz 5'er that I was somewhat tempted to buy if not for a few issues.

Pros:
Sounded excellent! Very even and consistent sound across the entire neck. Very punchy, even acoustically, and the B was tight and full without being muddy.
The electronics/preamp worked very well for the most part. The passive volume was very even in output to the active preamp. The preamp's tone shifting capabilities gave you what you expected and didn't get too harsh or muddy. The mid tone switch was also usable in both settings.

The feel of the neck was quite incredible. The new satin finish is somehow a step up from the Pro II, the rolled edges are very comfortable, and I'm beginning to feel like compound radius necks should be the new standard for any US Fender instrument (if it isn't already). Fretwork was great, and access to the upper frets was very adequate. Also, the weight felt to be less than 9lbs. It was very comfy.

Cons:
Oh boy. The nut slots were somehow cut at an angle for the E, A, and D strings. In other words, when looking from the base of the neck up to the nut you saw the nut cut from the top right and move diagonally to the bottom left. It was wild. The opening for the truss rod access was sloppy with wood not properly cut away and still hanging on for dear life. There was also some slight discoloration on the neck that was red, almost as if a red Sharpy slightly grazed it and wasn't rubbed away before setting. From the preamp side, the mid volume and blend knobs were affixed to one another, so moving volume up or down also moved the blend control with it.

Other:
I'm really not a fan of the font used for "Jazz Bass" on the headstock. It looks a little cartoonish to my eye. Also, and this is kind of a big one, the "quarter sawn" neck only seemed applicable to the fretboard. The neck, itself, seemed like any other normal maple neck and didn't have the pattern you normally see on Custom Shop necks. I admit that I'm not an expert in this arena. The avalanche white was also fine but not super inspiring. I felt like the white pearl of the Ultra I was much prettier.

the neck on the Ultra II Precision I checked out was definitely quarter sawn. The grain pattern lines were parallel running up and down the neck instead of being random.. but the main proof was, that if you look at it from the top of the headstock, you can see the parallel lines going up and down rather than left and right...it should look like this picture

.

 

[crucislancer]

I asked a friend of mine (Fender factory employee) why they stopped stamping "Made in the USA" on their guitars after 2017. Turns out the reason is because their US factory is located in Corona California. The manufacturing laws in CA are strict, and make it so you cannot stamp "made in the USA" unless at least 95% of the product is fabricated and manufactured in the US. Music Man also had to take it off their guitars as well as a few other manufactures (Taylor guitars too). There is no 100% made in the USA guitar, and haven't been that way for decades, but laws were more relaxed before, so that if something was assembled and painted in the US, and predominantly sourced with US parts, they could stamp "Made in the USA" on the product. Things like pots, fretwire, binding materials, magnets, plastic parts, etc are being made in different parts of the world, so they cannot legally say "Made in the USA" on their instruments any more to be in compliance with the law. It doesn't indicate that there has been any change to the manufacturing process, its more of an intention to make the "made in the USA" label more transparent and accurate. The new necks are made in California, therefore "made in the US". Because Fender hasn't used a headstock truss access for a while now on their US basses, we associate it with a lesser quality import version, but in reality, pretty much all of their US guitars have had the truss adjustment located at the headstock for some time now, and during different times in the past US basses have had the truss rod adjustment location at the headstock.

Yeah, there's a lot of legal terms associated with trade, but it seems that they could say "Assembled in the USA", or even "Manufactured in the USA", depending on how the wood is sourced, but that's definitely something an attorney that specializes in trade law could answer.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

the neck on the Ultra II Precision I checked out was definitely quarter sawn. The grain pattern lines were parallel running up and down the neck instead of being random.. but the main proof was, that if you look at it from the top of the headstock, you can see the parallel lines going up and down rather than left and right...like this picture

View attachment 7059494.

That's very helpful. Thank you for the knowledge!

 

[ravlin]

Bridge and truss changes, I'd rather take a non II Ultra. Quartersawn would matter if it wasn't already graphite reinforced. I'd put my own preamp in there anyway. This looks like a spec shuffle for marketing and a poor one at that.

 

[Deleted member 409773]

I'm waiting with my bass purchase (another Sandberg vs. german Sadowsky Will Lee vs. Ultra II Avalanche) because friday I will test them in Praga (two days and one is coming home).
P.S. I will test the Fender Jazz Pro II V Green one too (the passive one because is at a very good price in Praga).

 

[Z-Bass]

I'm waiting with my bass purchase (another Sandberg vs. german Sadowsky Will Lee vs. Ultra II Avalanche) because friday I will test them in Praga (two days and one is coming home).
P.S. I will test the Fender Jazz Pro II V Green one too (the passive one because is at a very good price in Praga).

I'm glad you'll be able to do this because that will be the best way to decide. Adding a passive jazz five to the mix is also another good option. Curious about what you find out and your opinions.

 

[Wander Guzman]

I'm waiting with my bass purchase (another Sandberg vs. german Sadowsky Will Lee vs. Ultra II Avalanche) because friday I will test them in Praga (two days and one is coming home).
P.S. I will test the Fender Jazz Pro II V Green one too (the passive one because is at a very good price in Praga).

I hope you get what you really need, I really like my Jazz PRO II V but at almost 10lbs I'll let it go to get something lighter so thats why I was waiting what they offer with the new ultras but they all weight 9.5lbs+ so im seeing similar options, Love the Sadowsky Will Lee but its at least twice out of my budget. :'(

 

[warptheory]

Is the American Elite from years past really the true flagship?

Has blocks/binding, wheel truss rod adjustment on the body, graphite truss rods.

American Ultra II has a quartersawn neck and newer pickups/preamp.

I don't really count the pickups/preamp as a major differentiator as those can easily enough be swapped out, and of course over 5+ years there are bound to be improvements in electronics. Colors are subjective, though I do like the Ultra II finishes, but like a maple neck with blocks/bindings.

Both seem to be heavy though at 9+ pounds.

I'm looking at getting a Fender Jazz, and wondering if I should go Elite or Ultra II. The Elite is cheaper being used, but might upgrade the electronics, which would put it in the ballpark of the Ultra II.