Fender Am Ultra II Strat EB NBL

Fender Am Ultra II Strat EB NBL review

The Fender Am Ultra II Strat EB NBL pairs a Noble Blue finish with an alder body, a maple neck, and an ebony fingerboard. Available since October 2024, this USA-made guitar is listed at $2,090. Its specification sheet points to a familiar three-pickup Stratocaster layout, with a few notable details in the neck, switching, and hardware.

The first impression from the supplied owner feedback is visual. The player describes the finish as beautiful and says the instrument looked so striking when the case was opened that they were almost reluctant to touch it. They also report an excellent overall finish, comparing it favorably with Gibson guitars they own. That is one owner's assessment, but it gives a clear sense of how the Noble Blue finish and build quality landed in person.

Neck feel and setup

The maple neck has a Modern D profile and a compound fingerboard radius that changes from 10 inches to 14 inches (254 to 356 mm). The ebony fingerboard carries 22 medium jumbo frets and white, 7 mm pearloid dot inlays. Fender lists a 42.8 mm nut width, a 648 mm (25.5-inch) scale, and a Graph Tech TUSQ nut.

The owner particularly liked the feel of the neck's back finish, describing it as soft and velvet-like to the touch. They started playing a little over three years ago on a Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster, making this their first Fender guitar. In their account, the jump in perceived instrument quality was immediately impressive.

The guitar arrived with the strings set at about 2 mm at the 12th fret. The owner adjusted the neck relief with the truss rod and lowered the action, measuring 1.75 mm at the sixth string and 1.60 mm at the first string. Those are the player's chosen settings, not factory measurements or a required setup. They illustrate that the guitar was adjusted to suit their preference after delivery.

Pickups and controls

Three Ultra II Noiseless Vintage Strat single-coil pickups provide the SSS configuration. The controls include a master volume with an S-1 switch, two tone controls, and a five-way pickup selector. The owner notes that pressing the S-1 switch can add pickup combinations, including all three pickups together or the neck and bridge pickups, depending on the selector position.

That switching option expands the combinations available beyond the standard selector positions. The supplied feedback does not describe specific tones, recording results, or performance in a band, so those details are best judged in person. The confirmed layout is straightforward: one volume control, two tone controls, and the five-way switch, with the S-1 function built into the volume knob.

Tremolo and hardware

The two-point synchronized tremolo uses a cold-rolled steel block and polished stainless steel block string saddles. Fender also specifies enclosed Deluxe locking tuners, nickel and chrome hardware, and a single-ply black anodized aluminum pickguard. These construction details distinguish the hardware package without requiring assumptions about tuning stability or the feel of the tremolo in use.

The guitar ships with Fender USA 250L nickel-plated steel strings in.009 to.042 gauges. A molded Deluxe case is included. Although the general listing fields separately state that no bag is included and a case is included, the detailed specification confirms the molded case; no gig bag is listed.

Verdict

The Fender Am Ultra II Strat EB NBL is a USA-made electric guitar with a clear set of premium appointments: an alder body, maple neck, ebony fingerboard, three noiseless single-coil pickups, and a two-point synchronized tremolo. Its 10-to-14-inch compound radius, locking tuners, S-1 switching, and included molded case are useful points to weigh against the $2,090 price.

The owner feedback is strongest on finish quality and neck feel. The Noble Blue appearance made an immediate impression, and the neck's back finish stood out as especially comfortable. The player's action adjustment also shows that setup can be tailored after purchase. For someone considering this model, those firsthand observations complement the detailed specifications, while the pickup sound and tremolo response remain matters to check directly.