Show Full Spec Comparison
| Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster | American Original 70s Telecaster Custom | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Fender | Fender |
| Year: | 2024 | 2018 |
| Configuration: | SSS | SH |
| Strings: | 6 | 6 |
| Made in: | United States | United States |
| Series: | American Ultra II | American Original |
| Colors: | White, Black, Blue, Orange, Red, Yellow | Sunburst, Yellow, Natural |
| Left-Handed Version: | Yes | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Select Alder | Alder |
| Bridge: | 2-Point American Ultra Synchronized Tremolo with Polished Stainless Steel Block Saddles and Cold Rolled Steel Block | 3-Saddle Vintage-Style Tele with Slotted Steel Saddles |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Bolt-On | Bolt-On |
| Tuners: | Deluxe Cast/Sealed Locking (all short posts) | Fender® Vintage F Stamped |
| Fretboard: | Quartersawn Maple | Maple |
| Neck Material: | Quartersawn Maple | Maple |
| Decoration: | Black Pearloid Dot 7 mm | Black Dot |
| Scale Size: | 25.5" | 25.5" |
| Shape: | Modern "D" | Medium C |
| Frets: | 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver | 21 Vintage Tall Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 10" to 14" | 9.5" |
| Nut: | Ivory Tusq | Bone |
| Nut Width: | 42.8mm (1.685'') | 42mm (1.654'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | Ultra II Noiseless Vintage Strat (Single Coil / Passive) | Fender Vintage-Style 70s Single-Coil Tele (Single Coil / Passive) |
| Middle Pickup: | Ultra II Noiseless Vintage Strat (Single Coil / Passive) | |
| Neck Pickup: | Ultra II Noiseless Vintage Strat (Single Coil / Passive) | Fender Tim Shaw Authentic CuNiFe Wide-Range Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Switch: | 5 Way | 3 Way |
| Knobs: | Bell | Bell |
| Pickup Mods: | S-1 Switch | None |
| Volume Controls: | 1 | 2 |
| Tone Controls: | 2 | 2 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | No |
| Hardware Color: | Nickel | Chrome |
Show Diagrams Comparison
Reasons to Get
Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster over American Original 70s Telecaster Custom
Reasons to Get
Fender American Original 70s Telecaster Custom over American Ultra II Stratocaster
Other Key Differences
Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster vs American Original 70s Telecaster Custom
Shared Features
Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster vs American Original 70s Telecaster Custom
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- Top Pickup Brand
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Weight Relief
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Strap Lock
- Expensive Wood
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Price History Comparison
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Hand Size Comfortability
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Fender American Original 70s Telecaster Custom favors large hands more than the Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.
Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster:
Fender American Original 70s Telecaster Custom:
Beginner Friendliness
The Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Fender American Original 70s Telecaster Custom meets only 6. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.
New Player Friendliness
Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Locking tuners
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Short scale
New Player Friendliness
Fender American Original 70s Telecaster Custom- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
Sound Quality Comparison
The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.
Woods Used in Both
Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.
Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.
Winner: Tie.
Pickup Configuration
The Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster has an SSS configuration while the Fender American Original 70s Telecaster Custom has SH pickups.
SSS is perfect for players who like to play clean. The definition you get between notes and the crispiness is unmatched by most other configurations. You can still use it for distortion, but you won't get the same kind of output and power compared to a humbucker, and the hum they produce also makes them less adequate for high gain.
On the other hand, SH is a more versatile version of the classic telecaster (SS) configuration. The bridge pickup usually produces a bright and twangy tone, while the neck Humbucker gives you the warmer tone you'll need for more Jazzy/Bluish solos and chords.
Pickups Quality
Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.
However, the Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.
Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.
Winner: Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster.
Versatility Comparison
Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.
Switch Options
The Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster gives you 5 switch options while the Fender American Original 70s Telecaster Custom gives you 3. This means that the Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Only the Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster comes with some kind of pickup modification: S-1 Switch.
An S-1 switch can do a lot of different pickup combinations. It can split them, connect them in series, parallel, add more pickups to each position, and more. Check out the diagram to know how it affects this model.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster compares to the Fender American Original 70s Telecaster Custom.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.
The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.
Winner: Tie
Nut Material
If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
The Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster has a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.
On the other hand, the Fender American Original 70s Telecaster Custom comes with a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.
Winner: Tie.
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.
Winner: Tie.
Bridge
The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.
The Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster's brige is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.
On the other hand, the Fender American Original 70s Telecaster Custom's is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.
Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.
Winner: Tie.
Tuners
The Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.
Winner: Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster.
Neck Joint
Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.
Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.
Winner: Tie.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster
- Locking Tuners
- Made in United States
- Ivory Tusq Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- S-1 Switch Pickups
- Luminescent Inlay
- Tremolo
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Expensive Woods
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Fender American Original 70s Telecaster Custom
- Made in United States
- Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No Expensive Woods
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster has the wider nut with 42.8mm (1.685'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 0.8mm (0.031'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".
This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.
However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
In this case, both have different neck shapes:
The Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster has a D type of neck. This is a thin and flat neck that is made for playing fast. If you prefer a neck that doesn't get in your way when soloing, this is the shape you should use. Guitarists that prefer to have a bit more grip won't like this type of neck.
The Fender American Original 70s Telecaster Custom, on the other hand, has a C neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.
Fretboard Radius
Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
In this case, the Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.
Fret Size
The Fender American Original 70s Telecaster Custom has Vintage Tall frets, which should be taller than the Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster's Medium Jumbo frets.
Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.
