Fender built its brand new American Ultra II line of electric guitars for speed, decking out its latest high-end models with some Jackson and Charvel-inspired specs and the “fastest necks” the firm has ever fashioned.
So, with that in mind, who better to put the American Ultra II Telecaster through its paces than John 5?
The self-confessed Tele obsessive – he owns more than 100 of them, and played his Goldie model so much doctors literally feared for his health – was clearly the ideal candidate for a test, and after putting the refined six-string through its paces in a full throttle demo, he’s called it “one of the greatest Teles I've held”.
Described by Fender as “sports car versions” of its classic designs, the American Ultra II models come loaded with fast-playing necks, noiseless pickups, and newly devised body contours, with the Big F throwing the contemporary kitchen sink at its timeless templates.
Stratocasters, Teles, Precision and Jazz Bass guitars, and an off-set in the form of a Meteora – which was favored over the Jazzmaster this time out – all feature in the range, and have raised the bar for what modern Fender instruments can do.
John 5, whose lengthy resume includes stints with Rob Zombie and now Mötley Crüe – he’s also shredded with Van Halen – knows a thing or two about Teles, having played them all his life. As such, he was brought onboard to give the American Ultra II reissue a hands-on test.
Speaking to Fender in a launch video, he says he first came across the Telecaster via, fittingly, the television.
“My dad would always watch Hee Haw and everybody always had a Telecaster,” he explains. “And I always thought, 'Oh, that's what an electric guitar looked like.' It burned into my mind.”
John 5's Tele obsession is exhaustive: he owns a model hailing from nearly every year one has been made, starting at the introduction of the instrument (the 1950 Broadcaster) and stretching to 1983.
He then took a revolutionary approach to Tele designs with his signature guitar, the Ghost, last year. It includes a kill switch and styling inspired by the fashion brand Supreme.
Intimately familiar with the nuances of old and new Teles, then, he's full of praise for its latest edition.
“Now you have this beautiful high-performance Telecaster that can do everything,” he enthuses. “You can go on stage with the highest gain or the cleanest tone, it will do anything you want. It feels perfect and it's so easy to play; it's one of the greatest Teles I've held.”
In his demo, John 5 leaves no tonal stone unturned. From spanky low gain runs and distorted tapping licks, to chorus-laced cleans, he showcases just how far the guitar can be stretched in each sonic direction.
“When I first picked up this guitar, I was blown away by how easy it was to play,” the guitarist reflects. “The first thing I felt was the [back] contour. It felt so comfortable, and you have such great access way up on the neck.”
He also praises its 10-14" compound radius for being able to bend the guitar “as far as your hand will let you go” without fretting out and the hum-free nature of its “incredible” pickups.
“I would definitely pick this over a '60s or '70s model because of all the upgrades,” he concludes. “It is the perfect Telecaster in my eyes.”
Visit Fender to learn more about the American Ultra II range.
