Review: Fender American Ultra II Meteora

Striking out onto the scene back in 2018, the Meteora made its debut as part of the Fender Parallel Universe collection. A creation birthed from the mind of Fender’s own in-house designer Josh Hurst, the bold new design was quick to capture the hearts of Fender fans worldwide. 

In particular, the Meteora seems to have struck a chord with those who have an immediate affinity for Fender’s offset-style guitars. For example, guitars like the Jazzmaster, Mustang and Jaguar.

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As a result of its newly established charm, the Meteora was quickly adopted by a plethora of pro players, including the likes of Weezer’s River Cuomo, Ghostmane, and YouTube sensation Mary Spender.

2024 has seen Fender take a massive step forward in relation to the Meteora’s lineage, with the industry stalwarts now offering a Meteora built in Fender’s US-based plant in Corona California.

Fender American Ultra II

Considering that there is a considerable price jump between the Ultra and the current Mexican-made Player Plus Meteora, let’s see how the American Ultra II stacks up!

American Ultra II is intended to be Fender’s most advanced line of instruments, tying together the latest in design and technology with Fender’s 70+ year legacy. This means contemporary spec that will generally appeal to the modern player. Premium craftsmanship, build materials and design are the backbone of every Ultra guitar, and the Meteora certainly embodies this notion.

The first thing I noticed when brandishing the Ultra II Meteora was its sculpted body contours. Set in all the right places, the Meteora feels just right regardless of whether you are sitting down practising or rocking out on stage. 

In the true Fender tradition, the Ultra II Meteora is made from prime-selected Alder tonewood. 

This gives the Meteora a nice balanced tone, the upper midrange really shines through when it comes to this instrument and it has a lovely attack that is sure to get you cutting through any mix. 

The Meteora also boasts a fantastic sculpted neck heel, which provides excellent upper fret access. This is certainly a Fender geared towards the modern player and features like these are sure to please even the most stringent of guitarists.

The Ultra II Meteora features a lovely quartersawn maple neck with an Ultra satin finish. The Modern “D” profile strikes a nice balance between being substantial but still fast, filling the hand but never leaving me feeling over-encumbered or uncomfortable. 

This comfort is certainly aided by the Meteora’s super tidy compound radius. 10-14” is absolutely perfect for even the most intricate of chord voicings down by the nut, yet still retaining pristine playability higher up the neck for leads. 

Fender has opted to give buyers the option of either rosewood or maple fingerboards on the Ultra II Meteora. As many players will have a specific preference, this is a fantastic move on Fender’s behalf.

What will be much less divisive are the Ultra’s rolled fretboard edges, which are present regardless of which fretboard option you select with your Meteora. Though a subtle detail, the rolled edges really impart an essence of prestige when it comes to the Ultra II Meteora, making it a joy to play for long periods. 

A well-crowned set of medium jumbo frets, Graph Tech TUSQ nut, and glow-in-the-dark Luminlay side dots round out the neck specs of this model. All premium features that make playing the Ultra II Meteora a deluxe experience from the moment you pick it up.

In terms of electronics, the Ultra II Meteora houses two Fender Haymaker humbuckers under the hood. These pickups do much to impress, providing everything from crystalline cleans to bone crunching heavy tones. 

The Meteora’s versatility is further emphasised by Fender’s inclusion of their classic S1 switching system. With the push of a button, you can split the Haymaker humbuckers, giving you instant access to the classic single coil tones that we all associate with the Fender legacy.

If this wasn’t enough, further tone sculpting is possible via the Meteora’s standard master volume and tone controls. However, more unconventional is the inclusion of a bass cut knob.

This handy control gives you the ability to roll off the bass frequencies without losing those spanky highs, an affliction that can sometimes result from more traditional methods such as rolling back the volume pot to clean up your sound.

The six-saddle string-through-hardtail bridge ensures that the Ultra II Meteora has rock-solid tuning stability no matter how hard you play. The stainless steel block saddles feel great under the palm and are sure to endure years of even the sweatiest of gigging abuse without rusting or seizing up.

Tuning stability and easy string changes are further aided by the inclusion of Fender’s own deluxe brand locking tuners. Knurled alloy knobs and a single-ply anodized aluminium pickguard round out this Meteora’s hardware package, providing the perfect marriage between versatility and aesthetics.

A modern sensation that is perhaps destined to become a future classic? Regardless of your playing style, the Fender American Ultra II Meteora is sure to tick all of your boxes.

For local Fender enquiries, visit Fender Music Australia.