Review: Fender American Ultra Luxe Vintage 60s Telecaster

Fender have nailed it again with a very special new iteration of their legendary Telecaster. The Ultra Luxe Vintage 60s Tele is a perfect hybrid of the old and the new, celebrating Fender’s golden era whilst propelling the classic Telecaster design ever forward. Representing the pinnacle of innovation and craftsmanship, this guitar is Fender’s new benchmark for a premium electric instrument, with no holds barred and no expenses spared.

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Timeless design and impressive modern refinement are both at play in this Tele, which looks stunning upon first inspection, sitting in its beautiful vintage style hard case. A vibrant Lake Placid Blue finish is the first to catch the eye, sparkling in the light and harkening back to the classic American cars that continue to inspire Fender’s finishes. At a glance, a discerning eye will identify some classic vintage hallmarks on this guitar that reference the legacy brand’s revered 60s era, as well as some surprising but welcome new features. 

Some of the obvious 60s inspired features include clay coloured dot inlays rather than the more modern white, a retro spaghetti style logo on the headstock and a beautiful mint green pickguard that just screams ‘60s’. A seasoned Fender player however will quickly notice some very modern and very welcome upgrades to this guitar. Firstly, the glittering blue finish is bordered by a classy white binding which really elevates the aesthetic of the instrument. Secondly, the presence of locking short post tuners immediately identify this is a deluxe model equipped with modern improvements. 

Fender Telecaster

Thirdly and most notably, the body features brand new deluxe contours designed for maximum comfort and playability. These new contours do nothing to take away from the guitar’s classic design but make it significantly more comfortable, with softer edges making it much easier on the rib cage than a standard tele. The tapered neck heel also allows for unprecedented fret access all the way up the neck, a vast improvement upon the standard Fender neck heel on lesser models. 

Within the beautiful Rosewood fingerboard also lies some fantastic features (ultra luxe if you will!)  that really elevate this tele to something much more than another 60s tribute. Luminlay side dots ensure your fretting hand won’t get lost in the dark, a Graph Tech TUSQ ensures ultimate reliability and a 10”-14” compound radius means that strumming some cowboy chords and ripping a solo past the 12th fret feel equally comfortable, with minimal risk of fretting out. The maple neck itself is extremely comfortable with a Quartersawn Modern D shape that is simply perfect. Rolled fretboard edges also contribute to the premium look and feel, making this an incredibly comfortable guitar to play as well as being obviously gorgeous. 

Hardware wise, Fender hasn’t skimped on a single detail with this one. Aside from the extremely stable and convenient locking tuners, the Luxe Vintage Tele features stainless steel frets, a precision-engineered 6-saddle string-through-body bridge with chromed brass block saddles and most importantly, two Pure Vintage ‘63 Tele Single-Coil Pickups. The ‘63 pickups provide the best possible example of the classic Telecaster sound, but there’s more hiding under the hood.

In the bridge position, the Ultra Luxe has the classic twang and bite that Teles are famous for, with tremendous clarity and definition. Set clean with some reverb and slapback and you have the ultimate country guitar tone. Cranked up with a bit of dirt and its rock and roll all the way. In the neck position, the Ultra Luxe sounds warm, smooth and spanky. Perfect for jazzy rhythm sounds or a nice smooth sustaining solo. The middle position, however, is where this guitar shines, thanks to a hidden feature that makes this position two positions in one. 

American Ultra Luxe

The Ultra Luxe features what Fender calls an S-1 switch, a switch built into the volume control that unlocks a world of tonal possibilities. The S-1 switch allows players to switch between two different wiring modes in the middle position. Whilst disengaged, the two pickups remain, as they normally would be, wired in parallel, providing a nice balanced single coil tone. Engaging the S-1 switch puts the pickups in series wiring, resulting in a much fatter, rounder, higher output tone very reminiscent of a humbucker. This really broadens the Tele’s horizons tone wise, making it a one stop for all your musical needs.The subtle nature of the switch’s placement also allows this guitar to be extremely sonically versatile without messing with the iconic Telecaster design. 

All in all, this is basically Fender’s attempt at the ultimate Telecaster. It takes the best of what makes the classic 60s models so special and combines it with the most cutting edge features that Fender has to offer. The aged Heirloom lacquer finish may be the first thing that catches your eye but there’s a lot more to this Tele than its good looks. Vintage throwbacks like clay dot inlays and a mint green pickguard may transport you back to the 60s in the best way possible, but the feel and sound of this guitar are perfect for right now. 

The new body contours, tapered neck heel and superb D-shaped neck make this the most comfortable Telecaster I’ve ever played. All excellent innovations that take this guitar to a new place. Aside from the feel, the ability to access humbucker-like sounds with the S-1 switch without having to sabotage the guitar’s classic appearance is really appealing and makes it much more versatile than the average Telecaster. 

With a shimmering high end, meaty mids and a low end that packs a wallop, particularly with the S-1 switch engaged, this is a very balanced and effective guitar that could be used for a vast variety of purposes. But it’s a lot more than that, it feels, looks and sounds extremely special, truly a cut above the rest. 

The American Ultra Luxe Vintage 60s Telecaster is an investment in a beautiful instrument that represents the absolute best that Fender can do. And after seventy years of making these guitars, the best they can do is pretty damn good. 

For local enquiries, keep reading at Fender Music Australia.