deciding proII and ultra

[drewblue]

Local shop has a new bs blonde American proII. A local guy has a ultra. Havent looked at it yet. Both in the $1700.00 range. Can anyone run down what they think that owns both.

I like the pro II ive went and played it 3 times it speakes to me. i weighed it. Its 6.7lbs one of the lightest teles ive found stock. Would be a great bender donor. Its a damn good one. it has those intangibles we look for. best of a modern and vintage design. I aint crazy about strat cuts in teles the ultras have and they seem a ***** to bender

But damn $1700.00 on a guitar as soon as i walk out the door will be worth $1200.00 is a hard pill to swallow. They just eat it on the used market. I know for $300.00 more i can snag a used custom shop if i wait.

 

[AAT65]

Play them. I don’t like feel of the D-profile neck on the Ultra so I would always pick the Pro II out of that pair, but YMMV. Or look for a used Elite — very similar spec to the Ultra but a much more comfortable neck.

 

[Blues Twanger]

Buy the one you like and ignore the value. If the Pro II resonated with you that much why worry about the value dropping? Besides, if you are considering adding a bender you are already not worried about resale.

 

[TelePlank]

I had both and preferred the Pro II. After awhile the thin neck on the American Ultra Telecaster bothered my hands. The Pro II had a much more full feeling neck. Not big though just bigger than the Ultra.

 

[unixfish]

I considered an Ultra before I bought a Pro-II. The compound radius on the Ultra did not feel right to me; barre chords above the 7th fret where the radius increases made the fretboard feel "too flat". I don't like 12" radius on guitars, so that made my decision.

 

[rawgerpaper]

I think you should consider how long do you play as well. I liked the full neck of the Pro-II but when I play for longer hours, it puts a strain on my hand not unlike the thin neck of Ultras, much more comfortable in more longer hours of playing. It may depend on the size of your hand, your mileage may vary. Enjoy and good luck for your hunt.

 

[Ricky D.]

just wait a while and buy a used one. Now you just saved $500 and the other guy got the haircut. Feels pretty good, doesn’t it?

 

[Love For Teles]

I had both in both tele and strat.
Pro II's were always nice but the ultras always felt like another step above.
If you don't like the noiseless pups, you could install any pickup and achieve any sound (same goes for pro II though). So if you don't care for the modern features or the pro II looks better to you, get that one.
I personally preferred the frets on the ultra but the neck shape of the pro II. The Ultra neck profile was noticeably smaller (but equally smooth) which made my hands cramp slightly.
As for resale value, you buy the ultra used but I had a suprisingly hard time selling a perfect condition, texas tea strat... definitly got less than I anticipated based on the new price. I wouldn't be bothered with the value drop if I wasn't planning on selling it a few weeks later.
Added pics of the pro II and ultra duo I had!

 

[burntfrijoles]

I know for $300.00 more i can snag a used custom shop if i wait.

If you can find a real Custom Shop Telecaster for $2K, you should get it. I see some fakes on Reverb for below $3K but not much else. Perhaps you find a local seller who is desperate for money who will sell at $2k? Even on my local Craigslist I don't see CS guitars for $2k.
So, as I said, grab one at that price if it's offered.