Novo Guitars Idris HSS Cat's Eye Burst

We're sensing a bit of a vintage Burns Bison with this unbelievably cool looking Cat's Eye Burst Idris.

On paper, the Idris reads like a well-appointed Strat-style build with the specs you'd expect to see on a build like this - 25.5" scale, bolt-on neck, trio of Fralin pickups, roasted maple neck with rosewood board. But the details tell a different story. The body is roasted pine rather than the expected alder or ash, which is lighter, snappier, and possessed of a cool organic resonance that sets the character of the whole instrument. Novo's signature body silhouette push it further still: part Strat, part offset, with a subtle nod to the Burns Bison that feels intentional rather than incidental.

What separates the Idris from comparable instruments is the ergonomics. Because of the way the body is shaped, the neck shifts to the right a touch, upper fret access is genuinely effortless, and the overall balance gives the guitar a slinky, comfortable feel that belies its full 25.5" scale. It's the kind of instrument you pick up for a few minutes and look up an hour later. Dennis Fano's aged neck finish deserves particular mention, and is certainly a highlight. Sanded incredibly smooth and then realistically aged, with a C carve and 9.5"–14" compound radius, the whole thing feels like it's already been played in for decades. If you've spent time with a well-setup Danocaster relic, for example, you'll find yourself in familiar territory here (yes, that's a good thing).

The tones are lush, dynamic, and unmistakably Strat in character. The Fralin Vintage Hots deliver real shimmer and chime - glassy highs, sweet mids, and that compressed, blooming response in positions two and four that Strat players live for. The Fralin Modern PAF bridge humbucker rounds out the palette with warm, articulate midrange punch (it's also splittable via the push-push tone control). There's genuine versatility here, and it all feels cohesive rather than compromised.