Novo Serus J "MW Spec" Pelham Burst

A customer order-inspired Pelham Burst Serus J we liked so much the first time around that we asked the customer if we could order another.

If, like us, you're the type of guitar nerd that is always checking out cool guitars on Instagram, chances are you're well acquainted with Novo founder Dennis Fano's work. Dennis has been making genre bending guitars for decades now, and his ability to cross-pollinate Gibson, F***** (nudge, nudge, wink, wink), Silvertone, Kay, and Rickenbacker into something entirely new is the stuff of legend.

Looking past the build quality, playability, and tones, there's something simple and joyous about playing this Serus J. You get the impression the Novo team has a blast making these guitars, and you can feel it when you sit down with one.

What's "MW Spec" all about? Not long ago we had a local customer spec a guitar for her upcoming milestone birthday and it was such a cool guitar we wanted, with her approval, to reorder one just like it. MW are her initials, hence the nod to her w/"MW Spec". Give credit where credit is due, right?
The Pelham Burst is such a great color, especially against a black pickguard, nickel accents, and a dark rosewood fingerboard with pearl block inlays. It commands attention, even in a world of highly customized Novo guitars (check their aforementioned IG account if you haven't already).

The Novo hallmarks are all here: lightweight, ultra-resonant, exceptional fretwork and setup. There's no adjustment period with this guitar (or any Novo). It feels broken in from the second you pick it up, and the neck feels like it came off a well loved early 60s Fender, which is true of Novo necks in general.

The Fender-leaning tonewoods combine with the Fralin P90s to deliver something akin to a hot rodded Jazzmaster: bold and punchy with more midrange, but with a bounce and airiness that comes from the roasted pine body. As such, we find them to be quite a bit more versatile than a Jazzmaster (and we're huge Jazzmaster fans).