Novo Guitars Dealer LTD Chambered Serus H2 Toasted Marshmallow

A chambered Novo Dealer LTD Serus H2 with a German-carved Eastern curly maple top and Lollar Low Wind Imperial humbuckers.

We're huge fans of a great Antigua finish, and this new Dealer LTD Serus H2 has one of the coolest versions we've seen in some time (Novo appropriately calls it Toasted Marshmallow). Since we all tend to gravitate towards beautiful looking (or cool, etc...) instruments, we were an instant "yes" when we learned about these guitars. Take our money!

This model features a chambered tempered pine body, an Eastern curly maple top with a Rickenbacker-inspired German carve, and a roasted maple/rosewood fingerboard neck. The feel is instantly comfy and well-balanced - a signature of all Novo instruments - so we were right at home from the second we took it out of its deluxe gig bag.

The pickups are Lollar Low Wind Imperials, which Jason Lollar based on the lower-output PAFs found in vintage 335s, and they make a lot of sense in a chambered body. Compared with a standard Imperial, they tighten up the low end and add a little more sparkle on top, so you can push an amp harder without the bass getting loose, and closely voiced chords stay clear and separated rather than smearing together. A Bass Cut control alongside the volume and tone gives you one more way to shape the low end without leaving the guitar.

As always with Novo, the feel is just as compelling as the sound. The tempered maple neck is a chunky .880" C that fills your hand the way a good ’50s neck does, the light distress and thin nitro finish make it feel broken in from the first time you pick it up, and the 24.75" scale, 9.5" to 14" compound radius, and medium Jescar frets make it easy to dig in anywhere on the neck. It weighs 7lb. 12oz., comes in Novo’s deluxe padded soft case.

If you're in the market for a cool looking, great feeling, great sounding guitar (and who isn't), this is a no-brainer. It's fun, it's cool, and it's simply a blast to play. Which is to say, it's a Novo.