One thing that's immediately apparent with the Serus J is that Dennis Fano is a master of combining ultra-cool visual aesthetics with an impeccably made instrument.

The setup, fretwork, and resulting playability are phenomenal. It's a lightweight guitar, balances perfectly for seated or standing playing, and ultimately invites plugging in, cranking your amp, and pounding out some of your favorite riffs.

We can't say enough great things about how comfortable the Mirus J is to play. It's so lively and responsive, acoustically loud when played sans amp, with a perfectly rounded, broken-in feeling medium C neck carve.

The way these guitars are constructed makes them feel like a short scale guitar in your hands even though they're a long scale build. It's nice to feel like the neck sits directly in front of you with little reaching when playing seated, and the upper fret access is as good as it gets for lead work.

The Idris draws its core inspiration from classic Strat-style guitars, featuring bolt-neck construction, three Fralin Vintage Hot single-coil pickups, 25 1/2" scale length, 1.65" nut width, and a roasted maple/rosewood neck.

However, Novo adds its distinctive touch with some innovative twists that set the Idris apart from other Strat-inspired guitars.