As fans of Stratocasters we were excited to see that Dennis Fano and his crew at Novo Guitars dipped their toes into those iconic waters to give us the Idris model. But like all of Dennis' designs, there's a lot more going on under the hood.

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.

One of the standout features is the roasted Pine body, a less common choice compared to Alder or Ash in traditional F-style builds. This material, combined with unique body contours, creates a striking aesthetic reminiscent of a blend between an offset guitar, a Strat, and perhaps a Burns Bison.

Beyond its visually appealing design, the Idris excels in functionality - you can really tell that Dennis understands what guitarists want from their instrument after playing it.

The thoughtful body contours enhance the guitar's balance, provide exceptional upper fret access, and subtly shift the neck position, giving it a short-scale feel despite its 25 1/2" scale length. These design choices culminate in a guitar that not only looks cool but also offers an outstanding playing experience that we found quite addictive.

Speaking of an addictive playing experience, Dennis' neck profiles are remarkably comfortable. Few builders do aged necks like Novo (the closest comp we can think of is a Danocaster) - perfectly smooth, not sticky, and a C profile that most any player will immediately bond with. Coupled with excellent fretwork and a 9 1/2" - 14" fingerboard radius, this Idris almost plays itself. The string tension feels like a perfect blend of a Strat and a Tele - meaning, slinky but slightly taut in a great way.

Tones? Outstanding. The trio of Fralin Vintage Hot pickups are wired to a master volume, master tone, blend control, and a 5-way switch, and deliver touch sensitive, dynamic, glassy, chimey tones with gorgeous compression in the 2 & 4 positions. Strat lovers will be in heaven, period.