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

Why We Love This

Chances are, you're well acquainted with Novo Guitars founder Dennis Fano's work. Dennis has been making genre (and mind) bending guitars for over a decade and his ability to cross-pollinate elements of Gibson, Fender, Silvertone, Kay, and Rickenbacker guitars into something entirely new is the stuff of legend.

This '64 Shell Pink-over-Black Serus S model embodies the Novo philosophy extremely well. The 60s Stratocaster aesthetic - the perfectly aged finish, mint pickguard, 5-way switch, 3 Throbak pickups, maple neck with a rosewood board - gives you a reference point from which you can see how he's stretched that classic design into his own, incredibly cool model. It's not too hard to imagine finding this guitar tucked away in Leo Fender's file cabinet- a prototype that is just seeing the light of day.

Hallmarks of a Novo? Lightweight, ultra-resonant, exceptional fretwork, setup, and playability...and of course, tones. This guitar feels so comfortable and broken-in, there is simply no "adjustment period" - it feels amazing from the second you pick it up. The neck feels like it came off of a well loved early 60s Fender and is a highlight on all Novo guitars in truth.

Tonally? Sounds like a killer super Strat, period. It's hearing that tone with the way this guitar feels in your lap that makes it really inspiring - the feel is different, but the tones are 100% super Strat. It plays like a short scale guitar though it's a long scale - the neck is shifted to the right every so slightly which alleviates having to reach for first position chords. The upper fret access is also perfect. There's simply nothing in your way.