We've chased tone to every corner of the known universe, and certain finishes stop us cold every single time — Mary Kaye White is one of them. Named for the performer whose blonde Stratocaster graced Fender's earliest advertisements and became one of the most iconic images in electric guitar history, this light-aged nitrocellulose white carries a warmth and depth that modern finishes never quite replicate. On a Tempered Pine body, it becomes something extraordinary: the thermally treated pine brings a lightweight, open resonance that puts us in mind of the earliest Fender Telecasters built from the same material — instruments that became legends precisely because of how freely and directly that wood vibrates. Novo's light aging treatment gives the nitro just enough patina to feel lived-in without looking artificially distressed, the amber headstock providing a warm visual complement to the creamy white body that ties the whole instrument together. The Chunky C neck profile at .880" fills the hand with substance and authority, and with jumbo Jescar nickel-silver frets on a compound 9.5"-14" radius rosewood board, this Idris plays with a comfort and responsiveness that rewards every technique from open chords to single-note work at the top of the neck.

The pickup architecture here is one of our favorite aspects of this custom specification. Lindy Fralin's Modern PAF at the neck brings that warm, clear humbucker voice — articulate and full without the muddiness that lesser PAF-style pickups can produce — while the Fralin Vintage Hot Strat pickups bring genuine single-coil clarity, quack, and shimmer to the mix. The push-push tone control engages series/parallel switching for the humbucker, and the blend control with 5-way switching opens up a tonal range that covers virtually every sonic territory we've ever needed to explore. The MannMade vibrato is a precision-engineered system that solves the tuning stability and intonation issues common to vintage-spec tremolos without sacrificing any of the feel and expressiveness that make a vibrato worth having. Locking Rotomatic tuners, a 3-ply parchment pickguard, and vintage cream Strat-style knobs complete a visual and functional package that is unmistakably classic in inspiration and unmistakably Novo in execution. At 7 lbs. 4 oz., this is a guitar we reach for without hesitation.

Model: Idris Custom 
Body Construction: Solid
Body: Tempered Pine
Body Finish: Nitro Light Aging 
Neck: Tempered Maple
Fingerboard: East Indian Rosewood
Fingerboard Inlay: MOTO Dots
Nut: Bone, 
Neck Profile: Chunky "C" (.880")
Headstock: Amber
Frets: Jumbo 22 N/S Jescar 57110
Truss Rod: Fully Adjustable
Radius: 9.5" - 14"
Scale Length: 25.5"
Neck Finish: Light Aging 
Tuners: 102-18G Rotomatic (Locking)
Hardware Color: Nickel
Bridge Style: MannMade Vibrato
Pickguard: 3-Ply Parchment
Pickups: Fralin Modern PAF & Vintage Hot Strat
Controls: Vol. Tone (Push-Push: Series/Parallel), Blend, 5-Way
Series: Custom
Knobs: Strat Tone, Vintage Cream, Strat Volume, Vintage Cream 
Weight: 7lbs 4oz. 
String Gauge: Stringjoy 10-48
Case: Novo Deluxe Bag