Novo Guitars, Llc

What Novo Guitars, Llc does

Novo Guitars, LLC is a privately held, boutique electric guitar manufacturer headquartered and producing out of a single workshop at 1865 Air Lane Drive, Suite 8, Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 2018 by luthier Dennis Fano, the company designs, hand-builds, and sells premium electric guitars, a bass variant, and a small line of branded accessories and apparel. The product portfolio centers on six core model families — SERUS (chambered/semi-hollow variants P2, T, H2, H1, TC, JHH), IDRIS (solid-body HSS and T3), MIRIS and SOLUS (offset-waist instruments), IVORUS (offset model, including a bass version), and VOLTUR (baritone/long-scale variants) — finished with nitrocellulose lacquer and assembled using premium third-party components including Lollar pickups, Mastery bridges and vibratos, TonePros hardware, MannMade bridges, Kluson tuners, and Stringjoy strings. Signature construction techniques include chambered bodies for weight reduction and resonance, tempered wood treatment, and custom distressing/relícing from Extra Light to Heavy.\n\nThe business runs on a made-to-order and limited-batch production model, with guitar prices ranging from $3,649 (Core Nucleus) to $7,999 (Signature artist models). Revenue is generated through four streams: standard electric guitar sales, custom build commissions, dealer-exclusive LTD configurations, and accessories/merchandise (cases, straps, apparel). Distribution is hybrid: direct-to-consumer via a Shopify-powered storefront shipping to 100+ countries, complemented by an authorized dealer network across North America (Chicago Music Exchange, Peach Guitars, Stevie's Guitars, Lauzon Music, and others) and an official Reverb marketplace storefront. The company maintains a NAMM trade show presence with annual limited-edition drops and leverages organic social (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube) plus artist endorsements as primary marketing channels.\n\nThe company targets professional touring musicians, session players, and serious collectors rather than entry-level hobbyists, evidenced by its price floor of $3,649 and an endorsement roster that includes Nels Cline (Wilco), Joey Landreth, Owen Barry (The Chicks), Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies), and Cookie Craig (King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard). Operating with a small team (11-50 employees), Novo is founder-owned with no disclosed institutional capital, M&A activity, or patent portfolio, and shows no AI/ML or software-product presence.

Name

Novo Guitars, Llc

Legal name

Novo Guitars, LLC

Website

https://novoguitars.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Novo Guitars, LLC is a Nashville-based boutique manufacturer of handcrafted premium electric guitars (and accessories) priced $3,649-$7,999, selling direct-to-consumer and through authorized dealers to professional touring musicians, session players, and collectors worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boutique Electric Guitars

NAICS

Musical Instrument Manufacturing (339992), Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140)

SIC

Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRALAEAA

Musical Instrument Retail (Guitars, Keyboards, Drums, Band/Orchestra)

Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Music Instruments & Sheet Music Retail

SECONDARYMPAIAJAA

Musical Instruments (Acoustic & Electric)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Hardware & Instruments (Instruments, Pro Audio, DJ Gear)

SECONDARYCRALAEAE

Instrument Accessories & Consumables Retail (Strings, Reeds, Sticks, Cables)

Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Music Instruments & Sheet Music Retail

SECONDARYMPAIAJAF

Audio Accessories & Consumables (Cables, Stands, Cases, Strings, Picks, Heads)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Hardware & Instruments (Instruments, Pro Audio, DJ Gear)

Keywords

• Handcrafted electric guitars
• Boutique guitar manufacturing
• Semi-hollow body guitars
• Custom guitar builders
• Offset waist guitars

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Electric Guitar Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling handcrafted electric guitars. Products include standard Nucleus collection, Signature artist models, NAMM limited editions, and Dealer LTD exclusives. Price points range from $3,649 to $7,999 depending on model and specification.
2. Custom Guitar Builds: Revenue from fully customized guitars built to customer specifications through custom order forms. Higher price points reflecting bespoke craftsmanship.
3. Accessories and Merchandise: Secondary revenue from accessories including deluxe padded soft cases ($249), leather straps ($40), apparel ($20-$40), and branded merchandise.
4. Pickguard Sales: Separate pickguard order program allowing customers to purchase custom pickguards for their instruments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Novo Guitars designs, handcrafts, and sells premium boutique electric guitars in Nashville, Tennessee, offering multiple model families (SERUS, IDRIS, MIRIS, SOLUS, IVORUS, VOLTUR) with chambered body constructions, nitrocellulose lacquer finishes, and premium components from Lollar, Mastery, TonePros, MannMade, and Kluson. The company sells directly through its Shopify e-commerce site, an authorized dealer network, NAMM trade shows, and Reverb marketplace, while also offering custom-built instruments, replacement pickguards, accessories (deluxe padded soft cases, leather straps), and branded merchandise.

Product overview

Novo Guitars is a boutique electric guitar manufacturer based in Nashville, TN, producing handcrafted instruments in multiple model series with extensive customization options. The product portfolio includes five main guitar models: SERUS (available in P2, T, H2, H1, TC, and JHH variants) as semi-hollow/chambered instruments; IDRIS (HSS and T3 configurations) as solid-body guitars; MIRIS and SOLUS as offset-waist instruments; IVORUS as an offset model; and VOLTUR as baritone/long-scale variants. Guitars range from approximately $3,649 to $7,999, with Dealer LTD and Signature Artist editions commanding premium prices. The company also offers the IVORUS BASS for bass players. Beyond instruments, Novo sells branded accessories including deluxe padded soft cases, embossed leather straps, and apparel merchandise such as t-shirts, beanies, hats, and coffee mugs. All guitars are built with premium components including Lollar pickups, Mastery bridges, TonePros hardware, and are finished with nitrocellulose lacquer. The company operates on a made-to-order basis with NAMM show limited editions, dealer stock programs, and custom build options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Guitars designed to feel like they have been played for 50 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Lollar PickupscoreTechnology or IntegrationLollar Pickups is a primary component supplier providing custom pickup configurations for Novo guitars. Novo uses a variety of Lollar pickups including Black Chrome, Staple P-90, High Wind, DC-90, Vintage Tele, Special Tele, J Street Tele, Reverse Regals, Mini-Broiler, and dB models. This is a critical partnership as pickups are fundamental to guitar tone.
• Mastery BridgecoreTechnology or IntegrationMastery Bridge and vibrato systems are used as premium hardware components on multiple Novo guitar models. Featured on Miris JHH, Serus JHH, and other models requiring high-quality bridge and vibrato functionality.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationShopify Inc. provides the e-commerce platform powering novoguitars.com online store. This enables all online sales, inventory management, and checkout functionality for direct-to-consumer sales.
• MannMadesecondaryTechnology or IntegrationMannMade produces hardware components including Hardtail bridges and vibrato systems used in Novo guitar constructions, particularly on Telecaster-style models.
• ToneProssecondaryTechnology or IntegrationTonePros TOM (Tune-O-Matic) bridges and stoptails are used on various Novo models, particularly semi-hollow and hollow body designs requiring this bridge style.
• StringjoysecondaryTechnology or IntegrationStringjoy provides string sets for Novo guitars, with 10-48 sets for 25.5 inch scale necks and 11-50 sets for 24.75 inch scale necks. Guitars ship from the factory with Stringjoy strings.
• KlusonsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationKluson tuners (including Revolution models and staggered Kluson tuners) are specified on various Novo models requiring quality tuning machines.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fender Custom Shop: Fender's handcrafted custom shop division produces premium and relic'd electric guitars in similar price tiers and aesthetic language. Direct overlap on the 'vintage feel' value proposition backed by much larger scale and dealer footprint.
• PRS Guitars: Established premium electric guitar manufacturer with a broad product range including private stock and custom programs. Overlaps in the high-end professional segment but operates at much greater scale and broader price coverage.

Direct peers

• Heritage Guitars: Boutique semi-hollow and solid-body electric guitar maker with handmade positioning and premium price points. Comparable for handcrafted build, vintage-inspired design language, and small-scale artisan production.
• Collings Guitars: High-end boutique guitar maker (primarily acoustic but also electric) producing handmade instruments in similar premium price tiers. Comparable on handcrafted quality positioning and small-batch artisan ethos.
• Reverend Guitars: Boutique-leaning electric guitar brand with offset and unconventional body designs at slightly more accessible price points. Comparable for design-led boutique positioning and small-batch handmade ethos.
• Suhr Guitars: Premium boutique electric guitar manufacturer known for high-quality builds, custom appointments, and professional-grade instruments at similar price points ($3K-$6K+). Competes directly for the same professional and high-end enthusiast customer.
• Nash Guitars: Boutique guitar maker specializing in vintage-style relic'd electric guitars. Directly comparable on the 'aged/vintage feel from first play' value proposition that Novo explicitly markets.
• Tom Anderson Guitarworks: Boutique electric guitar maker focused on high-end builds with innovative design touches and premium components. Direct competitor in the premium handmade electric segment serving professional players and collectors.
• Knaggs Guitars: Premium boutique electric guitar brand founded by Joe Knaggs (former PRS), offering handmade instruments in similar price tiers. Competes in the high-end handmade segment with comparable dealer-driven distribution.
• Friedman Guitars: Boutique electric guitar brand offering premium handmade instruments with vintage-inspired designs. Competes in similar price tiers targeting professional players seeking distinctive, handcrafted instruments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@novoguitars2534
• Facebookfacebook.com/novoguitars
• Instagraminstagram.com/novoguitars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/novo-guitars-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Novo Guitars, Llc