I’ve always wondered what the Novo basses were like and after a lovely phone call with Dennis Fano I understood the lens he was looking through when he designed the Ivorus bass. He’s a huge XTC fan which would of course make him a huge Colin Moulding fan and since Colin’s middle name is Ivor, you see where we’re going here.
He finished this one in Toasted Marshmallow nitro (Novo‘s homage to Antigua - my colorway love language), put some cream colored pickup covers on it, gave it a medium relic treatment and sent it my way for evaluation. I haven’t had much experience with 32 inch scale instruments other than Kubickis, and this is SUCH a different vibe. The neck profile is reminiscent of my Guild Starfire - but this bass has a completely unique vibe aesthetically and tonally. It just begs to be played with a pick favoring its gnarly bridge pickup with a touch of chorus and overdrive. And yes of course I had to pay homage to the incredible Colin Moulding with a go at XTC’s Mayor of Simpleton.
What do you think… Is there a place for this instrument in the community and market? Have you played one? Would you?