Introducing The Stick

It’s Thursday my loyal Reptonians – and that means it’s video time!

This week’s video is all about the Stick, my Odessa Deadbeat. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to work with a builder as understanding (and patient) as Mike Wiltshire, a luthier based in the West Country who let my dream of a functional, lightweight offset come to life in such a fashion.

I’ve always loved the off-beat, understated guitars of the lawsuit era – Westone, ’70s Ibanez, ’60s Yamaha electrics – and I wanted a guitar that reflected my love of purposeful instruments. It could have had a trem, but I don’t use one. It could have been super heavy, but I don’t enjoy that. It could have had bone-breaking humbuckers, but I like the delicacy. It’s a well-made, straightforward guitar with an immense amount of character, and I tune it to Eb, because I like that tuning.

Massive thanks to Jaime at The Creamery for the bridge pickup – a Custom 65 Stapletop – as it is the absolute plums, and balances perfectly with the neck Les Paul Deluxe mini humbucker. On that topic, a big shout out to Kevin Bourque at Stairway To Kevin Repairs in London for the suggestion, and to Andrei Busuioc for being the reason I’ve got such a majestic neck pickup!

It’s the first and only custom-built guitar I’ve ever owned, and I feel that every day we spend together we both learn a little more. I’ve had it in all sorts of tunings, but its natural Eb home, with a set of 10-46 on, feels like there’s nothing else I’d want out of the instrument.

I hope you enjoy hearing it as much as I do playing it, and if you want to know more, hit Mike up on Instagram @odessaguitars. He’s a wonderful bloke that I’ve got a lot of time for, and his devotion to the project as a whole both during and after is truly admirable.

Next week’s video returns to review land with an assessment of the Winspear Hallowe’en Shiv, so come and check it out!