Island Espeto # 46, Natural

Montreal-based luthier Nic Delisle has been crafting some of the most unique electric guitars on the market for years. His love for famed catalogue guitars of the 50s and 60s shines through in his work, taking those wonderful mid-century concepts into the modern era with taste, refinement, and a keen eye for artful design that tows the line between familiar and fresh.

The Espeto model was born out of the idea of bringing a professional-grade travel sized guitar into a market where, frankly, there isn't one. Not only does it excel as a travel-friendly electric, it sounds and plays as good as any full-size guitar. Nic absolutely knocked it out of the park!
At its core, the Espeto is a scaled-down version of the Forty-Four; one look at that body shape and you'll see why. Where it really comes into its own is in the headless neck design. With expertly designed custom hardware that is precision machined for high performance and function, the Espeto does what few travel-sized guitars can achieve. Tuning stability, ergonomics, and feel are at the forefront here.

The single-pickup configuration of this Espeto represents Nic's vision of this model in its truest form - simplicity, elegance, and function. The Hersheybucker has a nice round response that is still full, clear and defined. It's slightly microphonic sounding, which only adds to its character, and undoubtedly contributes some swirling sustain and harmonic content that makes the guitar sound three times as big as it is.

We'd be remiss if we didn't bring special attention to the bridge. Nic's design sense is amazing here; the milled aluminum bridge base, brass saddles, and fine tuning posts integrated into the bridge block - my goodness! There's some industrial influence here that is still refined and elegant in its function and aesthetic.

This is a guitar that will surprise you at every turn, and checks more boxes than you'd ever think it would. It's hard to find an instrument that feels right at home being played on a big stage just as much as it does in the seat of an airplane, but Nic has done it with the Espeto. Bravo!