Hi! My name is Dan Provost, and I’ve been working as a designer, primarily with the company I co-founded (Studio Neat), since 2009. I love making stuff, and it’s what I’ve done my entire life. Read a little bit more about why I started Offkilter here.

America. The bodies are made here in Texas. The necks are made custom in Puyallup, Washington, by Warmoth. The pickups come from boutique American winders, like Lollar, Fralin, and Bootstrap (although I will use whatever you’d like in a custom build). Fret work, wiring, assembly, and setup happens in Austin, Texas. Every single component is very carefully considered and chosen in order to build an incredible American-made guitar at an affordable price.

Custom builds can take anywhere from 4-8 months, depending on how you spec it out and how backed up I am. If you are wanting a guitar faster, check out the existing inventory of builds.

The whole premise of Offkilter is putting the guts of a Telecaster in a more comfortable, ergonomic body. Fender, of course, had this same idea, by releasing guitars like their Paranormal Offsets, and offering them in their Mod Shop as well. However, I always found this combination of Telecaster + Jazzmaster body to not quite work. A Jazzmaster body is much larger than a Telecaster body, presumably to accommodate the large vibrato system at the base of the guitar. I think it looks great on a Jazzmaster, but when that hardware is swapped out for Telecaster hardware, it looks visually unbalanced (in my opinion) because there is so much empty space where the vibrato plate once lived.

So, I refined the Jazzmaster silhouette, keeping the curvature of the top half the same but reducing the visual “weight” of the bottom half. Here is a diagram of the difference between an Offkilter and a Jazzmaster body:

I wanted to bring the body size more in line with a Strat or Tele, volumetrically. Here is an overlay of an Offkilter body with a traditional Telecaster: 

Not only does this reduction improve the comfort and feel when playing, it also reduces the overall weigh, which was another priority for me. 

I have a real reverence for vintage guitars. Being surrounded by tech every day, via our smartphones, vehicles, home appliances, etc., it is refreshing to pick up a piece of “old tech” that is still as functional today as it was 70 years ago. Guitars that are well worn and well loved after decades of use illustrate that they are ultimately tools to be used, not pristine museum pieces. A guitar that feels like an old baseball mitt or that comfy recliner when you pick it up. 

Perhaps in direct tension with that philosophy is an embrace of modern upgrades and sensibilities. Even though electric guitars have remained shockingly unchanged since their inception, there are tons of little niceties that, to me, greatly improve the playing experience. Examples of this include the contoured neck heel, the compensated saddles, the locking tuners, the shifted volume knob. Little improvements that eschew a more vintage spec, in favor of comfort, playability, and convenience.

Offkilter, to me, is a hybrid of these two mindsets. Reverence and appreciation for what came before, but without being afraid to make modern improvements when warranted. 

My highest aspiration for an Offkilter guitar is for it to feel like the most natural thing in the world when you pick it up. All of the thoughtful, carefully considered design decisions become inevitable and invisible, and you just play, unencumbered. 

Offkilter guitars are finished with nitrocellulose lacquer. This is a vintage spec that is specifically chosen because it ages beautifully over time and with use. The guitar develops a patina that’s a historical record of your time with the guitar. Pretty cool! There are also arguments that the thinner coating, as compared to a thick polyurethane shell, allow the wood to breathe and resonate in a more pleasing way. I’ll let the internet commenters debate that one.

Since this finish is designed specifically to age, a pristine finish is not the goal, nor the promise. For example, the nitro lacquer could develop “checking” during the transit from my shop to your house. This is all part of the plan! Minor cosmetic variation from guitar to guitar should be expected, and considered part of the instrument’s character.

When ordering a custom build, you can choose amount of distressing / relic you'd like, from "none" to "heavy."

Many folks have very strong opinions about the practice of “relic'ing” a guitar, ie. adding nicks, scratches, and distressing to give the guitar a worn-in, vintage feel. Like most, I have seen numerous examples of really tastefully done relics, as well as some not-so-nice hatchet jobs.

A guitar is meant to be played, and the distressing can work as a subtle invitation to pick up the guitar and play it. I don’t view guitars as pristine works of art, meant to be kept safe in a case or hung on the wall and never touched. Furthermore, an already distressed guitar gets the player over the pain of that first nick or scratch in an otherwise unblemished finish. 

As a product designer, I am always keyed into what James Gibson calls “affordances”—the signals a product communicates about how it should be used. To me, a well-worn guitar sends a clear signal: play me.

I use nitro as the finishing option specifically because it ages naturally over time, and with use. However, I am happy to offer varying levels of “relic-ing” to jump start this process, if you’d like. Bottom line, the most important attribute of a guitar is that it excites you enough to pick it up and play it. 

Yes, a hard case is included with your guitar.

Sure, we can probably work that out, but keep in mind it will likely be quite expensive, on top of potential fees / tariffs that could be due on receipt.