“Many players think that the pickupsare the main contributor to the way a guitar sounds… But if you change what the stringdoes, that changes the guitar”: How Andy Powers rethought electric guitar design for the Powers Electric A-Type

Andy Powers of Powers Electric – and Taylor Guitars – tries on the new A-Type for size and likes what he hears.

Let’s be honest, it’s pretty easy to trace most new guitar designs back to a few classic guitars: the usual suspects. Everywhere you look there are ‘inspired by’ or pretty direct copies masquerading as new designs. While that can be fun, comfortable and very often quite a success on the sound and playability front, it’s not exactly bringing anything new to the table.

The Powers Electric A-Type, you could argue, is one of the more original takes on the electric guitar with a raft of new design elements that seem to encompass old style with contemporary function. But where did the design start – and why? Time to dig deep with the company’s founder, Andy Powers…