Powers Electric A-Type

An innovative electric guitar by Taylor Guitars’ Andy Powers.

June 11, 2025

Andy Powers is best known as the chief luthier and designer at Taylor Guitars, where he is now also the president and CEO. Joining the company a little over a decade ago, Andy started out by refining existing Taylor models, and introduced the company’s radical V-Class bracing and Builder’s Edition models, creating a signature sound that has defined the Taylor line. In his pre-Taylor life, the San Diego native was an independent luthier who built flattop acoustics, archtops, and electric guitars. Also an accomplished and versatile guitarist, Andy cut his teeth on the Southern Californian performance and studio circuit. He combines these diverse experiences in his latest project, a line of electric guitars built under his own name in a small-shop within the main Taylor factory in El Cajon, California. I recently had a chance to check out one of the Powers Electric A-Type models in the Peghead Nation video studio.

One glance tells you that the Powers Electric A-Type is a unique design. While most electric guitars are variations of either Fender or Gibson models, the A-Type has a distinctive look and some unique construction elements. For starters, while the A-Type looks like a solidbody, it is fully hollow, with a top that adapts V-Class bracing and a pair of soundposts under the bridge. The guitar’s back and sides are built with urban ash and the top is solid maple. The guitars are available in many finish options, including sparkle finishes and transparent finishes over figured tops. Our demo instrument came in “Meissen Blue.” The guitar has a one-piece mahogany neck and a compound-radius fingerboard made of Honduran rosewood with a “twin arch” inlay pattern in Italian acrylic. The guitar uses a glued-in set neck joint.

With the exception of the tuning machines, virtually all Powers Electric hardware is designed and manufactured in-house. The two single-coil pickups are built with aluminum shielding inspired by the principles of Faraday’s Law, and they’re available fully-shielded (PF42) or partially shielded (PF42). Our demo guitar featured the brighter-sounding PF42s. Slightly larger than a typical Fender-style single-coil, the pickups are mounted directly into the body, and they contribute to the unique appearance of the instrument. The guitar’s bridge and Bigsby-inspired camshaft vibrato tailpiece (a non-vibrato option is also available) are also original designs, and even the resin knobs are made in the Taylor shop.

Even though I own a couple of electric guitars, I don’t consider myself an “electric guitar guy,” and I approached the A-Type as an acoustic player. I started out playing the guitar through a Fender Pro Jr. at home, and I was immediately taken by how incredibly comfortable it was and how dynamic it sounded. The guitar’s short scale and compound-radius fingerboard (a slightly different radius under the treble strings than under the basses) results in buttery-smooth playability enhanced by the woody-feeling neck finish. As an acoustic player, I appreciated the guitar’s 1¹¹/₁₆-inch nut-width. While on the narrower side of the acoustic-flattop spectrum, it’s relatively wide for an electric.

In the video studio, I plugged into a Fender Hotrod Deluxe, and used a Fishman AFX Broken Record looper pedal to create a backup track for myself. With this setup, I had a blast exploring the A-Type’s large tonal palette. With the pickup selector toggle switch in the neck position, I found the tone sparkly, warm, and rich; perfect for translating my playing into the electric realm. With the middle position (both pickups), I got a great “glassy” tone that was perfect for funky chords or elastic-sounding lead lines. The treble position offered considerable bite, but with more “meat” than a typical Fender-style single-coil in the bridge position. I found the guitar’s tone control very musical in character, and I could modify each pickup in a very satisfying manner. With the A-Type’s superb playability and acoustic-like dynamics and string response, I had more fun playing electric guitar than I’ve had in years. While my own electrics are typically out of their cases just long enough for whatever project I’m using them for, I didn’t want to put the A-Type down.

Andy Powers’s unique design is something special. Combining that with Taylor’s vaunted precision, an appealing small-shop vibe, and the company’s significant support should help Powers make inroads in a very competitive market. Whether you’re an electric player looking to build your arsenal or an acoustic picker looking for a suitable electric, the A-Type is definitely worth plugging in for a test run.