The lauded A-Type from Powers Electric, Andy Power's new 'solo project' (Andy is the head designer, president, and CEO of Taylor Guitars), is a breath of fresh, Southern California air in a world of copy-cat guitars.

--The trem/vibrato system features a “camshaft tailpiece,” which Andy calls a CamTail for short. It’s machined in-house and compensates for the string characteristics so the strings stay in tune as the pitch changes. The CamTail also contains a locking mechanism that stops the vibrato back at its normal pitch and allows the player to bend notes without pitch droop. It can be easily adjusted to allow for a full floating vibrato.

--The in-house made/designed FF42 pickups use a “full Faraday” cage made with 42-gauge wire to reject unwanted outside noise - ie, they're really quiet. Visually, its engine turned on top is reminiscent of hot rod detailing. This pickup sounds remarkable whether played clean or with a healthy amount of gain on top - super, super fun and inspiring stuff.

--An asymmetrical fingerboard radius - which is slightly flatter on the treble side for easy, better- sounding string bends.
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So, how do these technical specs add up? What does the A-Type feel and sound like? In a word: incredible. This is a lightweight, perfectly balanced guitar with a loud acoustic voice that truly achieves what Andy set out to achieve - it's inspiring, really musical (read: a blast to play), and sounds fantastic whether clean or overdriven.

Highlights? Ease of play, balanced/touch sensitive/rewarding/inspiring tones, and the CamTail! To be able to play a chord and dip the bar down a whole step - while keeping the chord in tune - is a remarkable experience as a player. It's the TransTrem idea in a way more vintage inspired instrument.