MASTER GUITAR DESIGNER Andy Powers has joined Taylor Guitars co-founders Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug as the company's third partner. The Taylor team believes this promotion for Powers, a driving force behind Taylor guitar development and innovation since his arrival in 2011, solidifies a bright future for the acoustic guitar manufacturer.

"I'm thrilled to build guitars and continue this fascinating work I've been pursuing since I was a young boy," said Powers. "It's a genuine pleasure to be able to design the best instruments I can and, within the context of Taylor Guitars, have an opportunity to serve musicians around the world."
    Dedicated to growing the business around a passion for guitar innovation, Taylor and Listug said that as they look to the future, they want to ensure that Taylor's drive to make better guitars is preserved. Powers' talent for guitar design made him their ideal choice to lead Taylor's product development for decades to come.
   "Kurt and I have been the sole owners of Taylor Guitars for decades," said Taylor. "Andy is the best guitar builder I have ever met. If anyone ever deserved to be called 'partner' with me and Kurt, it is Andy. He's vital to our future."
   Since joining Taylor, Powers has delivered a steady stream of musically inspiring innovations to the Taylor line. His designs include: V-Class bracing, a groundbreaking new internal architecture for the acoustic guitar; Builder's Edition models, which boast unique contouring and other exclusive player-friendly features; and the new Grand Pacific body shape, an entirely new flavor of Taylor tone that has broadened the sonic appeal of the company's guitars.
  Listug said Powers would help carry on the same kind of partnership dynamic he found with Taylor. "What's unique about Bob and me, and our partnership, is that one of us is a guitar maker and engineer, and the other is a businessman and sales and marketing person," said Listug. "That combination, and our shared ethics and values, are what has set us apart. Since Bob identified Andy Powers as the person to lead the company's guitar design into the future, we've all witnessed Andy's talents and seen the improvements he's made to our guitars, as well as his advancements to acoustic guitar design. We're proud to have Andy join Bob and me as a partner and shareholder in Taylor Guitars."