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If you own, have played or have heard a Powell guitar being played and would like to comment on your experience, please complete the form below.
If you own, have played or have heard a Powell guitar being played and would like to comment on your experience, please complete the form below.
After admiring Mike Silvers Powell guitars for a couple of years, I finally took delivery of my own Mid size SFG a couple of months ago. It’s a real pleasure to play with a fabulous response and sensitivity, and sounds and looks beautiful. I’ve gigged with it a few times now and have had a lot of interest in it, and the sound was summed up by one of the sound engineers as “Absolutely sweet”. I’m now off to the USA to live, taking my Powell and spread the word over there. Thanks Ken.
It’s now a year since I got my PINGOZOUKI and I thought I’d write to say a big Thank You. I love it. My long scale Gazouki SFG055 is absolutely inspiring. It has inspired me to start me playing Bouzouki again and deciding to record a solo album (PINGO DEBUT http://www.pingosongs.de ) for the first time. I have previously only ever recorded with other musicians. I am still excited to have an own-named, signature instrument which you made especially for me; one that is such an impressive instrument, both to me and my guitar guitarholics anonymous buddies. It sounds like a grand piano and louder than any of my acoustic guitars! Of all the guitars I have seen and owned, I have never seen any like my Pingozouki that has such close-grained wood of the top. So, thank you again for my instrument which I will always treasure.
This guitar is a fine piece of craftsmanship, carefully chosen raw materials designed, shaped and finished with great care and expertise. It plays like a dream, beautiful balanced notes all the way up to the dusty end. This is a very good guitar, I am very happy, it will be a long while before I put it down.
As a Blues Rock player and guitar enthusiast for many years, I was attending the Pendle Guitar show at Nelson on Sunday 24th June 2012. I saw ‘Powell Guitars’ there and wandered over to the stand to look at the display. All I can say is what superb craftsmanship. I had a very interesting chat with Ken about his luthiery and other important aspects of guitar building such as woods, finish etc. and I was extremely impressed with his warmth and knowledge. All I can say is that his guitars are absolutely exquisite, and should I ever decide to have an acoustic guitar built for me then Ken Powell’s luthiery skills would come very high on my list (Hope you remember me Ken – I am the man who builds electric guitars as a hobby) It was great meeting you and your wife Ruth, and I do hope we meet again. Many thanks,… Jeff (Jeff Littlewood, Leeds)
Thanks for the book showing the build of my guitar, a very nice finishing touch to a wonderful guitar. Extremely pleased with the instrument, lovely tone and playability and wouldn’t hesitate in recommending ‘Powell Guitars’ to anyone wanting a quality product. Played it virtually every day since I collected it. (Thought any more about building a solid top resonator? certainlly interested in one?)
I have just purchased a Powell guitar. I guess that every musician of modest means would like an instrument of real quality just once in their life. This was in the back of my mind when I came across Ken Powell in strange circumstances (a synchronistic event). It seemed that this must be what I had been looking for, and it has proved to be so. He has produced an instrument of outstanding beauty and sound quality, put together with great care and meticulous attention to detail. I have obviously not tried every guitar maker, but it is hard to believe that there is anyone better than Ken. All this, and still at a very reasonable price. The only problem is that it looks so good that I sometimes just want to sit and look at it, instead of playing it.
I have known Ken Powell for more than twenty five years. When he and Ruth announced that Ken was going to build his own guitars I knew then that they would be good instruments as Ken would not do anything he couldn’t do really well. I was not prepared however for the absolutely beautiful creations that he has produced. After Julie received her Powell Gazuoki I just had to go and see his guitars. I went to Ken and Ruth’s house and played Ken personal Guitar and fell in love. I chose my wood and trim and then had a very in depth conversation with Ken about my needs. I told him that I really needed a cutaway to get to the ‘dusty end’ and in his familiar quiet measured way he just nodded and said “yes I can do that”. I told him about some guitars I had seen on a recent trip to Nashville with a porthole (soundhole) on the top side. This gives you a clear sound when you’re in rehearsal or acoustic session without having to pick so hard so you can hear. When I play with Julie, she usually uses a flat pick and I fingerpick and sometimes I can’t hear myself so this really solves the problem. Anyway Ken gave it some thought and now I have what I need. I was looking for a second guitar to take on the road but, oh boy this baby will not come second to anything! The finish is stunning, deep conker red/brown with a shine as bright as a mirror. You can smell the French polish in the wood too. But as beautiful as this guitar is, it’s the sound, oh the sound…… inspirational as a songwriter. I can’t wait to record with her as she sings like a bird. Thank you Ken for your passion and dedication and extreme skill, I love that guitar. Chris While
My guitar was a special present to me to commemorate my lovely wife Anne, who sadly died 10 years ago. She wanted me to start singing and playing the guitar again, just as I’d done when we first met in the late 60′s. She’d have been amazed at how singing, song writing and guitar playing have become my life now. I picked up the guitar on the 23rd July 2011 and had lunch with Ruth & Ken, home grown salad and vegetables. I then took the guitar to Lake Vyrnwy Hotel for the weekend. The following day, the sun shone as I took my Powell Guitar down to the lake edge and played and sang all day. The bass sounds mellow and warm and the treble as bright as I like. The guitar looks immaculate and it feels like it’s been mine for an age. With Anne’s initial set into the 12 fret, it is already a very special friend. Thanks Ken and of course, you my love, Anne.
The Guitar (SFG) that Ken made for me in 2010 continues to amaze and delight me every time I pick it up and because of that I commissioned another instrument from Ken, this time a Gazouki (cross between a guitar and bazouki). I think Ken’s instruments have a distinctive ‘Powell’ sound which is astonishingly even, rich and clear and has a ‘feel’ to it that I’ve never experienced with any other instrument. Unless you’ve played one or own one this might not be something that one can put into words. However, we very happily made the trip into the hinterlands of North Wales where he and Ruth now live to pick up the new instrument (and feed the chickens) and within a week it was at work at the Wirral Folk Festival. Comments were made (quite unsolicited) about the Gazouki and how great it sounded. It never ceases to amaze me that even after a couple of weeks from it first being strung that Ken manages to get ‘that’ sound. Thanks Ken, you’ve done it again!!
On visiting the Ullapool guitar festival annual event, I looked at and tried all the exibitors intsruments, one stood out from the rest, and was perfectly suited to my requirements, You Guessed, a Powell sfg. Ken talked me through the make up and build of the guitar and left me to consider the instrument. It was purchased next day and has not been out of my hands since. A beautifully crafted instrument, with a warm lower register, and a sharpness throughout the scale that remains true throughout the fret board, with a very easy action, which is suited to finger style playing.This is a guitar to make me happy, and it indeed puts a smile on my face. SUPERB!! see you next year ken.
Love at first sight I have to tell you between me and my Powell- the very same guitar, as it happens, which earned Ken his five star review. What a fabulous instrument! Gorgeous tone, song-like voice,resonance, clarity, power, wonderful action- my Powell guitar has all of these. With its unusual design and perfect, hand-polished finish It is a beautiful object to look at without being at all unnecessarily fancy. More important perhaps than all of these reasons why I love this guitar so much is the fact that it so obviously embodies scrupulous attention and enormous expertise in the way it’s been put together.From the way the timbers have been carefully selected and sensitively crafted, to the pinpoint accuracy of its acoustic engineering and informing these the artful knowledge of not only a great maker but also an accomplished and experienced player which has gone into its construction. All these qualities speak of the sheer love both of music and instrument making which so clearly go into Ken Powell’s guitars. And in case you think I’m simply gushing and OTT, not only does my Powell draw huge admiration from friends , themselves very experienced players and musicians, but I left it a few months before writing this feedback to make sure it wasn’t just a crush on my part. Nope. This is the real thing, and as it sounds so good now, I can only boggle at what this guitar is going to sound like a few years hence. I endorse what other have said- these are guitars by a maker of rare distinction. If you’re teetering on the edge of trying one out,take my advice, teeter no longer. Be there, or be in the very long queue which is bound to form to own a Powell guitar. Charlie Moritz
I am considering having a guitar built and I have been researching custom acoustic guitar builders for some time. I came across Ken’s web site and was instantly intrigued by what he had to say about guitar building-tone and feel. The look of his instruments is stunning but under stated (i can’t stand guitars that are over decorated!) I think Ken has really got the aesthetics spot on. I promptly got in touch and was pleased to find that he is not far from where i live. I visited Ken a couple of weeks ago, What a lovely man! He spent a long time with me explaining how to choose woods for the sound you are after and was most generous with sharing his knowledge. I learned a lot on that visit and found it fascinating. When i got one of his guitars in my hand s i was simply bowled over, The the guitar was alive! It sang with the slightest touch. Rich, warm and and a joy to play are just a few words that describe some superb instruments. As you may have guessed i am hooked! I am looking forward to placing an order in the very near future. In the mean time i am very envious of those that already own a Powell guitar.
Ken handed over my beautiful english walnut gazouki (guitar shaped bouzouki) just a few days ago and after these weeks of anticipation the wait was finally over and boy was it worth waiting for. I can honestly say, ‘Charlotte’ (named after her web-like markings on her back) is one of the finest instruments I have ever played, let alone owned. It’s been an absolute pleasure commisioning this instrument. From the first day I picked out the wood (from Ken’s glorious and extensive collection) to the moment he put her in my hand he’s kept me updated every step of the way and has shared my excitement about the creation of something that will undoubtedly in turn help in the creation of music for many years to come. Not only is Ken passionate about instument making (he’s a fine guitarist himself), he’s incredibly skilled and innovative in his design and engineering. I thank him from the bottom of my heart and wish him well in the luthier business. Can’t submit this feedback without also saying what an absolutely lovely man he is and how proud and privileged I feel to have him as a friend.
My late father-in-law John Hunt was a very creative person, when we lost him in 2004 he left us with many legacies, among those most treasured was the store of hardwood that he used to make carvings. I showed some of this to Ken and asked him if any if it could be used for instrument building and if so, might be possible to make me a tenor guitar from it? He readily agreed. He and Ruth arrived at my “Now I’m 64 Birthday Bash” on September 12th 2009 with the finished instrument. It is a thing of simple, charming beauty and the playing of it and ways to tune it have started me on another learning curve, one which I view with relish. Ruth and Ken had three extra surprises for me that night: the first was the fact that there had been enough wood to make a six string guitar as well! The second was when I picked it up out of the case and played a chord of E minor on it, the warmth of the tone went down through my stomach right to my shoes. It was and will always remain a revelation to me that a guitar that had been strung for the first time, some three days earlier, could sound so mature! The balance of tone is remarkable, this wonderful warmth and clarity is maintained right through the fret-board and the acoustic projection beggars belief. It feels like a live thing in my hands and its quality demands that I improve my playing to become more worthy of it. Ken and Ruth’s third surprise was that they gave me a book, a stunning photographic history of the making of my tenor guitar, which they had put together themselves, as a memento. It is among my most precious possessions. So and in conclusion, 2010 beckons and already I have my first quandary; which of these fantastic instruments do I play while the other hangs on the wall waiting? I believe that Ken’s special approach to building acoustic instruments is going to give the whole instrument building fraternity a wake-up call. To be involved and associated with him is a privilege.
“I have been the proud owner of a Powell SFG for about two years now. I was even luckier to receive it as a gift from my brother Steve. Ken customised the SFG for me giving it a wider finger board, to suit my hands. I play finger-style in local folk clubs in West London accompanying mainly traditional songs. Even if my singing doesn’t turn heads, the SFG always attracts attention. The guitar has a full and even tone, and is powerful, without being overbearing. It responds evenly over the entire neck, without any noticeable dull-spots. I wish the same could be said for my well-known brand guitar the Powell replaces. It wasn’t long before I was visiting Ken to see what else he made. He put in my hands his new design, the Octave Mandolin, which is an eight string version of the 3/4 size guitar body. I ordered one the same day and took delivery in April. The first thing to notice is the quality of the finish. The matching woods and polished shellac give it the look of a finished article. To play it is very rewarding, with its rich tone and accurate scale, it sounds out from the full neck, and has a wonderful sustain. It’s like playing a Formula 1 racing car, sharp, responsive and a challenge to control, but well worth the effort. My advice is order a Powell instrument now, or you’ll be at the back of a very long queue.”
After having played this lovely guitar for a couple of months now it just seems to get better and better. I’m sure over time it will continue to mature beautifully. The redwood top and rosewood sides and back and the fine purflings look stunning and a number of people at my various bookings have remarked upon the attractiveness of the instrument as well as its resonance, projection and quality of sound. Although Ken recommended and fitted .012 – .053 strings I found them a little heavy for finger style playing especially as I always used .010 – .053 strings on my old Fylde guitar. As a result I’ve compromised and I am using .011 – .052 strings now. Hopefully it won’t have any adverse effects on the neck! (If it does at least I know Ken has an excellent ‘after sales’ service and he’ll fix it) I’m also getting more used to the fine tuning which is more sensitive than the Fylde especially when I use the capo. Overall I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Ken’s superb instruments which aren’t cheap but at the same time don’t have an excessive price-tag on them either!
I recently purchased an Octave Mandolin made by Ken. I was looking for one and Ken happened to have one for sale so I was able to play it before making a decision, well it was one of the easiest decisions I have ever had to make. I am very pleased with this instrument, it sounds wonderful, especially as it has not been played in fully yet.
I am very pleased to live near such a skilled luthier although this is also dangerous, I had a go on cocobolo guitar that was also in stock and fear that more of my hard earned money will be going Ken’s way!
I collected my Powell SFG (036) personally from Ken at the beginning of the week. I chose the wood for it nearly two years ago with Ken’s advice and help and he put it aside for me until I was ready to go. Indian Rosewood back and sides and a AAA grade Sitka Spruce top. I specified certain things that I wanted like the size of the neck using reclaimed mahogany and a couple of other things that would suit my style of playing.
There are many ideas and opinions about what makes a truly great instrument. Most of us (me included) have always plumbed for a name, Martin, Taylor, Lowden, Gibson etc. with the idea that you can’t go wrong with a ‘name’. This is just not true any more. In spite of it only being strung a week previously, the tone was warm, even and full-bodied and had a clarity and richness that I haven’t heard in 99% of the instruments I’ve picked up and played over the years. I’m sure ‘Powell’ will be the ‘name’ to look out for soon. Buy British should be our priority.
This is quite simply a superb instrument, astoundingly clear and even across the strings and wonderful to play. It was presented beautifully in a snug fitting Hiscox case with a certificate giving details of the wood used and guarantee (lifetime). Ken doesn’t use ‘plastic’ varnish on his guitars, he French Polishes them by hand using shellac to the most perfect standard. I’m told that in time this hardens harder than polyurethane varnishes. It also makes repairs to the finish extremely simple.
I now refer to it as my ‘Reubenesque guitar’, partly because of the shape of its generous bottom and partly because just like Reuben’s paintings it’s quite frankly a masterpiece.
Thanks Ken!
I wasn’t planning to buy a new guitar at all! but Ken and Ruth came up our way because Ruth was taking an order from someone near here for a wedding cake (she makes beautiful cakes and just about everything else) and Ken brought his latest creation to show Dave (Walmisley). This instrument was to have been sent to be reviewed by the Acoustic Magazine. It’s made from some very exotic and fine woods. The top is grade ‘AAA’ Engelmann spruce and the back and sides are of ‘Monkey Pod’ a gorgeous wood from Malaysia and I fell in love with it immediately. The sound is full, even and rounded and suits my style of playing wonderfully. I just had to have it!! Dave has previously had one of Ken’s guitars on order and eagerly anticipates it’s birth! What a wonderful instrument, if you’re thinking of buying an acoustic guitar try a Powell before doing anything.
Hi, I was searching for martin taylor guitar and I happened upon this site. Good work, I’m looking forward to more.
I received my Powell SFG 021 18 months ago and just love it! I have never heard a guitar with such presence and crystal clear tone and I have played a few in the last 40 years! I play it against my parners Taylor 514c and together they sound exquisite! I also have a Lowden 0-35ck but somehow always choose the Powell, especially for picking. If you are in the market for a hand made guitar, look no further !!
The guitar is brilliant. Lovely sound, great clarity and fabulous action. It is easier to play than the Lowden, and the Lowden isn’t hard, so even my humble technique is extending.
It certainly looks the business. Distinct without being gimmicky.Thanks a lot
I bought a Powell guitar over a year ago. What a pleasure!
This is what happened: 1) I heard Ken playing guitar 2) I discovered he was also a luthier 3) When I visited Ken he showed me different tone woods and invited me to tap them to “hear their warmth and sense their potential” 4) I placed my order; trepidation 5) I was summonsed when the guitar was ready and invited to look at it, hold it, notice it, play it. 6) I asked Ken to play it first so I could hear it properly. Ahhhh! 6) Then I was left alone to experiment and play 7) the guitar came home with me to France. It is warm, it feels good to play, it sounds good.
As I said before: what a pleasure. Thanks Ken.
Beautiful Guitars! I know you have put a lot of effort and care into them and you can really tell by looking at the cool instruments on your web site. I love the sound of your Guitars more than any other and the look makes them even better! :o)
Ken let me play and examine some of the guitars he has built, I was very impressed, I chose the woods for my guitars construction from a wide range of varieties and colours, I was provided with photographs of the build, and I was delivered a fantastic looking and sounding instrument. (wish I could do it justice).
The first time I played one of Ken’s creations, the best I had tried until then was a Taylor – simply superb. However, from that point on the benchmark jumped a quantum leap to the Powell SFG. I never thought a new guitar could still give me goosebumps down my spine. Just try one – ’nuff said.
Fantasic! That’s the only word I can use to describe these beautiful instruments.