The problem many guitarists have is when they go on tour, they can’t take they’re whole 20 guitar collection. They have to be selective, which means that their live sound will suffer on account of its inability to reproduce what the fans heard on the recorded versions of their songs. Enter Andreas Dawn Guitars.

There were many things that exceeded my expectations about this guitar when I first saw and played it. The look, first of all, is totally original. It was a pleasant surprise to see a guitar that had a head stock and body style that were not your typical Les Paul or Strat copy, which seems like the norm for all new guitar companies today. AD guitars definitely have a look of their own, and this look is something that embodies a classic guitar appearance with an innovative touch. Something that is brand new, yet looks like it’s been around forever so it will never go out of style.

The next show stopper was the sound. AD guitars have taken the classic Gibson 335 body style and turned it on its ear. By reversing the hollow chamber schematics of a 335 (or making the center of the body hollow instead of the left and right side), the AD guitar has a voluptuous tone of a 335, yet retains a controllable punch similar to a Les Paul. Think of a Les Paul on steroids with a ton of natural resonance.  And that’s just on the neck pickup. Change the pickup selector to the bridge and it’s a totally different guitar. The bridge pickup sounds more like a Strat and a hollow body combined, but once again a very controllable punch. I was amazed how I could plug this guitar into my amp and crank the volume, yet still never get unwanted feedback or dissonant sustain. Oh, and the sustain is mind blowing. Even a few of my friends who are not musicians noticed the endless sustain of this guitar. If you have a sustainer pedal that you use for your current setup, you can put it on Ebay after you get an ADG. This guitar truly has natural, infinite, and poly-harmonic sustain that I’ve never heard on another guitar before.

Now on to the playability. My ADG guitar seemed to fit right into my hands like a glove. The action is top notch, no fret buzz at all, and the width and size of the neck are just perfect. I typically like the baseball bat sized necks, and though the ADG wasn’t quite as big, it was still wide enough for my fingers to feel like they had plenty of room to move around. I also noticed that the angle of the guitar sits quite well when you’re standing up and playing live. The neck and body are incredibly balanced, and the guitar as a whole sits at angle that you can see the fretboard better while you’re playing.

So that’s my summary of the Andreas Dawn Guitar. Personally, I felt this guitar is 3 guitars in one, but with a distinctive sound that cannot be matched. Get your hands on an ADG and you can cut your guitar collection in half.” — Carson

“… this guitar is like a sports car. My posture is extremely good (standing) when holding it. It is hands down the lightest weight electric guitar I have ever owned, or picked up that I can remember. It has very good ergonomics. Moreover, it seems that my palm rests right on the bridge almost — very close, not exactly on top of it. For this reason it’s an amazing thrash metal guitar! This I wasn’t expecting at all. Palm-muting is effortless. Note that I have Duncan Hotrails in the bridge. They’re super crunchy sounding. I’ve probably played it for more than 10 hours already. I’ve so far been able to get an amazing “Suicidal Tendencies”-like thrash tone out of it. It’s been a lot of fun.”

“Another thing. I really love the headstock geometry, especially when I reach up to tune the strings — it feels extremely natural to my hand. I like the way the neck is canted too, it makes me play better, especially when bar-ing chords. I really like the acoustic-like loud tone of it! I see what you’re saying about a “woof” now. The overall impression to me is that it feels like playing a hotrod acoustic guitar — vibrations through my body and all that — except it’s got a sporty electric body. It’s very different than anything else I’ve ever played. Great work man! — Ray”

“Austin has no shortage of interesting artisans and designers. Randy Andreasen is one of them. We met him at his workshop in South Austin where he fascinated us with his story AND his unique guitar design. Randy has spent many years perfecting his guitar design, and you owe it to yourself to watch the interview, even if you don’t play. You can learn more by visiting www.andreasdawn.com”