# Andy Powell's Guitar Buying Wisdom

> Don't plug in your guitar: Andy Powell's best tip for finding the right sound.
- Title: Andy Powell's Guitar Buying Wisdom · Guitar World | Shortify
- Summary: Don't plug in your guitar: Andy Powell's best tip for finding the right sound. Andy Powell, Wishbone Ash guitarist, advises against plugging guitars to test…
- Keywords: andy powell, wishbone ash, flying v, fender custom shop stratocaster, guitar buying, acoustic resonance, guitar gear, guitar journey, rice crisps, guitar competition, Andy, Powell's
- Source: Guitar World — https://guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/wishbone-ash-andy-powell-bought-and-sold
- Published: 2026-10-01T09:25:02+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: andy powell, wishbone ash, flying v, fender custom shop stratocaster, guitar buying, acoustic resonance, guitar gear, guitar journey, rice crisps, guitar competition
## First guitar purchase
Andy Powell bought his first serious guitar with money saved from a paper round.
## Rice Krispies competition
He entered a Burns jazz guitar competition on the back of a Rice Krispies cereal box.
## First guitar details
The guitar was a short scale Burns jazz guitar with a tremolo arm for emulating Hank Marvin.
## Sold for travel
He sold the guitar for 40 quid to fund an overland trip to Morocco in a Land Rover.
## Current guitar preference
Andy Powell plays a Flying V but uses a Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster for its vintage resonance.
## Guitar collection
He collected 85 guitars, including Stratocasters from the 1950s through early 1960s.
## Best guitar find
The most incredible find was a 1958 Flying V, followed by a 1959 Flying V with only 100 made.
## Guitar buyer's remorse
He regretted selling a 1958 Flying V for its potential to fund college or a house for his sons.
## Guitar buying tip
Don't plug in your guitar: test acoustic resonance by playing it on your knee.
## Guitar amplifier advice
Use an old tube amplifier to check if pickups are balanced before plugging in.
## Current rig
He uses a semi-digital BluGuitar amp with 10-inch speakers for festival travel.
## Guitar journey
Andy Powell's guitar journey began with a Rice Krispies competition and ended with a Flying V.
## Key takeaway

Andy Powell, Wishbone Ash guitarist, advises against plugging guitars to test acoustic resonance before buying.