David Powell’s musical journey began at the piano and carried him through trumpet in his high school’s concert and pep bands.   He picked up electric bass guitar just before graduation but it wasn’t long before he found himself drawn to fingerstyle acoustic guitar, inspired by virtuosos like Leo Kottke and Stephen Bennett. He went on to study classical guitar in college, but it was composing his own fingerstyle pieces and collaborating with other musicians that truly captured his creative passion. A chance encounter with Michael Hedges’s harp guitar playing opened his eyes to the instrument’s extraordinary possibilities — a discovery that would ultimately set the course for his life’s work.

That fascination led David to found dP Lutherie, now recognized as a premiere producer of American-made harp guitars. In 2025, he was named 1st runner-up at the inaugural International Harp Guitar Championship, further cementing his place among the instrument’s leading voices. Beyond building, David has contributed to several album compilations and composed a feature-length film score, all while developing a playing style entirely his own — one that weaves sub-bass strings and melody together on a single instrument, creating rich, textured accompaniment for Courtney’s vocals.