DAVID ANDREW DESIGN RESEARCH

David Andrew Design Research was founded in 1984 by David W. Newell and Andrew Derosiers of Choes, NY. They received their first two U.S. patents two years later. Newell and Derosiers designed the first "Crusader" (later called Bladerunner by Guild guitars) prototype in the summer of 1984, and was featured in several guitar magazines later that year. The first guitars made their debut at Alex Music on 48th St. in NY during the fall of 1985. Newell and Derosiers met J.J. French of Twisted Sister later that year, which bore their relationship with Mark Dronge of Guild Guitars. Guild adopted the Crusader guitar and bass design, and renamed it the Bladerunner in early 1986. The Bladerunner made its debut on the world market at the 1986 summer NAMM Show in New Orleans. The Bladerunner was in production through 1988, until Mark Dronge sold the company. The Bladerunner made its video debut in the Aerosmith/Run D.M.C. video, "Walk this Way." The Bladerunner was played by several top guitar players of the 1980s, including Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Howarde Leese of Heart, Eddie O'Jeda of Twisted Sister, and Ben Orr of The Cars.
The David Andrew Crusader/Bladerunner was an explorer-style solid body guitar with triangular cut-outs, a poplar body, dovetail glued in neck, 24-fret ebony fingerboard, Grover tuners, EMG pickups and electronics and lacquer finish and graphics, and came with a hardshell case. The last MSR was $1,500. Production continued through 1988. Source: David W. Newell, 2001.