Discovered a new pickup winder [Archive] - Guitarists Praise and Worship Forum!!!

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Brad

02-24-2006, 05:51 PM

In my never ending quest to try as many pickups as I can before I depart this earth, I jumped at the chance to sample new wares when I came across a fella just getting started in the pup winding business. His name is David Plummer. No website yet, but he can be contacted via email at david.plummer@grubb-ellis.com

After a few emails, I sent him a dead, 70's Japanese PAF copy that had been banging around my parts drawer for eons. I asked him for an old PAF wind with extream mis-matched coils wound around 7.5K or so.

It turns out the pup was in worse shape than I thought and he wound up rebuilding the whole thing. On top of that, he replaced the old A2 mag with an A3. He did all this extra work at no additional charge. Really went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure I go what I wanted. Seriously, he did a great job of nailing the old PAF vibe. It's neat to be able to compare this one to the Manlius, Moores and old pat#'s I have in my 335 and SG. I was very surprised at the similarities and differences.

I have it in the neck of my tele right now although it will probably reside in a different guitar soon. I'm really enjoying the tones it's putting out. It has a very sparkley, single coil jangle to it. Very touch sensitive. It's very sweet when played clean and sings with overdrive. With the tone rolled back, it nails the Clapton "woman" tone. along with the classic rock thing, it does the old man blues thing to a T.....the note bloom is fantastic. In the middle position, it yields some very cool, almost stratish tones ala Pops Staples, Curtis Mayfield, etc.

If you are in the market for a rewind, need a new bucker, P-90 or strat set, I would highly recommend giving David a shot. His prices are great and he offers excellent advice and suggestions. He can do the PAF or mega wind tapped pups with equal aplomb. I liked that he questioned me about my style, gear and what type of guitar it was going in. He wants you to be happy with the tone.

While I do not need any pups at the moment, I'm seriously considering ordering afew sets before his prices go up to match the quality of his work. Good stuff indeed!

dmock66

02-24-2006, 06:07 PM

Hey Brad - great post! Do you happen to know what his going rate is for a 57-esque PAF?

Brad

02-28-2006, 07:45 PM

Hey Brad - great post! Do you happen to know what his going rate is for a 57-esque PAF?

Thanks for the kind words. Sorry for the late response. Got the flu bug and been down for a while. Not sure of his rates, but shoot him and email. He is pretty darn resonable.

dmock66

02-28-2006, 07:49 PM

My impatience got the best of me and I shot him a message on Friday. After the full battery of questions (just as he did with you) he already has my bridge pickup done!!! The guy is something else - and I've not even heard the p/u yet! In fact, he's so good that he'll be done with my pickups before my check arrives in Hollywood!

... and based on your review and what he's told me - I can't wait to hear the pickups!!!

Hope you're feeling better!!!

Brad

03-02-2006, 11:35 PM

dmock66

03-04-2006, 10:09 PM

Assuming all went well last night, my pickups ship today... [-o<

I'll post mor when I get them installed.

dmw

03-07-2006, 01:52 PM

Brad

03-07-2006, 10:30 PM

I was on the phone with Wolfe Macloed, of Wolfetone Pickups, last night for about an hour. Really nice guy. I think we talked about everything but pickups. Anyhow, I'm going to send some pickups to him for rewinds, but I know it will probably take a couple of months to get them back.

David Plummer - mentioned in this thread - if he's as good as guys are saying here, will get as busy as the Wolfman. Wolfe tells you up-front that he can't turn them around right away. I made the mistake of using a guy who promised quick turn around and it took several months to get my pickups back. (Long story.) The only guys who are fast are new in the business and still building-up a clientele, or guys without business. That's been my experience anyway. Having said that, custom pickup winders are a viable option if you find a reliable winder to work with.

You are so corrrect! David is new to the game, so he can do the fast turn around right now. That will all change in a few months though, if...as you say....he is good. I'm basing my review on a rewind, but I'm certainly happy with what he did........As far as Wolfe.....he is not only a first lcass winder, but a first class individual. The man has it down as far as winding some killer pickups.

dmock66

03-08-2006, 01:54 PM

My pickups are in the mail so I should have them later this week - hopefully installed for the weekend. As soon as I get a good chance to put them through the paces I'll give post my review.

I can say that David was very interested in ensuring I get the resulting tone I want. He took great care in listening to what I said and providing his input as to what he felt would get me where I want to be tonally.

Brad

03-08-2006, 04:42 PM

dmock66

03-10-2006, 02:49 PM

Okay - both pickups are now in my possession and I got new caps - hopefully they'll get installed tonight and an initial review posted on Monday. [-o<

dmock66

03-13-2006, 03:31 PM

I got the Plummers installed Friday night and after a quick test drive Saturday, just to be sure I wasn't going to get anything totally unexpected, I put them to the "two service" test yesterday (AM service for the congregation then the PM Youth Worship).

Brad was on the money - David Plummer does AWESOME work!!! David wound a custom pair of humbuckers for me. He asked a million questions and knowing I was shooting for the "57 Classics" tone he wound them. I have to say that without question this is the best my Artist has sounded in the 24 years I've owned it!

Brad posted that "the note bloom is fantastic" and I completely agree. The rich harmonic tone just explodes off the fretboard! These pickups clean up very well, responding completely to the volume and tone controls. The bridge pickup was wound with the idea that it could be pristine clean but also give the grit and bite you would like from a bridge pickup - and on both accounts it totally delivers!!! Like Brad noted, roll the tone knob off on the neck pickup and you have the 'woman' Clapton sound.

David may be 'new to the game' in terms of pickup winding - but he's certainly on to something. I've historically been a "one at a time" player with the p/u toggle either up or down. What I quickly noticed was how well these two play together. David told me they were wound specifically as a pair and that they needed to be installed correctly due to the wind. They sound AMAZING in the middle position and I know I'll be using that more and more.

All in all this has been an awesome experience working with David. He was in contact with me throughout the entire process from initial consultation on what I wanted from my tone, guitar wood, etc - up through the winding and testing process, what output level they spec'd out at - everything. The other thing is that these are an exceptional value! I'm a guitarist on a budget so I'm always on the lookout for a wise dollar spent. David scores off the chart in this category. I would have paid double the price to get this tone!

I know I'm absolutely in the honeymoon stage with these pickups - but I can say that they're keepers and I fully expect them to be in my guitar for many years to come. When I have future pickup needs (well, wants...) I'll go first to David. Not only does he do outstanding work, he's a brother in Christ. I know God led me to David as the day I committed in my mind to get new pickups Brad put this post on this forum. The Lord provides!!!

Brad

03-15-2006, 04:03 PM

Very cool! Thanks for the report. I'm so glad to hear they worked out for you. I never know when passing this info along if what I like will fill the bill for others. I think David is pretty talented though and I like the fact hes' not afraid to try new ideas.

Although you are still in the honeymoon phase, I hope you'll find ( as I did ) they just get better and better. While I love the clean tone, using it with my newly aquired Texas Two Step puts me in blues tone paradise. I too appreciate the way David listens and asks questions about your style, gear etc. A custom winder in the true sense. Plus.....as you said....his prices are great. I expect they will go up as his anme gets out there, but now would be the perfect time to get a set or two.

Thanks again for posting your reveiw. Please do a foolow up down the road a bit.

dmock66

03-15-2006, 04:16 PM

Hey Brad -

Yeah, I also wonder if my successes with my sound will work for others. To a degree, great tone is somewhat lucky. If you plug a $1500+ guitar into a $1500+ amp you're not GUARANTEED great tone, but your chances are pretty darn good. If you're plugging a $425 guitar into a $500 amp, you're a bit more at the mercy of a "good match" in gear. However, those Plummer pickups even the playing field a bit in terms of turning a $425 guitar to more of a $1,000 axe.

My 'experiment' with the Plummer pickups Sunday was through my Traynor amp. Two thumbs up from me - as well as from the other guitarist in my group! Last night I plugged into my Epiphone Galaxie 10. After a small amount of knob turning I found the sweet spot of that guitar and amp and with a modified Boss SD-1 between them I was able to dail in some really cool sounds. It made me happy to be able to plug into a different amp and still smile with the results. To me, that's what matters.

The "dream tone" each of us hears in our heads is probably as unique as the number of dreamers. What I can say is that David Plummer is going to go as far as he chooses to as a pickup winder as long as he remains true to the recipe he's using now - and based on my interaction with him, I don't see him straying from the path.

Thanks again for posting about David. My Ibanez Artist when from a forgotten soldier back to DEMANDING playing time! It's sweet when you can spend $100 and put a guitar back in the rotation!

I'll post more as I continue to enjoy the Plummers!

David

dmock66

03-29-2006, 02:25 PM

I thought I'd post a follow-up:

As I continue to play the Plummer pickups I am absolutely digging the tone these pickups kick out! David is new to the winding scene and is learning. He wound me a bridge pickup that sounds INCREDIBLE but can get noisy - feeds back sooner than I would have preferred and picks up more ambiant noise than I would like. David was in constant communication with me after I got my pickups and started using them. He told me ahead of time that the bridge pickup might be noisy and he asked frequently how it was performing. After using it a few times I confirmed that it does give off more noise than I'd prefer and feeds back too soon - he was quick to offer to wind me a new pickup that would provide the same tone with less noise. That is service! It's in the mail and I should have it by the end of the week.

As for the tone - wow - they do sound INCREDIBLE!!! Even with the bridge pickup being a bit noisy, the tones it produces are amazing!!! I'm so pleased with the sound I get from these pickups. I'm very excited to get the new one in and give it a run as David assured me I'll have the same tones as the first one just less noise and feedback. So far he's been true to his word from the start so I have no reason to doubt him.

I'll post again after I get the new pickup and give it a thorough workout!

Jaybo

03-30-2006, 03:28 AM

Wow, this is cool.

I feel the G.A.S. coming on!!

Does he do noisless single coils?

dmock66

03-30-2006, 01:08 PM

Jaybo -

So far it's been a really cool experience. When the dust settles I'm going to end up with a REALLY close replication of a 57 Classic in the neck and 57 Classic Plus in the bridge. I'm really digging the tone of the bridge pickup I got originally but it is a bit noisy. I'm even more excited to get the new pickup in. My buddy has a Les Paul with the 57/57 Plus combo and it sound incredible!

As for the noiseless singles, David doesn't do those yet. In fact, during our most recent conversation I mentioned those to him and he said he's not ready to dive into that realm yet as it's a very compicated wind.

However, I would STRONGLY recommend contacting him if you're looking for new pickups. He's reasonably priced, does good work and provides the service and commitment to doing things right that you would expect from a man of Christ.

David

refin

05-25-2006, 06:31 AM

I just sent David a P-90 to rewind---he will also be getting a few others from me if all goes well.He is extremely fast to offer responses to emails,and wants to do his best...I'm impressed.
As far as Wolfe at Wolfetone,he is a class act...very nice and extremely knowledgeable.He wound some custom PAFs for my '50s conversion Lester than absolutely have the tone and responsiveness.He also rewound a dead pickup from a '62 Jazzmaster for a customer of mine and nailed it.
We are blessed to have rewinds done---alot cheaper than buying an already made pup,and we get to choose our sound! :cool:

refin

06-08-2006, 01:23 AM

UPDATE------
Got my P-90 rewind back from Zhangliqun.....my.oh my! :shock:

I have owned a ton of P-90s,vintage '50s and up...some really good ones.But this rewind is absolutely perfect,the best I've ever had.He wound it to 9.6K,added a new magnet (sent back the old one),and did a very tight job. The tone can best be described as fat,punchy,sparkley,incredible dynamics and feel.I will be adding an MP3 to my soundclick page that I did on another forum to show the tone.It sounds almost like a Jr. with the pup moved a little towards the middle of the guitar.In fact,I put the 90 in a Jr.

refin

06-08-2006, 01:34 AM

Here's the jam---it's called "Rewound Ninety Blews"--
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=330460

Brad

06-22-2006, 11:29 PM

Here's the jam---it's called "Rewound Ninety Blews"--
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=330460

Nice stuff! Great tone, touch and phrasing. Me like!

refin

06-24-2006, 02:44 PM

Thanks Brad----I really like this pup,and will probably get some more wound.

Brad

06-28-2006, 12:09 AM

Thanks Brad----I really like this pup,and will probably get some more wound.

I have not been in touch with David for a while, but I'm also thinking of having him do a few rewinds for me. I hear he has been winding some killer strat and tele pups too. Hmmmmm!!!

refin

07-01-2006, 03:15 AM

The P-90 rewind currently resides in a '70s Univox LP Jr. (on the left in the pic).This is a set neck guitar that isn't too bad at all....but the project guitar on the right,a mid-60s Melody Maker,is such a great little guitar that it makes the cheapest P-90 sound good.The rewind is going into this guitar this week,and I'm hoping for wonderful results!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/refin/P-90City.jpg

Brad

07-13-2006, 11:41 PM

Sweet guitars refin. For some reason, I have been jonzin for a LP jr style guitar. An internet buddy has a swee Agile for $2 bills, but I can't justify another guitar.

My wife picked me up a JG melody maker copy for $10 a few years ago. It was missing the pickguard, pickups, knobs, pots etc and had about 19 coats of paint on it. i started to strip the paint, but go sidetracked...so there it sits. It's actually not bad for what it is.

Brad

08-10-2008, 10:02 PM

Response to an old thread.....Refin, I've said it before and I'll say it again....killer playing! Dig the tones with the Zhang pups and the WB's.

dmock66....so glad to read the Zhang pups worked out well. Hope you are still digging them. For the past few months, I've been smitten with one of Dave's PureHandwound humbuckers in the neck of my chambered tele. Aged A5 mag wound to 7.5K.....just a spectacular sounding pickup.

Everytime I listen to Refins P-90 clips, I get the jonz to put together a P-90 tele. Flat broke at the moment, but when I do scrap a few extra coins together, Dave will get the order for a set of Refin winds!

refin

08-10-2008, 10:25 PM

Thank you Brad for your kind words........I'm just another picker!
David is also going to rewind an old stickered T-Top for me---we are currently discussing the tone.This will make 3 Zhangliquns!

Brad

05-08-2010, 03:41 PM

Going through the forum and found this old post. Wanted to bring it to the top not only to help out a brother, but to remind everyone what a talented winder David is.

I had Tommy at USACG do the wood for a chambered mahogany tele 6-7 years ago. I LOVE this guitar. From the moment I finished it and strung it up, my other guitars have had a nice rest in their various cases. So, when you have a guitar that plays like a dream and sounds so good, you want pickups to relate that wonderful rich acoustic tone.

In the time I've had this, I've tried around a dozen buckers in this guitar from boteek (WCR, Manlius, Moore, Lollar, etc ) to various off the shelf (Dimarzio VV & PAF, Duncan 59 & Seth, Armstrong 12 pole, A few GFS offerings, etc ) offerings. While I was very happy with half of these pickups, I still had the desire to keep testing others. That all changed when Dave sent me a 7.5K, A5 PureHandwound bucker.

I know talk is cheap and supurlatives ring hollow at times. I'll do my best to get some sound clips or video up soon so you can hear how killer this pup sounds. Suffice to say, my desire to try other neck buckers in my tele was stopped!

stephen

05-08-2010, 09:22 PM

Yep, good bump!

David is talented, and I know a few folks that have had him wind pups for them, and they absolutely rave about his pups!

And with the economy taking a nose dive, it affected everyone, especially an upstart, "new" pup winder like David Plumber (aka: Zhangliqun).

And if you didnt know it, he is a brother too.

I'm gonna see if I can shake together enough coin to buy a neck mini-bucker from him (The GPAWF Mini-Bucker). I've been thinking about toying around with my Number 1.......

Zhangliqun

05-09-2010, 11:16 PM

What are you waitin' for Steve? But seriously, prayers are having an effect -- two sales today.

Brad

05-10-2010, 01:53 PM

But seriously, prayers are having an effect -- two sales today.

YEEEHAAAA!!! Great news brother!

refin

05-15-2010, 03:05 AM

It'll "pickup".........

Archaic

05-15-2010, 03:24 PM

*rimshot*

Zhangliqun

05-16-2010, 05:33 AM

It will pickup...before I have to leave this mortal, uh......coil....

Brad

05-16-2010, 01:13 PM

It will pickup...before I have to leave this mortal, uh......coil....

As Bobby Z once said, 'The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind."

Crunchyriff

05-16-2010, 10:31 PM

I will most likely be ordering some of David's pickups when funds allow. He's got some great stuff cookin'. Of course, having a player like Refin to demonstrate/support your products is always a big plus, too.

SAguitar

05-17-2010, 09:02 PM

I'm on board, with a likely order time in the beginning of June. Bring on the Tone! :clap:

refin

05-19-2010, 01:37 PM

My current favorite "go-to" guitar is an Esquire Parts-O-Caster with a Paul Bunyan wind...yikes! The basswood body mixed with the juicy twang is delicious!

Brad

05-19-2010, 09:10 PM

The Paul Bunyan is just an insanely great tele pickup. Quite a feat to get twang and spank coupled with P-90 sweet girth. One of my all time fav tele bridge pups.

Next on my list to try out is the Twang Smoker. Sounds like it's right up my alley!!

Zhangliqun

06-09-2010, 06:37 AM

For what it's worth, the sale continues -- $15 off all pickups, $20 off Pure Handwound humbuckers...

refin

06-10-2010, 04:40 AM

(Pssss.....hey guys....this is a great deal.......) :wasntme: