Dave Stephens Design PF Star Humbucker Set

According to Dave, this Platinium set is a copy of PAF Gibson made at the end of the fifties. The power is similar to a current Gibson production.

I installed the set in a Gibson Les Paul Standar 1958 reissue in both position. It replace the original set, I suppose it was a couple Burstbuckers. The reason for changing is curiosity as the original set is not bad. Dave web site is so well written that I wanted to check this out.
I realy like the set Tim White did for my 3 pickups Les Paul Custom and the set Tom Holmes did for my ES 347 (with split coils), I was checking to see if perhaps I could add an other very good pickup to my collection.

The output level is average. The tone is dark almost like if a thick piece of felt was installed in between the pickup and the strings. The harmonics are quiet thin and lacking complexity, the clarity is absent and I was not able to hear what I was playing on the low E string. The entire sound reproduction when the string are played together is blurry. I re-instaled the original set then again Dave set because I thought something was wrong but the character did not change. of course the pickups are quiet as they are filtering every high frequencies. I reported this immediately to Dave and sent the set back to him. several week later, I receive an other set wound differently according to Dave, closer to what I was asking. To me , it sounded exactly like the first set, just like if Dave did send me the very same box containing the set I returned.

I emailed Dave back and told him what I experienced. He was very surprised and said that because I was not a professional player perhaps I was not able to hear how great sounding was these pickups.
I just wanted a clear, rich harmonicaly, not too powerfull, interesting sounding humbucker just like Tim White is able to produce with ordinary material or Tom Holmes with more sophisticated parts. I did not ask for anything different then a copy of a PAF, although I know all PAFs sound slightly different, the good one fits my description.
My point of view is that I do not care how correct are the magnet, the wire, the screws or any parts, and Dave loves to explain all this ad noseam, but if the sounds is boring and dull despite all these great parts, I am not interested.
I started the order process last year in November 2007, today is July 23rd 2008 (9 months later) and I still am waiting for my 3rd and final set after exchange of numerous email describing in very much details what I was looking for and Dave replying very long emails explaining what he was thinking and how this could translate in winding something I could play. I had the impression that Dave, although always very kind, did not read carefully my words, rather worked from an idea in his mind of what I was saying... after this much time, I gave up and said he should now spend time with other customers as we were going nowhere... Dave offered to reimbursed this rather expensive set... That was about a month ago and I have not yet seen the check. I am not angry, it was an interesting web experience, not a musical one though rather a psychological endeavor to experience total miss communication that lasted several months.

www.sdpickups.com

This is handmade PAF replicas. Totally handmade by Dave Stephens himself using expensive parts that the big companies dont use just to save money! This man wants to give you good pickups and good tone! Not sell you some **** just to make money!
If you want the old PAF sound you have heard from Bloomfield, Green, early Clapton etc, forget Duncans and Dimarzios and other brands. This is it! You really cant come closer than this!
Go to youtube and check out the clips.

I installed the set in my Murphy aged Gibson Les Paul 59`.
I replaced the Gibson Burstbuckers. This is Gibsons PAF replicas, and cant come close to the PF Stars!

Im using Marshall amps! Low gain, and sometimes hi gain.
The pickups is totally quiet, even on very high volumes with lots of gain.The pickups is not muddy at all, and got a warm balanced sound!
If you are looking for the upper harmonic frequency that the PAFs is famous for, only this pickups have it!! No one other has managed to make this today. Thanks to Stephens` handwork!

If you dont care about the old paf sound, but are more into Guns n roses, Ac/dc, Accept etc, these pickups can do that too!

I have been playing for 8 years. I have owned lots of different gear!
Tried many many pickups, to search for "the" tone. I dont have to search any more!
If you think these pickups is expensive, think again!
Visit his site and read "Why SD Pickups" !!


www.sdpickups.com