David Shepherd has spent more than two decades dedicated to the art of designing, developing, and handcrafting acoustic and electric guitar pickups. After graduating from the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery in 1996, he built his career around an obsession for great tone and a belief that every detail matters.
In 2005, David brought his pickup-winding expertise to Mojotone, where he created and built the company’s entire pickup-manufacturing division from the ground up. He developed the processes, products, and technical foundation that established its pickup program. Over the years, David designed and developed pickup solutions for artists including Jeff Beck, Alex Lifeson, Johnny Winter, Billie Joe Armstrong, Jack White, Bill Kelliher, and Charlie Starr. He also led signature pickup projects involving major guitar brands such as PRS, ESP, Ibanez, and Godin.
David’s work included collaborating with Eric Clapton’s longtime guitar tech, Lee Dickson, to recreate pickups from Clapton’s iconic Blackie and Brownie Strats. He also worked alongside Stevie Ray Vaughan’s tech, René Martinez, to design his signature pickups and rewind original pickups from some of Stevie’s most iconic guitars.
Today, David brings that experience directly to Brickhouse Toneworks. Free from mass-production constraints, he can give every pickup the individual attention, careful testing, and uncompromising craftsmanship it deserves. Each pickup is personally built and tuned to make your instrument feel more responsive, expressive, and alive.