Greenville’s Andrew Oliver Launches Dummiez, Decorative and Functional 1/4″ Dummy Plugs

Greenville’s Andrew Oliver, of the psychedelic folk rock band Brother Oliver, has recently launched a music-related business endeavor with a product called Dummiez. Dummiez are, as the name suggests, 1/4″ dummy plugs that fit securely into the inputs and outputs on musical gear to protect them from dust, water, and beer while they’re not in use.

According to Andrew, the idea to create Dummiez started out of necessity. He had been looking for some 1/4″ dummy plugs for his gear, and found himself disappointed at the lack of options. At the time, the only product available was a plain, boring black dummy plug. He wanted something more fun, and so he decided to make the product himself.

To do this, Andrew assembled a team consisting of several music industry friends that he had made over the years. Paul Walters helped with the initial brand concepts and sketches for each head design. Chris Gancos was the first 3-D modeler who helped create the beta version, and then Todd Thrash stepped in to 3-D model the end product. Todd came up with the method with which the Dummiez team is currently able to manufacture the plugs in-house.

Starting with a plastic beta version, Andrew and the Dummiez team handed out samples to musicians to try out on their gear. The response to the test version of the product was overwhelmingly positive, and so they continued the development process and came up with the end product which is currently available for sale. They settled upon a high-quality rubber dummy plug that is both functional and decorative.

As of now, there are two different versions of Dummiez: the green alien and the white skull, and there are plans to release more head designs and colors in the coming months. You can snag a set at getdummiez.com, and soon in major retailers both online and in-person. Follow @getdummiez on Instagram to keep up with the Dummiez team.