Bill Lawrence L-500

[CityofBlindingLights]

What do they sound like? I've read all about them, and about how awesome they are, but what are their tonal characteristics?

Considering the L-500C, R, L, and XL. Only ever heard the Dimebucker, which I think is based off the XL, but I'm clueless as to the others.

Thanks in advance

[choubix]

you can find either the L-500 made by Bill or the L-500 made by his former partner (I think this is this model that you now find on the Washburn Nuno)

I have a set of pickups from Bill (the real thing)

a L-500 (L) + 2 L-280
the guitar is a Ibanez 540R

I must say I am quite happy with the result:

- plenty of harmonics, rich tone.
- I expected a bit more output from the L-500L. Becky (bill's wife) advised me to go with this one given my musical tastes.
- the single coil pickups are comfortable in blues/rock. a friend of mine is into jazz and liked them very much too.

I was a bit confused by the wiring initially since the wiring diagram is a copy of something done by hand by Bill. Becky gave me clear instructions and a few minutes later my pickups where ready to use... (well I was confused mostly because the wiring diagram for the single coil pickups was for a strat if I remember well)

when I bought them I didnt really know what to expect (there was no mp3 on their website. when you sell pickups I believe it's a necessity...) yet: I am very satisfied.

you can also ask becky for the resistance and Henries of the pickups you are interested to buy.

hope this helps

[losgatosrg350dx]

when the dimbucker is made it was a compercialised model, and it isnt what dime ever played in his guitars...his personal guitars and tour guitars looked like the ones u can buy but oh no they were different, and loaded with bl pickups, and let me tell u the origional dimebucker bill makes is not at alllllll anything like the dimbucker

if i wasnt too inlove with the x2n, id have got a bill lawrence, but i had played on it and other than if u ever played a x2n, the bl humbucker xl-500(origional dimebucker) was stainless steel rails, so its got more of a mid and bright hit to it, not much low end growl as a x2n, but a mighty nice pickups

ive heard thay sound better with a 500 volume and no tone

and they have a medrately hollow sound if u use anything else like a 500 volume and 250 tone....it likes a single volume

and its too bright almost pingy with u use a 1 meg volume withut a 500k tone or even a 250k tone
but all his puckups are great!!!!

[rastachild]

i have a n4 and a paduak rg with the l500 and it can be quite monstrous. lots of harmonics and quite balanced eq-wise. very good clarity from string to string too.

[7@6-stringBUTCHER]

i like them better than the dimebuckers myself
just wacth this vid they are in hus guitar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIXo1kqARfg

[nickysplendid]

Hi guys -
I've been toying with the idea of an l500 for my rg-550 for a while.

I want the aggressive, percussive tone that nuno has.
Any tips or advice?

[choubix]

try the original Bill Lawrence.

http://www.billlawrence.com/

reviews here:
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/r.../Bill+Lawrence

enjoy!

[losgatosrg350dx]

now i want the origional dime, im placing a order today

xl-500 here we come!!!

[Thrash]

The L500 is a little less output than the XL500 Dime used. Nuno uses a L500, I've heard with a 250k pot. His tone is unreal.

[losgatosrg350dx]

250k???? wow thats way low, homie say wat...?

[Thrash]

Originally Posted by losgatosrg350dx

250k???? wow thats way low, homie say wat...?

Listen to Nuno, his tone awesome and not in a screaming metal way at all, more mellow. I can't confirm he uses a 250 but I heard he did.

[choubix]

again:

order from billlawrence.com and you'll get the p.ups that were originally mounted on Dime's guitars (and N4s)

order from billlawrenceusa.com you'll get the p.ups made by Bill's former partner

these are sometimes quoted "FAKE" which is not exactly right: Bill's partner managed to keep the name "Bill Lawrence" even after Bill's departure from the company they had set up (there was a trial).

YET: they are not exactly the same in design, output and overall quality.

I heard samples of the L500 made by Bill's former partner and I read reviews.
I decided to go for Bill's p.ups (the "original") and I am not disappointed.
rich tone, plenty of harmonics etcetc.


But I must say that Bill's website is not exactly StewMac... it's not a 2.0 website with flashy effects everywhere either.

In my mind, ordering from Bill is like being part of a small club of people "in the know" whereas shopping from Bill's ex partner website is like going to wallmart



you may also be interested in taking a look at Bareknuckles p.ups.
more expensive but they are amazing...

[rty13ibz98]

Originally Posted by Thrash

The L500 is a little less output than the XL500 Dime used. Nuno uses a L500, I've heard with a 250k pot. His tone is unreal.

i doubt that nuno used a 250k. in my n2, it has a 500k and it sounds almost exactly like pornograffitti. the main difference is my amp settings. i feel if i had an mp-1, i'd nail it. but with the 500k it has all of that nuno bity high end.

rich

[Thrash]

Originally Posted by rty13ibz98

i doubt that nuno used a 250k. in my n2, it has a 500k and it sounds almost exactly like pornograffitti. the main difference is my amp settings. i feel if i had an mp-1, i'd nail it. but with the 500k it has all of that nuno bity high end.

rich

Cool, I envy that tone.

[rty13ibz98]

Originally Posted by Thrash

Cool, I envy that tone.

same here. 3 albums have that ADA MP-1 tone:
extreme: pornografitti
mr. big: mr. big
white lion: pride

all of them are pure mp-1. only differences were pickups. luckily when i had my mp-1, i had an l-500 in a yamaha rgz, pgm500, and emgs in a few jacksons to get tones from each one of those albums. the lawrence being the most huge and bity. love nuno's tone on pornograffiti. i still listen to that album to this day.


rich