Did Nuno use a L500 or a L500XL pickup in his N4 guitar?

[harddriver]

Just curious here. Did Nuno use the BIll Lawarence USA model or the original Bill Lawrence non potted L500/L500XL?

I've heard both so I am not alot of help on this one........................

[PLX]

Nuno has recounted in several interviews that he used the Bill & Becky L500XL.

Bill had gone out of business when Nuno started up his signature guitar with Washburn. Nuno insisted they use the Bill & Becky L500XL in the bridge position.

Washburn told him they couldn't because that company "Wilde Pickups" had gone out of business.

Nuno refused to back down. Washburn contacted Wilde Pickups and placed such a large order, they re-opened their doors and started making pickups again.

Bill has passed, so if you call, you wind up talking to Becky (at least I did), and she flat-out will not tell you the DC resistance of their pickups. They only want to tell you the inductance.

So here it is:

L-500 C 4.5 kΩ 3.2 Henries
L-500 R 7.1 kΩ 4.8 Henries
L-500 L 11.8 kΩ 6.9 Henries
L-500XL 13.3 kΩ 9.6 Henries

[harddriver]

I find it interesting the L500L @ 11.8K ohms is so close in resistance to the L500XL @ 13K ohms...

I have a L500L and L500XL from BIll and Becky both are shielded instead of epoxy potted like the BLUSA L500Xl's.

I also keep hearing the Bill and Becky pickups are not as thing sounding as the BLUSA L500XL's.

I guess I'll put them up against the Wes Hauch pickup and see what I like when the time comes.

Thanks for the info PLX!

[PLX]

I find it interesting the L500L @ 11.8K ohms is so close in resistance to the L500XL @ 13K ohms...

I have a L500L and L500XL from BIll and Becky both are shielded instead of epoxy potted like the BLUSA L500Xl's.

I also keep hearing the Bill and Becky pickups are not as thing sounding as the BLUSA L500XL's.

I guess I'll put them up against the Wes Hauch pickup and see what I like when the time comes.

Thanks for the info PLX!

I used to have a Dean From Hell guitar that had the Bill Lawrence® USA brand L500XL.

Never could like that pickup. Thin and raspy.


Now, to muddy the waters even further.. The Bill & Becky L-500L actually just got renamed the L-500XL sometime in late 1981 :




The two companies making the same named pickups are:

OBL Pickups / Bill Lawrence USA (after 1984) CEO: Jzchak 'EZ' Wajcman

Bill Lawrence / Bill & Becky / Wilde Pickups / Keystone Pickups CEO: Willi Lorenz Stich (after Bill's death in 2013, Becky took over operations)


In an effort to help clear up the confusion between "Bill Lawrence" pickups and the new SH-13 Dimebucker by Seymour Duncan, Mr. Wajcman begins using the "Bill Lawrence U.S.A." stamp on the tops of his pickups sometime around 2002.

[harddriver]

Well that clears up the fact that NUNO said he used a L500L then it was a 1981 or earlier pickup then Bill Lawerence just changed the name from L500L to L500XL. So the original L500L was 13K ohms at all times then.

Then in early 1981 he adds the 11.8K pickup calling it(L510L) the to the lineup and after renaming the original L500L to L500XL he now gives that pickup(11.8K/L510L) the L500L designation... it all makes sense now...Thanks PLX!

[PLX]

Well that clears up the fact that NUNO said he used a L500L then it was a 1981 or earlier pickup then Bill Lawerence just changed the name from L500L to L500XL. So the original L500L was 13K ohms at all times then.

Then in early 1981 he adds the 11.8K pickup calling it(L510L) the to the lineup and after renaming the original L500L to L500XL he now gives that pickup(11.8K/L510L) the L500L designation... it all makes sense now...Thanks PLX!

The whole thing with those pickups was always confusing as hell.

Dimebag said in multiple interviews that he always bought his pickups from Stewart McDonald..

So that means he was using the Bill Lawrence USA pickups, while Nuno was using the Bill & Becky.

[lll]

Old consensus was/is that Willi Lorenz Stich's "Bill Lawrence USA" pickups were/are subpar to the real McCoy "Bill & Becky" pickups.

IIRC they were business partners but (I would surmise) had a falling out and Stich somehow legally was able to keep the name.

[RockyStar]

Old consensus was/is that Willi Lorenz Stich's "Bill Lawrence USA" pickups were/are subpar to the real McCoy "Bill & Becky" pickups.

IIRC they were business partners but (I would surmise) had a falling out and Stich somehow legally was able to keep the name.

That has been what I have heard as well. Bill & Becky were the way to go!