Bill Lawrance pups

[Boogie]

I have tried just about every noiseless type single so called sound pup there is without satisfication. I haven't heard the BL's before but I was thinking of giving them a go. Any comments?

[Sammy]

I have Bill Lawrence pups (real ones, not the imitations from Stew-Mac) in my 3-pup Tele. The neck and middle are Strat pups, model L-280S, the bridge is a Tele pup, model L-290TL. I also have a BL humbucker in another Tele. To put it in a plain and simple way, I LOVE 'EM!

My guitar teacher plays a modified Jeff Beck Strat and a Les Paul Custom. He's played my Tele and he's very impressed with it. He told me that it's the first Tele he's ever played that he really liked. My luthier is also very impressed with it. The lead guitar player in my band (has a '71 Tele, '62RI Custom Tele, and a Gibson ES-135) is also very impressed with it.

The BL pups are noiseless and have tons of tone. I play blues on the guitar and that baby can wail (it does a better job of it when my teacher, lead guitarist, or luthier play it, though). I had swapped out the original pups for Custom Shop Texas Specials which were a vast improvement. I even tried some Harmonic Design pups which were also very nice. But the BLs have proven to be the magic formula for this guitar.

I must add that every guitar responds a little different to any pups than the next one. Also, the player's ear and preferences are always a little different too. With that in mind, I suggest trying the BLs, the cost is very resonable. I bought all three for a little over $120.

Good luck.

Keep Thumpin'! Sammy!

[James Tonguet]

I was thumbing through an old Guitar Player from '85 ( can't throw any of those out) and there was a Roy Buchanan Interview , he used Bill's pickups and loved them .

[Boogie]

Thanks I just ordered some 290's to go in my texas special fat strat. I probably going to in stall a set 280's in my 62 RI.

[kottkewannabe]

You mentioned that you tried every noiseless pickup without satisfaction. I will certainly say that though I've never had a guitar with the noiseless BL's in my hand, I've heard them in person and they really are great. The "honest question" I'm wondering is have you tried the Kinman's and come up unsatisfied? I know there are incredibly dedicated fans of both...just wondering if they're something you've run across your tonal pallette?

[Boogie]

No I haven't tried the kinmans but I have seen much more favorable comments about the Bl's.

[EarlE]

I have the L280TN and L290TL in a Tele and these are
just the best I've experienced with great output, tone depth
and that nice harmonic high end chime. Actually noiseless
was just an added feature to me but well worth having
as well. Great value for the bucks. I had to wait about 5 weeks
for them but no big deal and well worth the wait.

[DoobieK]

You guys are making me antse. I am on week three of five for my wait for BL pickups for my Tele! I've never read or heard anything but great things about them, and Bill's wife was great to talk to on the phone.

At $40 each, how can you go wrong?

[SMark]

"I was thumbing through an old Guitar Player from '85 ( can't throw any of those out) and there was a Roy Buchanan Interview , he used Bill's pickups and loved them ."

Back in 1985 the only Bill Lawrence pickups in town were the "Imitation" Bill Lawrence pickups. Apparently Bill had left the company around 1982. The more I read about this subject the dumber it gets. The good news is that if you have the L280/290 pickups, at least you know which "Bill Lawrence" made them, since the "imitation" Bill Lawrence Company doesn't make that model (yet!). It took me awhile to figure out which Bill Lawrence actually made my L500 humbucker. What a mess.