BILL LAWRENCE USA L500XL VS WILDE USA L500XL Differences (Dimebag-Nuno humbucker)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ben Waylin
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The USA one sounds better there, but it's not the earlier, more desirable model with the grey outer wire (the one in the vid is red) or better yet the first versions with silver backs (not the plastic ones). Those are IME the best sounding of their 500 series of pickups, but really all their pickups from the '70's and early '80's sounded great (better than anything made today of hotter pickups IME). I even like some of them more overall than the 500's. The 500's are only more well known because of guys like Dime, Nuno and Lynch
 
Had an old one in an old maple Mockingbird and couldn't pull it out fast enough. Was shrill and an ear killer in an all maple guitar.
 
I have 90’s BL USA L500XL in a strat, interesting pickup, very bright and brash, sounds more like a really hot noiseless single coil with more bass, than the typical humbucker. Quite stiff feeling also, tight and percussive. I am using it with 250k volume and tone pots and it’s still very bright, it can sound quite good but everything needs dialing in for that guitar/pickup, if I just plug in using pedal and amp settings for a more traditional pickup, it doesn’t really sound good.

I have recently ordered a bill and Becky L500XL as I’ve been curious as to the differences.
 
I have an old Gibby with what are allegedly Bill L pups.


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I just put my USA in my carvin and it’s no where near as shrill and thin as I was expecting
 
PLX said:
Never tried the Bill & Becky.

Played the BL USA in a Dean ML, and it sounded thin and raspy.
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Whichever version 500XL came in the Dean CFH I used to have was also kinda like that, but all BL’s I’ve got from the ‘80’s and late ‘70’s are thick and saturated, not thin at all. The 500L’s and L90’s are bright, but not not raspy IME unless maybe if I put them in like a maple body or some very bright guitar it could be possible. It sounds to me, based on descriptions, like the voicing maybe changed on the later models. There’s also a very distinctive midrange on the vintage BL’s I have that I don’t notice in these BL clips guys have posted on here lately
 
Geo said:
I have an old Gibby with what are allegedly Bill L pups.


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I have one of those too, but haven’t tried it yet. I think those were pickups Bill designed for Gibson if I’m not mistaken. He did a lot of their pickups back in that era and I think maybe also for some other brands too even though they didn’t have his name on them
 
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had one in the early 80s. pulled it for a super D and never saw it again
have no idea where it may have went nor who may have palmed it
 
braintheory said:
I have one of those too, but haven’t tried it yet. I think those were pickups Bill designed for Gibson if I’m not mistaken. He did a lot of their pickups back in that era and I think maybe also for some other brands too even though they didn’t have his name on them
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They sound really good but the guitar is one of those fretless wonder types. I will probably have to refret before I can really enjoy that guitar.

It has one of those selector knobs on it, the sounds are really nice.

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PLX said:
That was the BL USA.

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Yeah probably was then, I just don’t remember. Too long ago now lol. In either case, I don’t remember it being like these grey wire vintage versions I have now, but who knows. All my gear was completely different and less good back then lol
 
braintheory said:
Yeah probably was then, I just don’t remember. Too long ago now lol. In either case, I don’t remember it being like these grey wire vintage versions I have now, but who knows. All my gear was completely different and less good back then lol
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On my Dean From Hell they at least remembered to put the bridge pickup in backwards.

:ROFLMAO:
 
PLX said:
It makes a difference.
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I just remembered an interview with dime where he said he uses the stewmac which are the usa ones backwards, figured there had to be something to it
 
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