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Any love for '89-ish Bill Lawrence humbuckers?

bizzwriter

Active member
Joined
Oct 23, 2002
Messages
975
I recently picked up this '89 ES-335 on fleabay, and although I haven't pulled the pickups yet, I'm pretty sure they're the Bill Lawrence HB-L and HB-R pickups with the circuit boards on the back. I haven't had a chance to crank up the guitar yet and put it through its paces to see if I like the tone or not. Just wondering if anyone out there particularly likes or dislikes these Bill Lawrence pickups. I have a couple of old Gibson Pat# pickups I can swap them for if necessary, but I would like to keep the guitar stock if possible.

So...???

KGrHqFokE63r0IUgBO57dDcDMQ60_3.jpg
 

MikeSlub

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Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
15,166
I don't like them, at least to my ears. :hank

P.S. Cool geetar! :dude:
 

bizzwriter

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Joined
Oct 23, 2002
Messages
975
I don't like them, at least to my ears. :hank

P.S. Cool geetar! :dude:

Thanks, Mike! Yeah -- they seemed a little harsh to me during my low-volume test a couple days ago. Definitely need to crank them up and see what happens.
 

TM1

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Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
I had an `89 SG `61 reissue with those pickups in it.. Those came out in a couple of days. Terrible sounding pickups!
 

bizzwriter

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Oct 23, 2002
Messages
975
i am digging that guitar!

Thanks, Ryan -- I've been on a white guitar jag ever since I picked up this '63 SG Jr. a couple years ago (the original tailpiece is back on now). White SG, white Tele, and now a white ES-335. If I can find an old white Firebird I, I think my life will be complete. Okay, maybe not.

IMG_3404.jpg
 

MikeSlub

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Jul 15, 2001
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Thanks, Ryan -- I've been on a white guitar jag ever since I picked up this '63 SG Jr. a couple years ago (the original tailpiece is back on now). White SG, white Tele, and now a white ES-335. If I can find an old white Firebird I, I think my life will be complete. Okay, maybe not.

IMG_3404.jpg

Another very cool geetar! :dude:
 

Kris Ford

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Jan 6, 2007
Messages
4,003
Patent numbers all the way! Would you have to swap out the polepieces so they match the gold? Or would that interfere with the "mojo" of the pickup? I'd say go all nickel on that baby! Soomethin' about aged nickel looks so good on white...JMHO.
 

bizzwriter

Active member
Joined
Oct 23, 2002
Messages
975
Patent numbers all the way! Would you have to swap out the polepieces so they match the gold? Or would that interfere with the "mojo" of the pickup? I'd say go all nickel on that baby! Soomethin' about aged nickel looks so good on white...JMHO.

Good point! One of the pat # pickups has an unsoldered gold cover with gold polepieces and a short lead. The other has a soldered chrome cover and a long lead. Geez.
 

Litcrit

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Joined
May 9, 2002
Messages
5,990
I've owned that exact model (maybe THAT guitar, who knows?),,I remember the pups as strong and loud, good rock guitar, closer to modern 'buckers, not vintage sounding...
 

jhmp

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Mar 24, 2011
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717
They're pretty versitile. The only time I run them wide open is those few moments when you need to be on top. They cover a lot of ground-but apparently they're not for everyone...
 

SoK66

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Aug 31, 2009
Messages
236
Back in '90 I bought an '89 "Prehistoric" '59 RI that had those. They weren't bad, but I replaced them with '57 Classics as soon as they were released by Gibson in the early 90s. Liked those a lot better in that particular guitar.
 

papersoul

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Joined
Dec 20, 2003
Messages
3,066
They are my favorite Gibson pickups. Very creamy, rich, thick and fat. The neck HB-R is my favorite Gibson neck pickup. I like the bridge HB-L but have recently replaced mine with Rio Grande BBQ buckers which are my all time favorite bridge humbucker. :)

I recently picked up this '89 ES-335 on fleabay, and although I haven't pulled the pickups yet, I'm pretty sure they're the Bill Lawrence HB-L and HB-R pickups with the circuit boards on the back. I haven't had a chance to crank up the guitar yet and put it through its paces to see if I like the tone or not. Just wondering if anyone out there particularly likes or dislikes these Bill Lawrence pickups. I have a couple of old Gibson Pat# pickups I can swap them for if necessary, but I would like to keep the guitar stock if possible.

So...???

KGrHqFokE63r0IUgBO57dDcDMQ60_3.jpg
 

Brad737

Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
99
I think the Lawrence circuitbacks sound ok, but nothing special. I don't think they sound all that close to PAFs.
 

papersoul

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Joined
Dec 20, 2003
Messages
3,066
Just had a full band practice yesterday and both my LP Standard and SG Special both sounded outstanding. Both have the Bill Lawrence HB-L and HB-R. Keep in mind, pickups are such a small piece of the puzzle, my Gibsons always sound like themselves regardless of pickups. But I will say that these are my current favorite Gibson pickups. On a side note, I hate PAF pickups, can't really stand them. I much prefer hotter pickups that use thinner wire. I am a huge fan of ceramic magnets, such as my PRS Dragon pickups, and that is for all style of music. :)
 

papersoul

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Dec 20, 2003
Messages
3,066
Wow. Old thread, but still my favorite pickups of all time for a Gibson. Warm, thick, rich, full, fat, creamy and complex. Creamy like Lollars
 

Strings Jr.

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Joined
Jan 17, 2016
Messages
670
I was fortunate to spend a lot of time with Bill Lawrence while I was at Gibson. He's a very intelligent man and I developed a lot of respect for him.

But those pickups sucked. Not so much sound-wise, but from an assembly / durability standpoint. The little individual lead wires were so thin and fragile that they were constantly getting pulled apart or broken. Especially the ground.

Coming from someone who spent day, after day, after day, having to pull them out and make repairs, I'll take my faithful braided wire pups any day!
 
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