software

from : localhost/p082.ezboard.com/fguitarsbyfe...icID=301.topic

quot;L-500's (hard core, hi Q, blades, 15mm magnetic window). From February 2005: due to the unavailability of the ceramic magnets, a new circuit was designed using alnico V magnets, delivering the same sound.quot;

Is this true? Did they really stop using ceramics and start using alnico? I would think that ceramic magnets would always be more readily available.

That does sound kind of hard to believe. I really doubt that 95% of all stock pickups use ceramic magnets because they're difficult to obtain.

I dont know all the details behind the change over. Maybe 9Finger will have some info on this matter.

I believe Bill has changed to alnico 8 (not5) and has also changed other aspects of the design in compensation.

there is no magnet that has the effect of ceramic
not even alnico 8
ceramic is ceramic
if they are using a 5 or even a 8 now the pup will not sound the same as it did with ceramic

He changed to alnico 5. His original designs used alnico 5 from what I've read. There's some small design changes but the pickup retains it's tone from what everyone that has both has said on the BL forum.

Interesting to read the other forums posts and see that an XL-500 will fit a p-90 slot. How is this possible?

The L-500 pickup is smaller than the soapbar (P-90) pickup, but when the L-500 is installed with it's mounting ring, the gaps will be covered for a finished appearance.

Gibson humbucker = 1.50quot; Width x 2.75quot; Length

Gibson P-90 Soapbar = 1.375quot; Width x 3.375quot; Length

Bill Lawrence L-500 humbucker = 1.350quot; Width x 2.80quot; Length

L-500 with its custom mounting ring = 1.760quot; Width x 3.50quot; Length

Gibson humbucker with mounting ring = 1.760quot; Width x 3.50quot; Length

The Gretsch Filtertron humbucker also fits into the P-90 Soapbar routing though it is shorter in length.

EDIT: I guess I thought it meant it would mount like a regular P-90, I guess you'd still have to drill 4 holes to mount the Bill Lawrence pickup ring which would look weird on a p-90 guitar, plus alter the face of the guitar if there is no pickguard and you wanted to return it back to stock...

This is interesting... I don't believe that the new design would sound as good as a L-500XL with a ceramic magnet... and it still doesn't make sense that they say ceramic magnets are hard to get now? Like JB From Hell said...

Well then if I buy a L-500XL I guess it wouldn't sound the same would it? Even if other people claim it does, the aggresiveness of the ceramic magnet is gone!

The magnet is not the end-all be-all of a pickup. There's lots of other variables involved. Keep in mind who we're dealing with here. Nothing against Seymour at all, he's got great stuff, but Bill practically invented the things and the replacement pickup market.

Metalman_666 from : localhost/p082.ezboard.com/fguitarsbyfe...icID=301.topic

quot;L-500's (hard core, hi Q, blades, 15mm magnetic window). From February 2005: due to the unavailability of the ceramic magnets, a new circuit was designed using alnico V magnets, delivering the same sound.quot;

Is this true? Did they really stop using ceramics and start using alnico? I would think that ceramic magnets would always be more readily available.

I'm not 100% sure on all of the details on this. I think availability here means that due to cost of the Ceramics he was using, he opted to refine the A5 design and go back to using A5 mags.

theodie I dont know all the details behind the change over. Maybe 9Finger will have some info on this matter.

I will one last time, but I'm getting the impression that some people don't like these threads. We'll just leave it at that.

Lake Placid Blues I believe Bill has changed to alnico 8 (not5) and has also changed other aspects of the design in compensation

No, this isn't true. Bill has a new single coil line called the L298 that uses A8 mags. None of his other pickups do.

Metalman_666 This is interesting... I don't believe that the new design would sound as good as a L-500XL with a ceramic magnet... and it still doesn't make sense that they say ceramic magnets are hard to get now? Like JB From Hell said...

Well then if I buy a L-500XL I guess it wouldn't sound the same would it? Even if other people claim it does, the aggresiveness of the ceramic magnet is gone!

You have to keep in mind that Bill doesn't use the a standard PAF(lack of better terminology there) construction method. So the magnet doesn't really play into the tone as much as the PAF variant junkies would like to think. I have both, ceramic and A5. I was probably one of the first to order the new A5 version. FWIW, IMO, The new A5 design sounds the same as the old one w/ an improvement. I think they have better sustain. Probably from less string pull. Other than that there is no audible difference in the tone of the 2.

You also might want to keep in mind that out of 30 or so years the 500 series has been around, Bill only used Ceramic mags in his designs for quot;I thinkquot; 8 years or so.

Once some of you guys finally get over a few of the common myths in this area, you'll realise that numbers are just numbers and tone is just tone.

I just bought a new set and compared to the ones I bought say about a year ago (2004), these have more crisp, clarity, definition, punch and sustain.

Interesting. I may be ordering a set from Bill and Becky.


Originally Posted by Fusion1Interesting. I may be ordering a set from Bill and Becky.

Please do that and send them my regards.
If you want to hear what they sound like:
from : localhost/www.bcrich.kicks-ass.org/L-500.mp3