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Timeline

This page is changing almost daily as new info comes to my attention. If you see anything that is incorrect and can provide accurate sources, please contact me here.

It is this page where it all starts. As new info falls into place on the timeline, I will try to provide more accurate info on all other pages in this site.

Dates Events
1946
  • 'With the help of an engineer in a tape recorder company' Willi Lorenz Stich, the man who will be eventually known as Bill Lawrence, builds his first magnetic guitar pickup, after not so successful attempts with connecting "a record player cartridge into the
    bridge of my guitar".
50's - 60's
  • Willi Lorenz Stich is a prominent Jazz guitarist in Germany. He lends one of his stage names of the time "Billy Lorento" to a line of guitars, pickups, and strings which he endorsed and designed with Framus, who have since owned the rights to that name.

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1965
  • Jzchak 'EZ' Wajcman and Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) start Lawrence Electro-sound in Germany.

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1968
  • Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) leaves Germany and Lawrence Electro-sound for the USA. Lawrence Electro-sound closes in 1970.
  • Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) helps out with the pickup design on Dan's Ampeg plexiglas guitars. Runs Dan Armstrong's shop. Works with Dan and son Kent, and Larry Dimarzio among others. Dan's shop at that time catered to the who's who of popular music of the day.

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1971
  • Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) works for Gibson, designs guitars (and the pickups for these) such as the S-1, L6-S, and Marauder.(leaves in ~1977?)

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1972
  • Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) designs his first "sidewinder" pickup. A "single action" pickup with two coils mounted facing each other(ie. wound vertically), with poles in between, sounding like a single coil with no hum.

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1975-6 Bill Lawrence Pickups (Classic)
  • Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) starts up Lawrence Sound Research, and opens shop in Donelson, TN.
  • Relocates in mid to late '76 to Nashville, TN.
  • The L-90 is introduced

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1979
  • The L-500 is introduced, with curved 2.150inch long blades, replacing the L-90XL

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1981
  • At the request of Ronnie Montrose, Bill creates a cleaner version of the L-500L and L-500R. These new cleaner L-500's were labeled L-510L and L-510R. To avoid confusion, the L-500 and L-510 lineups are eventually merged, and by the end of '81 the L-500 lineup
    looked like this:

    • the L-500XL (formerly L-500L) with 9.6 Henry
    • the L-500L (formerly L-510L) with 6.9 Henry
    • the L-500R (no change) with 4.8 Henry and (aprox)
      12ohm(?)
    • discontinued: the L-510R with 3.2 Henry and (aprox) 8ohm(?).
      the L-510R would eventually become the L-500C upon its reintroduction in 1994 (below)

    It would seem the L-510 lived and died in 1981. Long live the L-500!!

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1982-83
  • In 1983, or very late in 1982, the "BILL LAWRENCE USA" imprint appears on the plastic housing of the L-500 pickups (and others?)
  • Following the appearance of the "BILL LAWRENCE USA" imprint, the switch is made to thinner flat blades (2.150inches) and ceramic magnets.

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1984
  • It is at his point for the purpose of identifying pickups on this site that the Bill Lawrence Pickups (Classic) era ends as Lawrence Sound Research no longer exists.
  • This period is a great area of debate, please contact me if you have specific information to add or to clarify. The order of these events are currently under scrutiny.

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By Bill Lawrence (WS)

  • Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) leaves for Germany, eventually starting OBL Pickups (1986).

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  • Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) begins using thicker and wider blades blades (still flat) on his pickups. Original pickups were made precisely for Gibson string spacing, while these could be used for Gibson or Fender style guitars. (2.225inches)

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Bill Lawrence Products (EZ)

  • Jzchak 'EZ' Wajcman continues and/or starts production without Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) using the tradename "Bill Lawrence".
  • Continues to use and sell pickups with the thinner flat blades (2.150inches) used at the tail end of the Bill Lawrence Pickups (Classic) era, although without the chrome housing option.
1987
  • Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) returns from Germany to help Gibson return to glory.

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1989
  • Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) parts with Gibson, leaving behind a licensing deal for the OBL name and/or pickup designs. Bill contests that the pickups sold by Gibson and/or Epiphone using the OBL name as per this arrangement do not meet his standards and/or are not of his design.

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  • It is around this point that pickups made by Mr. Wajcman switch to a 'filled to the top with epoxy' design, no longer feature two screws on the bottom (late '80's early 90's).

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1994
  • Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) re-introduces the L-510R, which, to fall in line with the 1981 renaming, was dubbed the L-500C.

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1995
  • Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) begins working with/for Fender on noiseless pickup designs for bass and/or guitar.

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2002
  • In an effort to help clear up the confusion between "bill lawrence" pickups and the new Dimebucker by Seymour Duncan, Mr. Wajcman begins using the "Bill Lawrence U.S.A." stamp on the tops of his pickups. (2000-2003?)

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2003
  • Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) and company moves from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to Corona, California.

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2004
  • Fender releases their "SCN" pickups, designed to be true to strat sound with no hum/noise, designed by Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich).

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Present
  • Both Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) and Jzchak 'EZ' Wajcman continue to produce pickups separately using the name Bill Lawrence in either reference or as the product and/or company name.
  • The trade name Bill Lawrence is still under dispute.(?still? see update below...)

UPDATE May 26 2008: Currently Jzchak 'EZ' Wajcman is producing pickups using the trade mark "Bill Lawrence" and Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) is producing pickups with wife Becky under the names Wilde and Keystone, which carry the tag "designs by Bill Lawrence"
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This timeline was created in an attempt to help shed light on the "when", "where", and "who" in trying to identify a Bill Lawrence pickups. I've also included some accomplishments of Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) to cover the "why".

My goal is to keep the statements here undisputable, and I will continue to update this page with that in mind. Unfortunately, some of the sources of information are contradictory, I've tried to mark such statements with a (?) showing that they may not be confirmed.

Timeline Sources:

sources include the links found here and email responses to inquiries placed to both billlawrence.com and billlawrenceusa, among many others.

    Sources updated March 2nd 2007

  • billlawrenceusa.com/
  • billlawrenceusa.com/swampkaster/history.htm
  • billlawrence.com/Pages/BL_Gibsonarticle.htm
  • billlawrence.com/Pages/About_Bill/BL_obl.htm
  • billlawrence.com/Pages/About_Bill/Win.htm
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Lawrence_(guitar_maker)
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_Marauder
  • gibson.com/allaccessfeatures.aspx?aliaspath=/AllAccess/Know%20Your%20Gibson_%20Marauder%20and
  • gibson.com/allaccessfeatures.aspx?aliaspath=/AllAccess/Know%20Your%20Gibson_%20The%20L-6S
  • vintageguitar.com/brands/details.asp?ID=52
  • kentarmstrong.com/KentPage2.html
  • neelyguitars.com/Bio.html

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