L-500 / OBL-500 / L-900

Unlike the L-90, the up and down strokes on a L-500 equipped instrument is known to produce a slightly different sound (on the low and high E strings), whereas the up and down strokes with the L-90s tone are consistent.

Unlike the L-90, the coils of the L-500 were very close, like typical humbucking pickups and featured chrome housings. Originally featuring two 2.150 inch long, curved blades.

The L-500 line would grow in 1981 with the creation and annexing of the cleaner sounding L-510L pickup. Some renaming ensued and by the end of 1981 the hot original L-500L was renamed the L-500XL, with the cleaner L-510L becoming the new L-500L. The L-500R did not change in name or design and the L-510R was dropped for the time being.

In 1983 the "BILL LAWRENCE USA-Imprint" imprint was added to the bottom of the pickup housings, and later that year, the blades where changed to be thinner and flat, flush with the top of the pickup.