L-500 / OBL-500 / L-900

After 1984, the L-500s would be manufactured and sold by two different parties, Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) and Jzchak 'EZ' Wajcman.

NOTE: For this sites purposes these two parties will be categorized as By Bill Lawrence (WS)This label denotes pickups made by Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich), after 1984, including pickups from OBL Pickups and/or at billlawrence.com and Bill Lawrence Products (EZ)Pickups made by Jzchak Wajcman after 1984. billlawrenceusa.com respectfully, see the Glossary for more details.

Jzchak 'EZ' Wajcman would continue making the L-500s as they were being made at the end of 1983, although without the chrome housing option and later (late `80's early `90's) with the housings filled to the top with epoxy. Mr. Wajcman would also add the "BILL LAWRENCE U.S.A." stamp/print on the top of his pickups in ~2002.

The L-500's have been sold by Mr. Wajcman under other names such as XL500 and L-500RC, see the Glossary for more info on these variants.

In 1986 Bill Lawrence(Willi Lorenz Stich) started making and selling the L-500 and other guitar pickups under his new company name OBL, located in West Germany. These pickups would also feature flat blades although wider and longer. The original L-500s were made with only Gibson guitar string spacing in mind. These new 2.225 inch blades would allow the L-500's to be used effectively in guitars with Fender string spacing as well. Unlike Mr. Wajcman, Mr. Lawrence would continue to offer his pickups with the chrome housing option.

In 1994 Mr. Lawrence would revive previously discontinued L-510R, renamed the L-500C or "clean", filling out the L-500 lineup to four pickups, the L-500C, L-500R, L-500L, and L-500XL.

A variation is also available called the L-900, this is an L-500 in a L-90 package, with the blades covered to look more like an EMG type pickup.  The differences are only(?) cosmetic.

See the Compare and Timeline pages for more details.