Pickup Shootout-59, EVH Frank, DSD, CC.

[MrBeasty]

I'd like to hear someone try out a Bill Lawrence L500XL or L90XL. Seriously. I've been rocking the L90XL for a while now and I tried the DSD after reading about it on this forum. The DSD stayed in my strat for 15 minutes. I couldn't wait for the soldering iron to heat up so I could put the BL back in. The BL has just as much output, maybe a bit more, but is much more open sounding.

SE, where do you get your Lawrences and how did you pick that one?

I have a Wylde USA L500XL in one of my guitars and it is NOT an EVH sounding pick-up at all. It is great for a metal tone but you could not be further away from EVH. It is a very bright pick-up, harmonics are jumping at you in an incredible way (it is a bit too much actually) you get an extremely solid and consistant heavy distortion with it ... out of almost any amp. It is the Nuno Bettencourt and Dimebag Darrell pick-up. I think Nuno's sound is a good representation of what the L500XL does.

The DSD is more natural/organic sounding, it is less extreme (even if is no PAF either). While still very hot, it has far less output than the L500XL and perhaps has a bit more bass (or less highs).

Overall, they are hard to compare because they are two completely different animals. We can compare a Duncan '59 or any PAF-based pick-up to a DSD; the L500XL is nowhere near any of these pick-ups. It is from a different family tree.

Wylde USA sells direct online ($60); Bill Lawrence is on eBay.
http://wildepickups.com

[SteadyEddie]

The L90 series is a bit different than the L500. More complex mids, more warmth.

[Rich_D]

The 500XL pickups are tricky because there are 2 versions. Bill Lawrence still makes one but he can't put his name on it. The Bill Lawrence company makes one that they swear is using the same materials as the one Bill made for Nuno, but I don't like the one in my padauk Davies 2.0. I think maybe it's an ultra dark sounding wood though, and not a really good match for the pickup. It does that instant harmonic thing on high notes which is pretty sweet but it's very muddy and dark down low.

[Marshall SL12301]

The 500XL pickups are tricky because there are 2 versions. Bill Lawrence still makes one but he can't put his name on it. The Bill Lawrence company makes one that they swear is using the same materials as the one Bill made for Nuno, but I don't like the one in my padauk Davies 2.0. I think maybe it's an ultra dark sounding wood though, and not a really good match for the pickup. It does that instant harmonic thing on high notes which is pretty sweet but it's very muddy and dark down low.

for me the ones with the logo lawrence USA are brighter thinner than the bill and becky pu's. these are easy to distinguish,the blades are fatter on the bill and becky ones

[Tone Slinger]

I went back and listened to this clip again (first page). I think it OBVIOUS, that regardless of the guitars wood type, certain guitars just sound good. Like the Basswood strat used for the Duncan 'Custom Custom' clips, is probably gonna sound better than the others, regardless of which pu is in it. That is pretty odd, because ALOT of basswood guitars consistantly DO NOT have a good early EVH tone.

Hey, I like my Duncan 'CC' too, but it, nor any other pu is gonna cure a 'Bad' sounding guitar.

Again, thought the Custom Custom clips won out here (Sounded REAL good !). I would like to hear clips of this particular guitar a/bing the afforementioned pu's ('59, Duncan 'Frankenstein', DSD, Duncan 'CC').

[Marshall SL12301]

I went back and listened to this clip again (first page). I think it OBVIOUS, that regardless of the guitars wood type, certain guitars just sound good. Like the Basswood strat used for the Duncan 'Custom Custom' clips, is probably gonna sound better than the others, regardless of which pu is in it. That is pretty odd, because ALOT of basswood guitars consistantly DO NOT have a good early EVH tone.

Hey, I like my Duncan 'CC' too, but it, nor any other pu is gonna cure a 'Bad' sounding guitar.

Again, thought the Custom Custom clips won out here (Sounded REAL good !). I would like to hear clips of this particular guitar a/bing the afforementioned pu's ('59, Duncan 'Frankenstein', DSD, Duncan 'CC').

I totally agree about the duncan CC in this clip and i love it in my alder charvel also,i had the EVH,78,59,DSD and a few other booteek VH pu's and the CC won for overall tone and warmth in this one guitar.I actually dont care for the DSD regardless IF eddie used it or not it doesnt work for me and that is much more important that robbing his tone

[Tone Slinger]

Man I totally agree. I 'subjectively' listened to my DSD in my two main guitars, and did find a 'VH1' type thing going on to a degree, BUT, like you said, it (DSD) was pretty much handed its walking papers in favor of the 'CC'. I still think (I'm 50/50 on it now) that a 'MM' DSD clone was a serious candidate for VH1, but It doesnt work for me. By that time (Sept. '77) there were probably at least 3 valid choices around,

1) stock Gibson paf ( this would include the super 70, etc,) 42 awg wound to high 7k to low 8k. A2, A5, A8, even ceramic as possibilities.

2) a 43 awg wind to around 14k. This would include DSD, MM , Duncan Custom, etc. I'm partial to this spec for early EVH. I like it best with an A2, with ceramic and A5 coming in second and third.

3) A awg 44 wound to around 16k. This is the Duncan 'JB' wind. Here again, I like it with an A2 (strat78 got some great tone). The A5 (stock JB) is great, as is the ceramic ('Distortion')

If I'm not mistaken, all those combinations would have been available to Ed, via Seymour Duncan.

Conjecture is so addictive !

[Marshall SL12301]

TS you could not be more correct bro! it all comes down to what work for you and not what everyone is using for the tone not even ED himself.
I honestly do not care for the DSD or MM 1300 for the early VH tone but the CC,EVH,custom wound asylum and even the duncan distortion lite get me there no prob

[ct88]

hey guys, old thread to bump!

Are u sure that the height of the pickups from the strings was the same on every guitars?? that's a very important parameter to the sound.. Also it's said that the CC should be very similar to EVH on sheet, but is not on the audio recording :\

ct

[rgorke]

hey guys, old thread to bump!

Are u sure that the height of the pickups from the strings was the same on every guitars?? that's a very important parameter to the sound.. Also it's said that the CC should be very similar to EVH on sheet, but is not on the audio recording :\

ct

absolutely not! Height to strings makes a huge difference on my guitars, especially the DSD and MM.

[Tone Slinger]

ct88, if I'm not mistaken, Thorny had each pu in a guitar. In other words he used 4 different guitars. It is my belief that the guitar he used, which had the 'Custom Custom' in it was simply the better sounding guitar of the bunch, regardless of which pu he used in it.

[ct88]

Yeah different guitars surely influence the sound, plus another factor that to me is a key, the tollerance of the pots! All pots (ex the cts that has 10%+/- if i remember corrrectly) has 20% +/-, thats a lot! On 500k, is like 100k, so u have the values goin' from 400k to 600k
Dont know how tollerance was in the late 70, but all factory process in electronic and elettromeccanic production is for sure a lot more accurate (probably was 25% there u have a 375k :))

just my 0.2 cents

Ct