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 buffalono |
L-90 Options and Characteristics ? |
Lead | ||
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Posts: 4 Wed, Jun 24, 2009 16:44:17 |
Hi, I've been seaching for some info on this pickup on the board and could use some help in comparing it to other of Bill and Becky's offerings.
I'm also curious about the coil splitting option, how does it sound in single coil mode?
This is related to my post on the 72 thinline that I would like to change pickups on. Thanks in advance for the info. |
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buffalono |
#1 | |||
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Posts: 5 Wed, Jun 24, 2009 18:52:17 |
After a bit of web searching I found the BillLawrenceReview site and saw that the L-90 is an vintage pickup. Is it not in production and is the L-500 series a
replacement for it?
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supaindustries |
#2 | |||
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Posts: 18 Wed, Jun 24, 2009 19:09:54 |
Bill reissued the l-90 (last I checked it was still available). It was, as far as I know, the predecessor to the 500. Hopefully someone who has personal
experience with both will chime in describing their tonal differences?
I've also considered putting a pair of l-90s in a tele deluxe build, so I'm particularly interested in how you like them (if you get them).
-Tom
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gatguy |
#3 | |||
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Posts: 442 Thu, Jun 25, 2009 00:53:24 Contributing Silver Member |
I think that the L500 was originally the replacement for the L90. I remember reading somewhere that the look of the L90 was too unusual for many guitarists
back in the day - the L500 has two obvious coils, like most humbuckers.
From my experiences with both, I'd say that they have many similarities which include wide frequency response, high output, great clean and distorted voices, and great sensivity to technique (dynamics). Where they differ most, in my opinion, is in the frequency response curve. The L500 sounds totally balanced across the wide spectrum from lows to highs. The L90 seems to have a bit more mids (upper mids?) and this can end up sounding like it has a bit more "clarity" when clean and a bit more "cut" and "crunch" when distorted. I think of it as leaning a bit towards a hot P90 sound. This may be where the idea that it sounds "vintage" comes from. Some people have also said that the L90 has a bit more bottom end compared to the L500 but to be sure, one would have to compare pickups of the same inductance. I think the L90 standard set is 4H and 6H, whereas you can get the L500s in 4 inductances which go both cooler and hotter than the L90 range. Both L90s and L500s are available from Bill&Becky. I hope that helps. |
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hopdybob |
#4 | |||
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Posts: 547 Thu, Jun 25, 2009 06:34:41 Bronze Member |
i agree with gatguy.
concerning the coils split, i would chose the parallel option because it keeps you noiseless. together with a q filter it is getting even better |
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gonzo |
#5 | |||
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Posts: 171 Thu, Jun 25, 2009 15:13:47 Bronze Member |
this is my setup...
the 500L with a q filter. it really works well for me. i haven't even bothered with my typical high pass on the master volume, because the clarity is still there when you ramp down the volume. but i'd love to a/b the L90 directly against my standard inductance 500L |
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buffalono |
#6 | |||
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Posts: 6 Thu, Jun 25, 2009 16:43:09 |
I called Becky yesterday and had a pleasant conversation about pick-up choices and tone. She sent greetings to everyone here. For my thinline I'm going to
try the L-610 FN 3.6mh and L-90 6mh since my goal is a midrangy Tab Benoit growl (I stand corrected Boris LOL). Gonna place my order today and will let
y'all know how it all turns out. Any wiring and pot / cap value suggestions would be welcome. My pick guard is set up for 4 pots and would like to know if
I should go with separate tone controls or use a q filter and a tone control or something different. Also I need to look up some of the posts about series /
parallel wiring to see what Thanks for all the help! FYI if you don't get through on the phone to them keep trying, this was my 3 or 4th call but they
really want to hear from the customers and help us make a good decision.
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hopdybob |
#7 | |||
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Posts: 548 Thu, Jun 25, 2009 18:05:30 Bronze Member |
somehow i like it simple.
so my last build was a old l200 single blade that was paired with a new l90 8H master volume, lespaul like toggle three way switch , serie /parallel switch for the l90 and a master q filter. works great. 
my other guitar is a strat style cort with a l500Xl with serie /parallel switch. with the normal 5 way switch a extra mini switch for adding the bridge pup with the neckpup. the tonepot is a pushpull with normal q filter function and normal tone function. and i only can say i always use the q filter setting 
this is the guitar, only change is that now it is a l500xl l200 l280 config |
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buffalono |
#8 | |||
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Posts: 7 Mon, Jun 29, 2009 14:47:14 |
Wow, that is a cool finish on the first axe, nice headstock too. Do you get a wide variety of tones using the Q filter with the L-90 8H?
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hopdybob |
#9 | |||
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Posts: 549 Mon, Jun 29, 2009 16:57:14 Bronze Member |
thank you for the compliment, this is the headstock in detail with a closeup on the pickups
 
about the wide variety of tones. it is the combination with the serie parallel switch option that gives such beauty combinations. think about the l90 in serie, q filter working 100% and you get a in clean mode a soft tone, do this in high gain you get a (i thin you cal it this way) nasal tone, switch to parallel and you have a complete different brighter tone. wen you combine the other pickups you get more variety. this little device is i think a must have and i never used a tonepot, but i am always working with the q filter |
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fuzzy beard |
#10 | |||
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Posts: 1888 Tue, Jun 30, 2009 12:10:09 Contrib. Gold Charter Member
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The front really looks like a nebula
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Boris Bubbanov |
#11 | |||
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Posts: 180 Tue, Jun 30, 2009 18:09:24 |
The "Galaxy Top" looks great, Hopdybob!
I like the little pickup surround on the neck pickup. Very sweet. |
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hopdybob |
#12 | |||
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Posts: 551 Wed, Jul 1, 2009 05:46:06 Bronze Member |
thank you both for the compliment, the plastic coat from rustins is doing a great job with this top.
the pickup surround is made of acrylic glass of a special kind. i don't know the english word for it, but if you see those shop signs on buildings etc that have light a night. that's the material. |
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