Bill Lawrence, the man, the myth, and the legend?

Jeffrey Shu · From: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

I've spent my morning reading about BL 705s/710s as well as what I could about Mr. Lawrence, the man. A friend, Juan Perez, a drummer who toured with the Bellamy Brothers for several years (and knew so many steel players including Dannie Jones and Buddy Cage), told a few stories of hanging with Lawrence in Nashville. Described him as brilliant and odd Smile

. Apparently, Lawrence was an excellent 6-string guitarist - ripped through the American songbook on numerous occasions in after-show hotel room gatherings.

I launched my reading hoping to find out why the chrome-wrapped 705s are much-desired, and why Lawrence or Wilde haven't continued the line. Anyone on the forum willing to offer their $.02?

And did anyone else meet Lawrence? His online bio mentioned an ill-conceived attempt to rocket-power his bicycle in his youth in Germany that ended his violin career, but got him into guitars. If that's true, the legend may not be myth!
_________________
the bo-stevens (honky tonk/old country) & Tupelo Crush (Americana/rock)
'94 Marlen D-10 w/ BL 705s, '74 Fender TRSF/JBL d120s.

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Met him a time or two at namm shows. One time I bought every pickup he bought to the show. I used to call him on the phone for tech stuff and he would play the guitar over the phone. Quite the character. I use his pickups in several of my underarm guitars. He was a pickup guru for sure.

Justin Wierenga · From: Michigan, USA

I don't have any of his steel pickups, but I have an original Lawrence Sound Research L-90 with the larger curved blades, and it sounds glorious in my '73 SG. Spank and clarity like a tele but with the girth of a humbucker.

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

Yes, I knew him. Paul Franklin Senior hooked me up with him. He knew a lot about electronics, but even more about magnetics. He was more than odd, he was different.

Larry Dering · From: Missouri, USA

Met him in St Louis at the international steel guitar convention. He was playing classical music on electric guitar. Spoke to him a while and was quickly overwhelmed with technical information. Nice guy and quite a character.

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

His favorite subject was eddy currents in magnetic fields.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

I talked to him a few times - NAMM and one guitar show. I didn't find him particularly eccentric or abstruse, but I'm an electrical engineer by training and temperament. He simply spoke in fairly standard technical terms that most people don't understand. And why should they? People have to study this stuff for years and years to really understand the field.

He definitely was a fine guitar player. One time when I approached, he was just playing at his booth. But he was always very happy to talk technical, and I found him very gracious.

I did ask him why he bailed on the 705. I think he just felt that his more recent designs were better sounding pickups for pedal steel. I mean, he was very much into the technical, but I think he really was guided by what sounded good to his ears. To me, that's the difference between a creative designer and a pure technical engineer.

I can tell you that I really like and frequently use his pickups. I always bought a few if he had any at the table.

Jeffrey Shu · From: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

Thanks to all for sharing some stories. Building oral histories of yesteryear is yet another amazing feature of this forum. I loved the sound of my first Marlen, which had a 705, and even more so my first D10 with chrome 705s. I continue to benefit from his legacy.

I also thought it interesting from his online bio that DiMarzio apprenticed with Lawrence early on.

If other stories are out there, I'd love to hear them. And fair point, Mr. Mudgett. We all speak the language of our craft, but some are easier to understand. I just looked up eddy currents in magnetic fields - expanding my language Smile

.
_________________
the bo-stevens (honky tonk/old country) & Tupelo Crush (Americana/rock)
'94 Marlen D-10 w/ BL 705s, '74 Fender TRSF/JBL d120s.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

I can't remember why I was on the phone with him but I do remember that if I had put the phone down and cleaned my bathtub grout and come back in 20 minutes, his monologue about henries and such would have still been going strong. I made a point of telling him that I was not versed in the subjects of impedance, inductance or....anything he was saying and that I was NOT following him and didn't really need to know it. It had no effect. I believe that he heard that a lot and it rolled off him.

I like his pickups.

He strongly recommended that I pick up a Radio Shack piezo tweeter to add to my rig. I did it.....how can you ignore something so specific? It sounded absolutely awful. It was a lesson to myself that it doesn't matter who says what, I should trust my own ears.

The man made a mark.

Cartwright Thompson · Posted 28 Jul 2022 10:59 am

Willi Lorenz Stich!

Jeffrey Shu · From: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

Wow, Cartwright! A 1968 45 from Germany? That's a deep cut. Thanks for posting. What are the odds it's streamable....

Found it on Spotify! A wah-pedal fan to boot.
_________________
the bo-stevens (honky tonk/old country) & Tupelo Crush (Americana/rock)
'94 Marlen D-10 w/ BL 705s, '74 Fender TRSF/JBL d120s.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=380005&highlight=lorenz

Here's some info I posted in Apr. Perhaps there's something informative there.

Jeffrey Shu · From: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

Thanks, Jerry. I found a couple bios online when searching, but nothing beats the first-hand reports.
_________________
the bo-stevens (honky tonk/old country) & Tupelo Crush (Americana/rock)
'94 Marlen D-10 w/ BL 705s, '74 Fender TRSF/JBL d120s.

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