Bill Lawrence (guitar maker)

For other uses, see Bill Lawrence (disambiguation).

Bill Lawrence (born Willi Lorenz Stich; March 24, 1931 – November 2, 2013) was a pickup and guitar designer.[1] Lawrence was born in Wahn, Cologne, Germany and began his musical career in the 1950s as a jazz guitarist, performing under the name Billy Lorento. He died in Southern California, United States in 2013.

As a musician, Lawrence created pickups that he felt best suited his needs and performance style, and went on to work with Framus and became an endorser,[2][3][4][5] including such models as the "Billy Lorento" 5/120. He was also an endorser for Fender in Europe.

Moving to the United States, Lawrence designed pickups and assisted in electric guitar design for Fender, Gibson, Peavey and other companies.[6] While at Gibson from 1968-1972, Lawrence helped design the "super-humbucker" pickup and the L6-S.[1] He helped redesign the electronics of the SG[1] and contributed significantly to the S-1 and Marauder, as well as to some bass models, like the Ripper, Grabber and G3.[6]

  1. ^ a b c Carter, Walter (September 1, 2007). The Gibson Electric Guitar Book: Seventy Years of Classic Guitars. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 84–. ISBN 978-0-87930-895-7. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  2. ^ "5/120 Billy Lorento". Framus Vintage Archive. Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  3. ^ "07301 Billy Lorento". Framus Vintage Archive. Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  4. ^ "07302 BL 10". Framus Vintage Archive. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  5. ^ "BL 10 Billy Lorento". Framus Vintage Archive. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Guitar And Pickup Designer Bill Lawrence Passes Away". .gibson.com. November 2, 2013. Archived from the original on September 16, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2013.