KV Pro pickup question - legit L500XL?

[adoxtater]

Hey guys I have a question that I've always meant to ask the experts but always seem to forget. Anyway, I've owned a Mustaine signature King V Pro for about 12 years and still have the stock pickups in it (Jackson J80/bridge, Lawrence L500XL/neck). I really LOVE the bridge pickup tone on this one so I wanted to keep it stock, but the neck pickup really doesn't seem to do much for me.

I've always heard the Bill Lawrence L500XL was a great pickup, but this doesn't seem so great to me. I did some reading and found there are TWO types of Lawrence pickups: the Bill/Becky version, and the Lawrence USA version. You guys are probably familiar with the story so I won't go into it here, BUT I am curious which version I have in my KV Pro. Does anyone know?

That being said, I've seen these on eBay for $50 each. I'd buy one to swap out but don't wanna grab the same damn thing I have already That also seems cheap for such a highly regarded pickup, but who knows.

Thanks in advance for any info you might have!

[straycat]

The ones with the Bill Lawrence USA logo on top are made by Jczhak Wajcman at www.Swampkaster.com.
These tend to be a bright pick up.12-13 k
The Bill and Becky ones don't have a logo on top AFAIK.
B&B's are nice and smooth sounding IMO.
My guess the DM had a B&B.

[Newc]

Given it was paired with a Jackson pickup, and being the Pro version, I doubt it was the USA version, or at least during the no-affiliation-with-Bill years.

[DonP]

Jackson used Bill Lawrence USA pickups in the mid-1990s. I have these in my 1995 RR1. They sound great to me, no need to change.

[jkkkjkhk]

Easiest way to tell is the rails. B&B have pretty wide rails that sit flush with the top of the pup. BLUSA's have almost like a wire rail so it's slightly rounded. You can check the bottom as well, it should tell you. I have quite a few B&B L500's (500R, 500L, and 500XL's) and I love them. Never tried a BLUSA but from people I know with both you'd never know the difference. Side by side there may be a slight difference but without a comparison no one would know. I own B&B's just because I've dealt with them before and have nothing but good things to say, so I just keep going back.

[Newc]

Someone on the DUncan forum noted that the rails on Dave's pickups were high enough above the coil he used them as extra frets, but the B&Bs didn't have rails that high.

[jkkkjkhk]

Neither the B&B's or BLUSA have high rails, both are pretty flush. The old 80s ones had arched rails. I don't remember what was different for each back then, but I do know for Dimebag at least he in fact used both. He used the B&B's when he first started. His Dean From Hell had a L500L and L500R in it as well as all his other Deans. Then around 92 or so he started buying L500XL's from stewmac which were BLUSA's. All his washburns had those and so did his Dean From Hell after he switched from the L500L. So Cowboys From Hell and possibly Vulgar are B&B's while all the rest are BLUSA's. Also the whole myth about flipping the pup is BS. There was one model in the 80s that had a polarity so flipping made a difference but all the new ones (since early 90s) make no difference.

[adoxtater]

Thanks for all the info! I may just go ahead and grab one of those pickups to see how it sounds. For $50 it's not that big of a deal if they suck lol

Thanks again!

[Axewielder]

I'd throw a J50N in there and be done with it.

[jkkkjkhk]

Thanks for all the info! I may just go ahead and grab one of those pickups to see how it sounds. For $50 it's not that big of a deal if they suck lol

Thanks again!

I wouldn't buy one off ebay, there's some fakes out there. You can buy them direct from both of their websites and that way there's no middle man. If you're looking for a neck pup you could look at the L500R and L500C both from B&B. The R is matched for the 500L and 500XL, while the C is cleaner and much lower output. Never tried the C but B&B suggested the R to me so that's what I bought. BLUSA also makes the 500R but not the 500C.

[VitaminG]

I'd throw a J50N in there and be done with it.

good combo. I have a J80/J50 pairing stock in a Fusion Plus. Keep toying with swapping them out but can't bring myself to.

[adoxtater]

I'd throw a J50N in there and be done with it.

What type of character do they have? Not sure I've ever tried one or those, but I've gotta say most of the Jackson pickups I've tried, I've really liked!