Bill Lawrence Q-Filter

Passive LCR network, apparently an inductor ~1 Henry with a small resistor and cap

I have it in a Warmoth Musiclander body and 3 Bill Lawrence strat pickups: the 298 bridge, 200 mid, 280 neck wired on a master volume, master Q-filter. The pickups were pretty nice overll but I had mixed feelings about the way each one was eq'd. The q-filter helps alot

So at first the q-filter did not seem to do much. I play mostly clean, getting my dirt from a SIB Varidrive and Hermida Grinder. Blues-based mostly into 2 modified all tube amps. I initially tried to wire the q-filter outside of the guitar, using jacks and then have it kind of like a pedal for use with all my guitars. I doulsn't hear much effect. And with my Allen, the effect is still subtle. Now I knew the q-filter is supposed to work best with high output pickups, and it is indeed meant to go well with the 298 at the bridge. So here's where it gets interesting: gain. You really hear the shift when the gain is turned up, and my 2nd amp is a baby plexi kind of thing with alot more mids than the Allen. It brings out the way the q-filter rolls off the "fullness" and slightly reduces the output making the pickup sound like a lower impedance model. Which is great because I felt the pickups were a little too thick. The q-filter allows me to have the fuller tone of the 280 (great for jazz & blues) roll down to a much more single coil-like sound ala 50's strat. The 200 already sounded pretty stratty but the 298 does not. It's like a hot single coil and the q-filter helps here too making it come in line better for what you expect to hear from a strat.

I was initially disapointed by the q-filter, it was very subtle through one amp, but much more evident in the marshally one. Now I'm keeping it right where it is. The effect is there and gives the impression of having a different set of pickups ni the same axe. Not super dramatic but it helps make for a more versatile instrument. Alot of people say that but I feel its really true here. So if you have a q-filter and thought it doesn't have a big effect play through a few different amps and settings. It does what it's designed to do (also more notivceable at high volume).

Pickup features: N/A
Impedence or other specs: N/A

Model of guitar or bass: Nelsonic Deco
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: N/A
Other pickups on guitar: Nelsonic Filtertron Copy (Neck) & GFS Vintage Split (Bridge)
Artists using this pickup: ??
You musical style(s): Varies
Reason for pickup change: N/A

Perceived output level: N/A
Tone: N/A
Sonic evaluation: This is definitely an item that requires some experimentation as to which capacitors and pots to use with it. Supposedly, it gives the most tonal variation when used with pickups that have relatively high resistance like the Lawrence L-500, or Duncan JB or Distortion.
When I first picked up a Q-Filter, I installed it according to the instructions and was relatively unimpressed with the sound. I then removed it and it sat in a drawer for about a year. I decided I owuld give it another try when I bought a Nelsonic Deco earlier this year, and am glad I gave it another listen, and experimented with it a bit. After trying different capacitors with it, I came to the conclusion that the Q-filter works best with whatever cap is your favorite in the guitar (I liked the .022). I left-out the resistor that was included, and it didn't seem to affect the sound much. In a nutshell, the Q-filter substitutes the normal "tone-control fully counter-clockwise" (useless) sound for a sound that retains some of the highs and has a sort-of acoustic quality, that I think most players would find much more useful.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play many kinds of music and would imagine that this is a cool option for any kind of playing.

Comments: After a lot of experimentation, I really like the Q-filter, and will probably pick one up for my other guitar. It does a passable job of emulating an acoustic. Although it can't compete with a real piezo pickup or BOSS acoustic pedal, or anything specifically suited to that purpose, it has a character all it's own, and is infinitely better (to me) than the standard guitar tone control. However, it will require some experimentation with capacitors to figure-out which will give the sound that you're after with your specific instrument and pickups.

Pickup features:
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass:
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level:
Tone:
Sonic evaluation: Bill Lawrence is a jazz guitarist, inventor, and engineer who did important work on pickups for Gibson and invented the silent single-pole pickup. He recently moved to Corona, California, where he and his family hand make pickups and he works as a consultant for Fender at its Corona factory. Check out his web site. The prices are very reasable and the service is personal. (When I needed pickups, I talked with Bill on the phone, told him my guitars and the sound I wanted from them, and he provided it. But be patient. They have a backlog of orders, and it may take a couple months.)
Anyway, what about the Q-Filter? The Q-Filter looks sort of like part of a single-pole pickup wrapped in electrical tape (and hand signed by Bill). It's a little smaller than a 9 volt battery and weighs about that much. It comes with a photocopy of a wiring diagram hand drawn by Bill, or if your wiring is different, you can call him and he'll tell you what to do. Essentially, the Q-Filter has two wires sticking out of it, and it also comes with a couple little electrical parts, a resistor and a capacitor. These are all soldered to one of the tone pots on your guitar. I've put one on my Telecaster and one on my son's Strat.
What the Q-Filter does is make your electric pickups sound sort of acoustic. You can look on Bill's web site to find out why. In any case, it really does work. Does the Q-Filter make a Telecaster sound like a new Taylor? No, of course not. But it makes it sound like an acoustic guitar with a not very good piezo pickup, and that's a big accomplishment. You access the Q-Filter by turning down the tone knob, so you can mix the level of electric to acoustic sound very effectively. On my Tele with a three-position switch, the acoustic sound varies significantly in each position, and that is really nice. There are times when the straight, clean Tele twang is just too much in a band, especially when one is playing chords between solos, or playing a more acoustic sort of song. Turn the knob and you have a much better sound. This really does work magnificently. I have a Godin Multiac Jazz with the superb RMC synth pickup. That's better than the Q-Filter, of course, but the pickups and controls cost $600. I've put Baggs individual piezo pickups and its X-Control to blend piezo and magnetic pickups into a Les Paul. That took about four hours of work and meant drilling holes into the guitar. It sounds a little more like an acoustic guitar than the Q-Filter, but not much. And of course this complete Baggs setup costs around $300. Soldering in the Q-Filter, once you have access to the tone pot, takes only a few minutes if you have the tools and know what you are doing, and you probably won't need to make any changes to the wood. (I tape the Q-Filter to either the guitar body or to the pickguard, depending on the guitar, with masking tape.)
Probably you should think of the Q-Filter less as trying to make your guitar sound like a Taylor than as making your solid body electric sound like a hollow-body jazz guitar whenever you want, blending in just the amount the acoustic overtones you want. At that it is extremely effective. It's fun to use a Tele as a jazz guitar. With the Q-Filter blended in, it's great for comping chords--not something a Tele is usually much good for.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: Amazing little device. EVERY FENDER GUITAR should come from the factory with one. It makes the guitar MUCH more versatile, and who uses the guitars with the treble turned down, anyway? Much better to put those tone controls to good use.