Bill Lawrence (born Willi Lorenz Stich; March 24, 1931 – November 2, 2013) was a pickup and guitar designer.
[1] Lawrence was born in Wahn in Cologne, Germany and began his musical career in the 1950s as a jazz guitarist, performing under the name Billy Lorento.
As a musician, Lawrence created pickups which he felt best suited his needs and performance style.
He then worked with Framus and became an endorser,[2][3][4][5] including models as the "Billy Lorento" 5/120.
[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 such as the Ripper, Grabber, and G3.