Bill Lawrence BL-3 (Alder Body, Late 1980s)

The BL-3 is fitted with an L-500 pickup at the bridge and L-250 pickups in the middle and neck positions.

The previous owner replaced the original die-cast bridge with a brass unit and swapped the metal knobs for more traditional plastic ones.

With its pickup configuration, the BL-3 is a versatile and appealing guitar, capable of producing a wide range of tones. Yet despite its flexibility, it didn’t sell well at the time.

What went wrong?

In my view, it was simply a case of bad timing. The BL-3 was introduced during the height of the Floyd Rose era, when flashy dive-bombs and wild whammy bar techniques were all the rage. Against the S–S–H Stratocasters equipped with Floyd Rose systems, a guitar like this—with its classic synchronized tremolo—was at a clear disadvantage.

However, in recent years, the traditional synchronized tremolo has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity.

Today, you’d probably find yourself falling in love with this guitar.

Body: Alder
Weight: 3.54 kg (including strings)
(Updated August 18, 2016)