Profile of Bill Lawrence on Famous Like Me

Bill Lawrence is an electric guitar pickup designer and maker in the musical instrument industry. His birth name is Willi Lorenz Stich which was anglicized to Bill Lawrence, which he claims he has used since 1962, though ex-partner Wajcman claims this professional name Bill Lawrence was not used until 1965, claiming co-authorship of the name. He had also used the name Billy Lorento as a stage name at times, but had at least settled on Bill Lawrence as his professional name, under which he has published and performed music, and been known in the music industry continuously for at least 40 years. Bill Lawrence also designed pickups and guitars for Fender, Gibson, Peavey and other guitar companies from the early 1970s to the present. He was also the guitar tech for the band Aerosmith for a time.

He and ex-partner Jzchak Wajcman manufactured pickups under the brand name of Lawrence Elektro Sound from 1965-1970 selling directly to manufacturers. In the mid 1970s, Willi L. Stich started selling replacement pickups directly to professional guitarists, Willi Stich did not use the "BILL LAWRENCE name in commerce before May 1976 then in 1976 he started Lawrence Sound Research, the first company to sell replacement pickups in the US. Wajcman joined this company in 1982.

Jzchak Wajcman claims that they co-owned the name "Bill Lawrence" as a tradename equally in 1982, and then he acquired the sole title to the name at the LSR bankruptcy in 1985. Bill Lawrence denies this and the matter over ownership is currently being argued in court. Currently, Bill Lawrence owns a service mark over his name that is still in effect, but could be cancelled if he lost the patent case below.

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