Willie Weeks model - reverse P?

[EscapeNote]

I've recently been rediscovering one of the bassists that was most inspiring to me when I was starting out: Willie Weeks.  His playing on Donny Hathaway Live is, and will aways be, on my top ten list.  I understand that he played a 62 P Bass on that recording. Every picture and video of him that I've seen shows him playing P basses with standard P Bass pickup, yet I understand that the Sadowsky "Willie Weeks" model has reversed P pickup.  I'm curious to know how that came about and what direction I might search in to find recordings or performances of Mr Weeks playing the Sadowsky bass. 

I'd also be very interested in hearing Roger's thoughts regarding the reverse P configuration.  I myself have a more modern P/J, modded with Duncan Quarter Pounder P (standard configuration), Bartolini soapbar at the bridge and Aguilar preamp and I have to say that, although I still really love the bass "unplugged" - very nice dynamic response and resonance - I'm not really sold on the pickup/preamp combination.  Have been thinking a Sadowsky preamp/pickup might be a better way to go...

[IntenseJim]

The reverse P pickup, I believe, was the brainchild of Ken Fallon (former Sadowsky employee) and Roger Sadowsky.

It give more pop on the G string when you have both pickups 'on'.

[Fran Diaz]

The Sadowsky PJ pickup set is awesome. Great balance all the way from the soled bridge pickup to the soloed P.
The preamp reputation is well-known in the music industry.

You can't go wrong with these electronics.


By the way, I'm also a big WW's fan.

I've recently been rediscovering one of the bassists that was most inspiring to me when I was starting out: Willie Weeks.  His playing on Donny Hathaway Live is, and will aways be, on my top ten list.  I understand that he played a 62 P Bass on that recording. Every picture and video of him that I've seen shows him playing P basses with standard P Bass pickup, yet I understand that the Sadowsky "Willie Weeks" model has reversed P pickup.  I'm curious to know how that came about and what direction I might search in to find recordings or performances of Mr Weeks playing the Sadowsky bass. 

I'd also be very interested in hearing Roger's thoughts regarding the reverse P configuration.  I myself have a more modern P/J, modded with Duncan Quarter Pounder P (standard configuration), Bartolini soapbar at the bridge and Aguilar preamp and I have to say that, although I still really love the bass "unplugged" - very nice dynamic response and resonance - I'm not really sold on the pickup/preamp combination.  Have been thinking a Sadowsky preamp/pickup might be a better way to go...

[Sadowsky]

It give more pop on the G string when you have both pickups 'on'.

Aside from a 4 string I made on spec for Lee Sklar, I never made (that I remember) a 4 string with a reverse P.  We tried the reverse P on the 5 string with the idea that it might provide for a tighter B.  But after the fact, I realized that this also placed the treble coil in the same location as a neck position J-bass pickup, resulting in a more familiar tone when popping the G string.

Roger

[EscapeNote]

We tried the reverse P on the 5 string with the idea that it might provide for a tighter B.  But after the fact, I realized that this also placed the treble coil in the same location as a neck position J-bass pickup, resulting in a more familiar tone when popping the G string.

This intrigues me.  I do find the tone between the 2 coils of my P pickup to be noticeably different and sometimes it bugs me - the D and G string being significantly brighter than the E and A string.  I've not yet found a pickup height adjustment that will balance it out. I can of course compensate to a degree by right hand placement, but it's not always practical to do so.

I'm wondering if the tonal difference between the 2 coils might be exaggerated, more pronounced, with a hotter pickup (like a Duncan QP)?  Is it reasonable to think that a more "vintage" P Pickup will have a better balance in this regard?

And if the treble coil is switched over to the other side, does it help smooth out that tonal difference somewhat?  I'm guessing that people who've done this, like Lee Sklar, have done so for this reason...