Lefties that use NON leftie basses ?

Rakie · #1 03-15-2007, 08:35 AM

Well, a friend of mine is a lefty, he's a guitarist and i've known him for some time, before he played guitar... SO he is a lefty, ok... he looks for a lefty guitar and come's to find, hey... its hard to find what you want in a lefty, and its usually top dollar price too. SO, his idea ? Just play a normal "Righty" Guitar, what happens ? Well, his left hand is Shread tastic and his right hand (After only a bit of work) caught on...

Anybody here do that ? Really i guess it might be more hard initially but in the long run i see it paying off big time.

Falcynn · #2 03-15-2007, 09:42 AM

Yeah I'm also left handed and play bass in a right hand fashion. However I didn't do so because I wanted to avoid spending extra bucks on lefty basses, I actually just happen to be more comfortable playing bass right handed than left handed, which I admit may seem a bit odd.

JanusZarate · #3 03-15-2007, 12:46 PM

The Lefty Union... Revived!

18 of our members do that, actually. While there are a lot of amazing left-handed basses out there to choose from, we're outnumbered by right-handed basses and bassists in every way possible.

There's definitely a selection advantage, but beyond that, any other advantages are always up for debate. IMHO, the "advantages" and "disadvantages" of playing a right-handed bass are purely dependent on the bassist.

We actually even have a few right-handed people who play lefty basses - how's that for unusual?

KekChoz · #4 03-15-2007, 02:33 PM

yes, as a lefty, there is less choices... and sometimes it's more expensive.
but when i started to play bass, i wanted to play naturaly, i wanted to directly learn to play bass instead of rushing to be confortable to the other side before.
But the "more expensive" thing isn't for me anymore, since i discovered Carvin!!!

so for me there isn't any inconvenient to be lefty anymore!

LzeroKI · #5 03-15-2007, 11:29 PM

I'm left handed but I play bass right handed. I seem to do the same thing the left(right)handed guitarist mentioned at the top of the thread. I often find my right hand (plucking) cannot keep up with my left (fretting). I started playing righty only because I first learned using my friend's fretless carvin (righthanded).

Funny story, up untill I used my buddies bass I messed around on my brothers accoustic guitar, but for some reason, could only play it laying in my lap like a lapsteel, except still fretting with my hand rather than a slide. That should have immeadiatly told me I wasn't comfortable with those 6 strings....

Atoz · #6 03-16-2007, 01:34 AM

IIRC, Gerald V. Casale of Devo plays a right-handed bass lefty (i.e. the E is on the bottom).

JumpnTheRattler · #7 03-16-2007, 01:54 AM

I'm right handed and I recall that when I first started playing I couldn't get my fret hand to do what I wanted it to and really felt that it was all the wrong way around - that I should be doing the simpler finger-picking with my weaker hand.... It all sorted itself out with time but I wonder if science examined the tradition of the right-handed guitar/bass if it wouldn't reveal that we've had it backwards all along....

Depth_Charge · #8 03-16-2007, 03:42 AM

Jimi just used to turn his over didn't he? . . .

IMO given the strength, speed, dexterity and deft touch people can build up using their fingering/picking hand while shredding, slapping, tapping, raking, playing harmonics etc etc I'm not surprised people are adapting to playing to their "weaker" side.

OT - I play my bass right handed and when I play sports I throw, catch and swing single grip instruments (darts, tennis racquets, ping pong bats, bowling balls, basketballs, skill testers at fairs etc) with my right and I naturally favour my right in running sports, pedalling etc...I also sight with my right eye so if I'm checking neck straigtness or sighting a rifle shot, I use my right eye.

Now, if I grip a club/bat with two hands to play cricket, golf, baseball or even to play a two handed tennis grip shot, I will default to my left side instead, so to play baseball my RIGHT elbow is towards the pitcher...not the left like a righthander has it.

Go figure. . .

BlacksHole · #9 03-16-2007, 01:03 PM

I'm a lefty who plays a rightie and so is one of the guitarists in my group. Before I played bass, I played violin, so it seemed natural to fret with my left hand (some consider the violin to be a left handed instrument).

tony c · #10 04-14-2007, 04:42 PM

Well, I'm a lefty who plays a lefty bass, HOWEVER, I have it strung right-handed. All of my guitars are like that, too. I'd find a lefty guitar that felt comfortable, and I'd have the luthier put in a righty nut and restring it right handed, and voila, an instrument that very few of us can play. I think Jimmy Haslip of the YellowJackets plays this way, as does Wayman Tisdale.

Tough trying to teach people, though.

evan_phi · #11 04-14-2007, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atoz

IIRC, Gerald V. Casale of Devo plays a right-handed bass lefty (i.e. the E is on the bottom).

a friend of mine plays guitar like that. he only plays acoustic, so its not like body shape would affect him when he plays.

Ricky Daion · #12 04-14-2007, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atoz

IIRC, Gerald V. Casale of Devo plays a right-handed bass lefty (i.e. the E is on the bottom).

I also play a right handed bass flipped over ( E string on the bottom). I was hanging out at my fathers recording studio during the summer(28 years ago- jeez I'm old) and just started noodling around on a cheap bass he had laying around. I was soon hooked playing it that way. The only problem I have is rubbing the control knobs with my arm and turning the pick up volumes down. I had a guitar tech remove the pots and hard wire everything wide open. Problem solved.