playing upside down.

[eSmith]

So, I'm at a long & Mcquade in Canada last week and there is a guy looking at bass amps. We got chatting a bit and he was about to test out a MarkBass Amp so he pulls his bass out of a gig bag and straps it on and started playing.

So, I look at this bass, it's musicman sting ray or something very similar. It was left handed and he was playing lefthanded but something looked weird. Then I noticed it, he had it strung backwards.

I asked, he told me he learned to play on a right handed bass and got used to the strings being upside down so when he bought a left handed bass he restrung it inverted so it went gdae instead of eadg.

I've never seen or heard of this. I've seen right handed basses restrung to be played by lefties but this is new to me.

So, How common is this? Have any of you seen this before?

-eSmith.

[bassplayerbob]

Check out Wayman Tisdale....Lefty player, lefty bass, upsidedown strings..
watch the run at 1:12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jRRkcRmWCk

[bassbrad]

It's not real common but there are several prominent players that do play that way- Jimmy Haslip and Keith Horne.

[Stingray5]

Being lefty is uncommon enough as it is, so some will learn by playing someone elses righty bass upside down. Once they learn that way, even when they get a true left handed bass they string it like a righty.

I was 'lucky' enough that in my high school there was another lefty player so I was able to learn on his bass, and he'd also restrung the school's DB lefty.

However I am sometimes envious of leftys who can proficiently play upside down as they have the ability to play anyone elses (righty) basses.

[JonnyAngle]

Dick Dale does as well.

[jazzbo58]

A few years ago on a Carribean cruise, I notice a few bassist playing that way. I have a friend that plays Guitar this way. It's sure strange to watch!

Cheers,
Jim

[guroove]

I thought this thread was going to be about flea being suspended from the ceiling at a RHCP concert.

[MyWifeBoris]

I'm ambidextrous, but I can't play like that! I need my EADG. D:

[Easy8]

Long time friend Leland Parks plays upside down. here's a pic of him playing a lefty P bass strung G-D-A-E.

Leland holds down the Monday night open mic blues jam at Maggie Mays. If you're in Austin, drop by and sit in.

http://api.ning.com/files/8o9IUdt0Ht...a/mailedD3.jpg

Guitarist Doyle Bramhall II plays lefty upside down as well.

[SactoBass]

I tried playing bass upside down once, but all of my blood rushed to my head and gave me a headache.

However, one thing nice about it was, we didn't need a tall mic stand for me to sing........just one of those shorties used for micing bass drums worked fine.

[stoneboy26]

It is fairly common in lefties - esp among players who grew up in the era of when it was hard (or too expensive) to find lefty gear.

Remember once upon a time lefty guitars/basses sold at a premium due to the "low" demand and required change to the manufacturing process. These days with CNC, etc. it makes it easier for companies to sell lefties at the same price as righties - although, I believe that even companies like Musicman still have a lower profit on lefties than righties.

[collicsws6z28]

Im one...

[pklima]

Sure, I do this, including on DB. But just to confuse everyone further, I switched to tuning in fifths a few years ago. Guitarists who try watching my hands get really confused.

[delta7fred]

Originally Posted by pklima

Sure, I do this, including on DB. But just to confuse everyone further, I switched to tuning in fifths a few years ago. Guitarists who try watching my hands get really confused.

I am very interested in this, what tuning do you use and what string gauges. I like the fact that you will get about a 5 string range on 4 strings.

[Sketchy]

When I started to learn, I was going to turn it upsidedown and also tune it in fifths, (Upsidedown because I seem marginally more adept at stuff lefthanded, with the one exception of writing, and fifths because I was really into King Crimson and the idea of New Standard Tuning that they use on their guitars.) I never got round to it, and I'm happy playing as is.

[Kirk Bryant]

Like Red Garland.....correct????


peace Kirk

[BritPicker]

I once spoke to a guy who played upside down because he couldn't get over the fact that conventionally the low notes were furthest from the ground, so he played pabk to front.

How weird is that?

[RestInPieces]

Only bassists playing upside down are the australian ones. And they can play the right way around when they come to the northern hemisphere. How weird is that? I guess it has something to do with the coriolis effect

[pklima]

Originally Posted by delta7fred

I am very interested in this, what tuning do you use and what string gauges. I like the fact that you will get about a 5 string range on 4 strings.

D'Addario Chromes bought as singles. Don't remember the gauges anymore, it's been a few years since I put them on there. A fifths-tuning set of Thomastik Spirocores on the DB. Both tuned CGDA.

I used to play various mandolin-family instruments and tenor banjo which are all tuned in fifths, that made it easier.

[The Bassmonkey]

Originally Posted by Stingray5

However I am sometimes envious of leftys who can proficiently play upside down as they have the ability to play anyone elses (righty) basses.

Its ok to be envious of us....you righties are only human afterall