Fender, Please! (Lefty Content)

CharlieC · #1 02-06-2011, 06:06 PM

Arguably the most popular, best selling basses of all time, Fender USA continues to believe that left-handed players only see in Black, Sunburst and Rosewood.

For whatever reason, maple fretboards and colors other than black and sunburst are not manufactured by Fender for the left-handed, neither American nor Standard product lines, MIA nor MIM, Precision nor Jazz.

Sure, there may be other bass options available from other manufacturers and, no, I will not re-learn to play right-handed, nor flip a right-handed Fender over for Neck-Dive City.

Fender offers maple fretboards and more than 2 color finishes on their lefty guitars, but basses not so much.

I post this thread like a message in a bottle.

Cheers!

danomite64 · #2 02-06-2011, 08:38 PM

Lefty Fenders come in more than 3 colors, The MIM Jazz also comes in Natural, and the MIJ basses come in several colors; Candy Apple Red, Vintage White, Lake Placid Blue, and a few others

CharlieC · #3 02-07-2011, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danomite64

Lefty Fenders come in more than 3 colors, The MIM Jazz also comes in Natural, and the MIJ basses come in several colors; Candy Apple Red, Vintage White, Lake Placid Blue, and a few others

Thanks for this info, but I still have Fender USA on the hook for not offering MIA or MIM Standards in anything other than I described.

http://www.fender.com

For reasons unknown, Lefty bassists like myself continue to be discriminated against by Fender USA with no end in sight.

I would someday like to see the issue corrected rather than me working around it. :-)

Cheers!

LHbassist · #4 02-07-2011, 06:11 AM

You'll see my posts using this screen name- on Fender's website, Harmony Central, in review after review, and comment after comment here, as well. Surf and you'll see...we have been bitchin' to them, but you can hear the crickets chirping as they sleep when we speak to them. Ignorant, bigoted assholes.
I hate Fender's attitude towards us. I'm a 58 year old long time bass repairman and luthier. I build my own basses, but I LOVE my highly modified Ishibashi lefty Japanese basses... I used to be able to import a p-bass re-issue for about 600 bucks, plus 125 shipping, from Ishibashi.
Fender STOPPED them from selling them to us here in the U.S. Incredibly unfair, as they offer NOTHING like what Ishibashi had, in any price range, to us, and we were NOT cutting into a market share that they have obviously abandoned, or could give a rat's ass about!
NOW, if you want that same '62 jazz or p-bass, your looking at over a grand, PLUS shipping, through an Ebay middleman. Fender has royally screwed up, and I have told them so...in a more polite manner on their forums. I used to have a NEW '73 p-bass, and bought it with 4 upcharges in '73 for $321.00! I also had a '71 white Jazz bass. Gone now, wish I still had them both. Your complaints will be met with lip-service, and you'll feel the breeze as they blow you off. The only alternative for us right now is to pay the E-bay jobbers their upcharges, and shipping...like about 1800 bucks for a really nice 70's re-issue...or custom shop U.S.A., at about 3,500 bucks. Not much choice for lefty's wanting to play great basses, huh?

Morning Beer · #5 02-07-2011, 06:15 AM

I don't care about color, but how about a 5th string. Thats all Ive ever wanted from them.

CharlieC · #6 02-07-2011, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LHbassist

You'll see my posts using this screen name- on Fender's website, Harmony Central, in review after review, and comment after comment here, as well. Surf and you'll see...we have been bitchin' to them, but you can hear the crickets chirping as they sleep when we speak to them. Ignorant, bigoted assholes.
I hate Fender's attitude towards us. I'm a 58 year old long time bass repairman and luthier. I build my own basses, but I LOVE my highly modified Ishibashi lefty Japanese basses... I used to be able to import a p-bass re-issue for about 600 bucks, plus 125 shipping, from Ishibashi.
Fender STOPPED them from selling them to us here in the U.S. Incredibly unfair, as they offer NOTHING like what Ishibashi had, in any price range, to us, and we were NOT cutting into a market share that they have obviously abandoned, or could give a rat's ass about!
NOW, if you want that same '62 jazz or p-bass, your looking at over a grand, PLUS shipping, through an Ebay middleman. Fender has royally screwed up, and I have told them so...in a more polite manner on their forums. I used to have a NEW '73 p-bass, and bought it with 4 upcharges in '73 for $321.00! I also had a '71 white Jazz bass. Gone now, wish I still had them both. Your complaints will be met with lip-service, and you'll feel the breeze as they blow you off. The only alternative for us right now is to pay the E-bay jobbers their upcharges, and shipping...like about 1800 bucks for a really nice 70's re-issue...or custom shop U.S.A., at about 3,500 bucks. Not much choice for lefty's wanting to play great basses, huh?

+100

I do not understand why they just can't swap paint color in the spray gun or use all maple for some of the necks.

Even for a limited run?

Until they finally change gears, I know of a few other companies who currently produce or will custom-build left-handed basses to ease my pain, but it sure makes me wonder though how Leo Fender himself would have reacted to this.

Cheers!

LHbassist · #7 02-07-2011, 06:28 AM

Left to right- Fender Jazz Bass, Japanese alder ocean turquoise metallic body, Allparts neck, and a mint green guard that I fabricated. All hardware replaced with period correct parts. it's a 1960 stack knob replica. $2,700+ from the custom shop. Cost me a lot less because I built it. A great bass...think Joe Osborn, this bass gets it.
Ishibashi Web shop '62 re-issue Precision bass, in stunning Lake Placid Blue (lighting here- in shadow outdoors, it seems darker) . Same upgrades, mint green scratchbuilt pickguard, Duncan vintage pickup, and all period correct parts. Basswood body. Headstock signed by Nokie Edwards of the Ventures! This bass is light, and sounds AMAZING! Both Fenders are strung with D'addario Chromes, wonderful medium gauge normal tension strings, with truly amazing feel and ringing sustain, and a great long break in time..

The third bass is a 1994 Dave Edwards (Me) five string bass and it is all flamed maple, with an ebony board, Alembic WMXY pickups, and Stanley Clarke tone circuit. D'addario stainless 45-130. sounds like a Steinway! It has an incredibly articulate killer tone. Fits me like a glove. I'll be buried with it.

You can do similar things, if your budget allows. There are occasional Fender Japan lefty basses (mostly jazz basses) on E-bay. Two were just sold like last week. All are around 500 bucks. I also have one of those '62 j-basses in sunburst. It's a GREAT bass.

CharlieC · #8 02-07-2011, 06:35 AM

^^^ Wow! Talk about a nice group shot!

Me?

I'm waiting on a miracle to arrive in the next 2-weeks from a custom shop in San Diego, CA

Hopefully this will be the gamer-changer and my gateway drug, either that or I'm sending it back :-)

LHbassist · #9 02-07-2011, 06:39 AM

Hi CharlieC! Hey, are you familiar with the lefty oriented websites, like Arni's...or this one:

http://www.leftybassist.com/

LHbassist · #10 02-07-2011, 06:41 AM

Here's Arni's site- a G R E A T site for US! look me up, you'll see my ugly mug on there, Dave Edwards, U.S.A.

http://www.leftybass.com/e_start.htm

CharlieC · #11 02-07-2011, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LHbassist

Hi CharlieC! Hey, are you familiar with the lefty oriented websites, like Arni's...or this one:

http://www.leftybassist.com/

Thanks, LH and yes, I pop on there from time to time, but I really like it over here on TalkBass, lefty or not!

Cheers!

danomite64 · #12 02-07-2011, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CharlieC

Thanks for this info, but I still have Fender USA on the hook for not offering MIA or MIM Standards in anything other than I described.

If you were talking specifically about Fender USA, you probably should have mentioned it in your 1st post. And the MIM is offered in natural, last I heard.

CharlieC · #13 02-07-2011, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LHbassist

Here's Arni's site- a G R E A T site for US! look me up, you'll see my ugly mug on there, Dave Edwards, U.S.A.

http://www.leftybass.com/e_start.htm

Thanks, Dave!

... and just so you know, I've never seen any ugly lefty mugs -- impossible!

CharlieC · #14 02-07-2011, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danomite64

If you were talking specifically about Fender USA, you probably should have mentioned it in your 1st post. And the MIM is offered in natural, last I heard.

Thanks, Dano, I did see that natural MIM for sale at Musician's Friend and often wondered why Fender does not even acknowledge it on their site.

I know why I "personally" am not acknowledging it... no maple and no color pigment :-)

Cheers!

Bob C · #15 02-07-2011, 07:10 AM

MIM Jazz basses are or were available in blue, burgundy and I believe purple too. But you're right - the MIA's only in black, and no maple fingerboards anywhere!

As far as I can tell, it is simply a matter of cost effectiveness. It costs money to start and stop production lines. Black is the most popular color. That is the most likely to sell. That is the one they make. Far fewer lefthanded basses are sold than righthanded ones. So, why risk making any extras (Fender's stance; not mine)?

Every time I see a black bass I die a little inside.

LHbassist · #16 02-07-2011, 07:00 PM

I played a brand new American sunburst P-bass last summer at a local store, a very nice feeling and playing bass. It was about 1200 bucks. For that, I could go on E-bay, buy a Fender Japanese made jazz bass and spray over whatever color it is with some GREAT original Fender colors available in aerosols from Guitar Reranch. Then, I could replace all the inaccurate parts and upgrade the pickups, and have a much cooler bass for a little less than that $1200. I could also assemble one from parts, like I have done before, always with really good results.

If I ran a management team at Fender, I would set aside an area at the factory, for a PERMANENT, smaller sized production area, with only a couple of machines, and a CNC router and fixtures tooled for producing the lefty basses we want. I'll bet if they did that, they would see how successful an operation it would become.

danomite64 · #17 02-07-2011, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob C

MIM Jazz basses are or were available in blue, burgundy and I believe purple too.

They were available in those colors about ten years back, and also Sage green. Unfortunately, they don't do those colors anymore.

CharlieC · #18 02-07-2011, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LHbassist

I played a brand new American sunburst P-bass last summer at a local store, a very nice feeling and playing bass. It was about 1200 bucks. For that, I could go on E-bay, buy a Fender Japanese made jazz bass and spray over whatever color it is with some GREAT original Fender colors available in aerosols from Guitar Reranch. Then, I could replace all the inaccurate parts and upgrade the pickups, and have a much cooler bass for a little less than that $1200. I could also assemble one from parts, like I have done before, always with really good results.

If I ran a management team at Fender, I would set aside an area at the factory, for a PERMANENT, smaller sized production area, with only a couple of machines, and a CNC router and fixtures tooled for producing the lefty basses we want. I'll bet if they did that, they would see how successful an operation it would become.

Dave, not to side-track this thread, but for educational purposes only, do a little surfing a see what Carvin's got cooking with their made-to-order SB4000 basses. The options are endless, the prices are insane, and the glowing reviews and disbelief are off-the-hook.

Again, I've yet to receive mine to truly comment, but rest assured, if Fender were to offer me a Candy Cola MIA Jazz with a maple neck, I would buy it. In fact, I would most likely start collecting them in all colors like Matchbox cars :-)

5string5fingers · #19 02-07-2011, 07:14 PM

why not just go through warmoth, have whatever fender bass you want,in a lefty,in whatever color you want, for probably less than an american standard

danomite64 · #20 02-07-2011, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CharlieC

Dave, not to side-track this thread, but for educational purposes only, do a little surfing a see what Carvin's got cooking with their made-to-order SB4000 basses. The options are endless, the prices are insane, and the glowing reviews and disbelief are off-the-hook.

I believe Carvin makes a nice bass, but if I was looking for a Fender Jazz bass, I definitely wouldn't consider the SB4000, as it's fugly, IMO. Also, I had a Carvin, and didn't care for the pickups and preamp. Warmoth is the way I'd go if Fender didn't have what I was looking for.