Advantage of reverse-stringing?

[Hambone70]

Just watching the most excellent Cory and the Wongnotes. Noted that Sonny Thompson strings his bass backwards with the low B at the bottom of his 5-string.

I understand that many left-handed bass players did this as they learned by turning a right-handed bass upside down, and it stuck with them.

Any advantages to this technique?

 

[Jazzdogg]

If, by reverse string, you are referring to playing a right-handed bass that's been strung left-handed, it's all a matter of personal preference.

I was raised by a left-handed double bassist, and learned to play basses strung both ways. When I was a teenager, I was much better able to swap back and forth between basses strung both ways without much effort or conscious thought.
Now that I am older, and haven't done it for a long while, I am not as adept, but I'll bet a could still play a blues gig with a few weeks notice.

With the scarcity of left-handed basses, this skill is probably of greater benefit to lefties.

Do what works for you.

 

[nnnnnn]

Any advantages to this technique?

Well the obvious advantage for left-handed players like Sonny is that they can pick up any right-handed bass and play.

I can't think of any obvious advantages for right-handed players - I'm curious to see if any are suggested.

I'm right-handed, but have tried playing a left-handed bass upside down a few times, and I found it harder to play disco octaves. Not impossible, but it put my fretting hand index and pinky fingers in a configuration that felt more and more uncomfortable the higher i went up the neck.

Also I couldn't do an octave slap and pop (slap low note, pop high) at all. Though I'm sure I've heard Sonny T doing some slap and pop techniques so he makes it work.