I would hardly call us "one of the most widely discriminated minorities in the world". It about supply and demand. For every 1 person that wants something left handed, there are 9 people who want it right handed. For many companies, it's just not worth the extra hassle of producing left handed products for only about 10% of the population. In bass terms, it would most likely be less than 10% because many lefties just play right handed instruments.
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Lefties why didn't you start playing a righty?
- Thread starter KenToby
- Start date
I would hardly call us "one of the most widely discriminated minorities in the world". It about supply and demand. For every 1 person that wants something left handed, there are 9 people who want it right handed. For many companies, it's just not worth the extra hassle of producing left handed products for only about 10% of the population. In bass terms, it would most likely be less than 10% because many lefties just play right handed instruments.
Well did you ever stop to consider why the percentage of lefties is so small? I guarantee that one of the reasons is because many lefties end up doing what you did: learn how to play righty instead because there are few alternatives. Supply and demand is partially dictated by the fact that the market is creating (or forcing) a dwindling left handed market into extinction. I firmly believe that there is a market there, but unfortunately most of the big boys don't understand it. It took Fender over 15 years (maybe over 20?) to finally offer a left handed American made Jazz bass again, yet here we go again with the same tired black or sunburst options. You're already using other colors on your righties. You're telling me you can't slap these colors on a lefty too?
I don't deny that there are certain issues required for retooling manufacturing processes for lefties, but it comes down to the usual question of just how much profit does a corporation really need to make in relation to offering more products to the consumer (and building a bigger market in the process). Yeah, I'm sure the suits have crunched some numbers, but I'm talking about building a market long term not profits for fiscal quarter yadda yadda. There are a few companies that are very generous to left handed players and seemingly have no problem getting around the "extra hassle" of manufacturing them. Schecter immediately comes to mind, and Ernie Ball/Musicman at least offers 3 of their bass designs in lefty AND and color scheme you'd want.
It can be done.
Those are my two favorite mainstream brands.
I've owned three different Schecter basses and currently own an EBMM Stingray.
They'll both get my patronage as long as they continue to build a sizeable selection of lefty basses.
26 years, actually, if you're not counting the Deluxe, which has been around for about 10 years now. As for the colors, I'm pretty sure Fender didn't choose them to bore us; they offered the Deluxe in more colors at first, but sales must have been slow on the other colors, so they discontinued them.
Funny, just read this thread.
I'm a lefty, started playing a right handed bass upside down.
Played that way for a year.
When I went to take my first bass lesson.
Teacher said, the first thing your going to do is?
Turn that bass around and play it right handed.
It was tuff, re-learning to play right handed.
But I'm glad I did.
It is hard for lefties to get a good selection of bass of the rack.
Also, most builders charge a 10% up charge.
For left handed instruments.
It was tuff, re-learning to play right handed.
But I'm glad I did.
I'm glad you did too. More lefties for me that way.
Rickett Customs
Commercial User
Because I felt more comfortable playing left handed from the get-go.
Also realize, if in fact you are right handed, You don't have to understand it, it's just a matter of "is you is or is you ain't". When you break down the aspect of favoring one orientation over another, It's just not that "cut and dried".
Let's take it one more step, All right handed gentlemen of TB, what made you pick up a bass "right handed"? I cannot find this question any more valid than what you're asking Ken. IMO, its just a waste of a thread with no clear answer to convince either party of their own truth.
So I know no one but myself will ever use my bass.
"hey can I use your bass doe this gig I left mine at home!"
okay, you play bass, if you forgot it you're ********.
"Yeah sure"
"Thanks!" So they get on stage and discover that it's all upside down OHNOES!!
no one will ever touch my bass besides me.
That's not why I chose to play lefty, but a definite advantage.
"hey can I use your bass doe this gig I left mine at home!"
okay, you play bass, if you forgot it you're ********.
"Yeah sure"
"Thanks!" So they get on stage and discover that it's all upside down OHNOES!!
no one will ever touch my bass besides me.
That's not why I chose to play lefty, but a definite advantage.
I'm a lefty who began playing right-handed. At the time (nearly 13 years old), I was unaware that left-handed guitars/basses even existed. Yep, we didn't have the internet then! 
The first time I realized that I was even playing a "right-handed" instrument was when I did a book report on Jimi Hendrix for school a year later. Even if I had found out earlier, I would've been unable to buy a lefty, as there were none available at the local pawn shop down the street. As a child, this was the only place I had access to for buying musical instruments both proximity-wise and money-wise (I bought my first bass for around 50 bucks). Although my parents weren't necessarily unsupportive of me playing bass, my mother had already shelled out about a grand on a new trumpet for me to play with the school band, and I assume was unwilling to buy me something else. Luckily, I can still play that too.
But anyway, so, here we were, all of my friends and I playing guitars and basses, and I just went on along with them, unknowing I was doing something contrary to what I was supposed to do.
The first time I realized that I was even playing a "right-handed" instrument was when I did a book report on Jimi Hendrix for school a year later. Even if I had found out earlier, I would've been unable to buy a lefty, as there were none available at the local pawn shop down the street. As a child, this was the only place I had access to for buying musical instruments both proximity-wise and money-wise (I bought my first bass for around 50 bucks). Although my parents weren't necessarily unsupportive of me playing bass, my mother had already shelled out about a grand on a new trumpet for me to play with the school band, and I assume was unwilling to buy me something else. Luckily, I can still play that too. But anyway, so, here we were, all of my friends and I playing guitars and basses, and I just went on along with them, unknowing I was doing something contrary to what I was supposed to do.
Yes I did. I said why in my post. The reality is that the ratio of left to right handed children is about 1:9. That's before they start picking up instruments. That's a very small number to begin with. Even if all the lefties in the world were forced to play left handed instruments, they would only account for about 10% of the market. The amount of work required to reach that 10% is huge compared to the revenue they might bring in.
Sure it can be done. But it's simply not worth it for most companies. The ones who do produce left handed instruments have a nice hold on the lefty market because there aren't many options for lefties. If everyone started doing it, overall lefty sales would increase, but the sales for each company would probably drop because there are more options and so few buyers. Especially when you consider that a large percentage of left handed people are quite happy and comfortable learning on right handed instruments. People like me.
It sounds like you are suggesting that the companies owe it to you to produce lefties. I don't think they do. They work for profit, not for public service.
Those are my two favorite mainstream brands.
I've owned three different Schecter basses and currently own an EBMM Stingray.
They'll both get my patronage as long as they continue to build a sizeable selection of lefty basses.
I also like Schecter but it still cost more than the same model right handed.
Carvin deserves serious props because they have always offered their stuff lefty with all the options available to righthanders (with the exception of certain whammy bar units and some of their newer acoustic instruments) for the same price.
A friend of mine who is left-handed started playing on a righthanded guitar.
He grew accustomned to it and now plays right handed guitars,
which he never regretted. Since he now has access to a much broader aray
of awesome guitars.
He grew accustomned to it and now plays right handed guitars,
which he never regretted. Since he now has access to a much broader aray
of awesome guitars.
Well what exactly is, "The amount of work required"? I've yet to hear a legitimate excuse from companies as to why it's such a burden to make lefties. Retooling, yeah I understand that part IF you're an assembly line mass produced instrument maker, but you get snubbed from hand-made luthiers too, for crying out loud. You even get it from companies making asymmetrical instruments (why no lefty Dano Longhorn, for example?).
Most companies who are offering lefties are charging an upcharge for them, on average $150-$300 per instrument, presumably to cover the burden of the overhead required to retool and appease lefties. I would like any company to show me on paper how charging in excess of $300 for one of their instruments doesn't cover the cost differential to retool, let alone spray a lefty body another stinking color other than black. They're already charging more for a lefty, so how is that not worth it to them?
Hey, I am right-handed and play right-handed but I think it would be cool if one of you lefties started a left-handed bass club. It would be wiered if I did, though.
I'm a Lefty... There is only ONE thing in the everyday world that I do Right Handed.. That's play the Bass...
It just happened that way ... My older sister had a guitar and I just started playing on it.. I was about 14 yrs old ...
Since I do everything else Left handed, I've wondered on and off over the years, if I would have developed into a better player had I played Left handed .. To this day, if I play "Air Guitar" , my natural inclination is to do it Left Handed, not Right .. Hmmmm I just wonder ...
It just happened that way ... My older sister had a guitar and I just started playing on it.. I was about 14 yrs old ...
Since I do everything else Left handed, I've wondered on and off over the years, if I would have developed into a better player had I played Left handed .. To this day, if I play "Air Guitar" , my natural inclination is to do it Left Handed, not Right .. Hmmmm I just wonder ...
Ah, btw...DO NOT use the car manual transmission analogy! Its a very simple movement, so simple that right handed brits have no problem using their left hand to change gears.
I'm a left handed and I play left-handed bass. I never though about that when I bought my first bass ... there is one lefty then I'll get that one. But it is difficult to find good left-handed bass if you want to go in 5 or 6 strings departement.
I did my college degre in music and I had to play double-bass right handed ... it was the most difficult thing I did !!! You have to play right handed because you have to play in an orchestra , otherwise there is left handed double bass. If you don't have string on your instrument , it doesn't matter left handed or right handed.
I did my college degre in music and I had to play double-bass right handed ... it was the most difficult thing I did !!! You have to play right handed because you have to play in an orchestra , otherwise there is left handed double bass. If you don't have string on your instrument , it doesn't matter left handed or right handed.
Funny, just read this thread.
I'm a lefty, started playing a right handed bass upside down.
Played that way for a year.
.
Which makes me ask, how many left handed players play with their strings strung like that? And if you don't can you?
Years ago I found out it really wasn't all that hard to pick up a right handed bass, and play it upside down. When I show up at friends gigs and they ask me to sit in,I usually use their guys bass, and play it upside down. People are usually pretty impressed, but after a few times, it's not to hard.
So anyway who can do it?
Oh yeah, that also goes for right handed guys who can play a left handed bass backwards.
Andy
