My son has been desperate to learn guitar since he was tiny. By 5 we were bored of the pestering and got him a uke, thinking he was too small to manage guitar still. By 7 he wanted to play guitar, but what he REALLY wants to play most is bass guitar. He plays left handed, and although 7 1/2, is small for his age and more the size of someone at least a year younger. Are there any left handed bass guitars small enough for him?! We’ve just got him started on guitar lessons rather than ukulele and he’s got a half size guitar. After 3 lessons the teacher has said that if bass is what he really wants to do we should go for it and get a bass. He’s got a great ear, is learning piano too, seems to have the fine motor skills (I teach piano and I’m impressed how well he can pick it up compared to other kids his age where the motor skills are a big issue) and certainly has the desire. So whilst bass might not be as ‘fun’ for kids as guitar, I think he’ll stick it. I just don’t know if we can find something in a manageable size until he’s grown some more. As a trumpet/piano player, I’ve got no idea what options might be (or not) for adjusting a RH bass (guitar wise he’s currently got a classical guitar we’ve re strung the other way but I think that’s only really an option on the nylon string guitars). I’ve found a couple of mini/micro basses but only RH ones. He’s reluctant to swap to playing right handed (wants to be like Paul McCartney!) and left handed set up seems to work best for him. Any advice or suggestions?
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Small (age 7) Left Handed player questions
- Thread starter AlisonRuth
- Start date
There are 2 of the LH Mikro Ibanez's available here . . .
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I don't know if they will budge on the price, but might be worth a phone call. These are very well regarded as a beginner instrument. And like the headline on the page says, "Call or chat for the bigger, better deal."
*Edited for grammar
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I don't know if they will budge on the price, but might be worth a phone call. These are very well regarded as a beginner instrument. And like the headline on the page says, "Call or chat for the bigger, better deal."
*Edited for grammar
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Welcome to TB. That's really great that your kid wants to play bass.
Squier (by Fender) has a Mini P bass. Smaller even than what we normally consider to be a short scale bass.
Check with the vendor to see if they make this in a lefty.
Squier Mini Precision Bass Electric Bass - Dakota Red with Laurel Fingerboard
Squier (by Fender) has a Mini P bass. Smaller even than what we normally consider to be a short scale bass.
Check with the vendor to see if they make this in a lefty.
Squier Mini Precision Bass Electric Bass - Dakota Red with Laurel Fingerboard
I highly recommend a lefty Ibanez MiKro. Consistently great basses, and not just for the price or size! Here’s my little lefty with his (and before anyone can say “he’ll just grow out of it,” me with mine!):
My guy was not quite seven years old here, but he has also always been huge for his age.
They’re well made and comfortable for most players (not just little ones), but what impresses me most about them is the sound. The bridge pickup is okay, but that split coil (“P”) is perfectly positioned and oriented. Any setting between full-P and 50/50 sounds good to me. I can’t believe how huge these things can sound!
Have fun!
My guy was not quite seven years old here, but he has also always been huge for his age.
They’re well made and comfortable for most players (not just little ones), but what impresses me most about them is the sound. The bridge pickup is okay, but that split coil (“P”) is perfectly positioned and oriented. Any setting between full-P and 50/50 sounds good to me. I can’t believe how huge these things can sound!
Have fun!
I think an Ibanez Mikro is a good idea. I will also throw in that I think we tend to underestimate the success that some people will have with physical stuff. I've seen a band play with a 7 year old bassist - the thing was as big as he was, and he somehow got around on it just fine. Between that and Django playing guitar pretty darn well with 2 fingers, don't count anyone who really wants to play out - if there is enough motivation, a way will be found.
Whatever you get, making sure it's set up well is probably at least as important as having the right scale length.
Whatever you get, making sure it's set up well is probably at least as important as having the right scale length.
Another vote for the Mikro. Don't be put off by the Made in Indonesia thing. It's a surprisingly well made instrument at a great price.
I have nothing against the Ibby's either. I think it would be a fine choice. I was just throwing the Squire on the fire as a FWIW, if they make lefties.
I think of Indonesia as the new Japan. Turning out good stuff at reasonable prices. Both my basses are Indie's.
Ibanez Mikro
And to echo what Riff Ranger said, I'm 6 foot tall and have TWO of them.
Great little basses for sure
And to echo what Riff Ranger said, I'm 6 foot tall and have TWO of them.
Great little basses for sure
I’ll add a +1 for Ibanez as a great beginner instrument. My wife has a full-size GSR200 and I’m always astounded at how well it plays and how great it sounds. It easily holds its own alongside more expensive instruments. I think the Mikro is an excellent entry point for someone your son’s age and size, and if he progresses and moves up to larger instruments, you won’t have overspent.
I'm a lefty but when I started playing guitar and bass around 10 or 11, I learned righty. Might be too late in your case, but I'm really glad that I didn't' have to spend the last 50 yrs looking for lefty basses. I do everything else lefty (throw, write, etc).
Ibanez mikro or Jackson minion bass maybe not sure if they come in lefty but you could easily string them lefty with a new nut and setup
You are aware that Ibanez makes high end models way above the GIO and mikro series, right? Pretty sure these gentleman here are not playingI’ll add a +1 for Ibanez as a great beginner instrument. My wife has a full-size GSR200 and I’m always astounded at how well it plays and how great it sounds. It easily holds its own alongside more expensive instruments. I think the Mikro is an excellent entry point for someone your son’s age and size, and if he progresses and moves up to larger instruments, you won’t have overspent.
entry level instruments
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I don't think he intended to mean that all Ibanez basses are beginner instruments.
I was wondering that too. We're fortunate to live in an age where left handed guitarists/bassists aren't forced to learn to play right-handed, but it's not necessarily a given that a left handed person will automatically learn to play guitar or bass better left-handed.
This is great, thanks all. So sounds like even if we get a dinky little bass, it may be he can still play it for a good while rather than’growing out of it’ Pretty quickly and us then needing to pay out for another? That was part of what bothered me if we could find something small enough. Sounds like it’s not like violins though - even full size people still play smaller scale basses. Learning all the time!!!
Just got to find a UK stockist. Plenty with ibinez guitars, and some with the RH multi. Not found a LH Mikel yet but guess there’ll be one somewhere, or a shop that can get one.
I’d found the squire micro bass but they only do it RH. Is it possible to swap a bass over from RH to LH?
Re the LH/RH debate, its a tough one. I know there are pros and cons either way. He tried uke as a right hand set up initially and struggled. I thought it was likely to be as much his young age as anything but the teacher suggested swapping it round and then he flew. And now he’s adamant about sticking to that. Sure, at 7 he really won’t get the implications of the more limited choice of instruments, and not being able to just pick up your mate’s guitar, but I think we’ve already debated long and hard on if he should play right or left handed and will stick with left hand now, for better or worse!
Just got to find a UK stockist. Plenty with ibinez guitars, and some with the RH multi. Not found a LH Mikel yet but guess there’ll be one somewhere, or a shop that can get one.
I’d found the squire micro bass but they only do it RH. Is it possible to swap a bass over from RH to LH?
Re the LH/RH debate, its a tough one. I know there are pros and cons either way. He tried uke as a right hand set up initially and struggled. I thought it was likely to be as much his young age as anything but the teacher suggested swapping it round and then he flew. And now he’s adamant about sticking to that. Sure, at 7 he really won’t get the implications of the more limited choice of instruments, and not being able to just pick up your mate’s guitar, but I think we’ve already debated long and hard on if he should play right or left handed and will stick with left hand now, for better or worse!
He’s already a lefty player. As a lefty myself, I say let him continue to play lefty. And another vote for the Ibanez Mikro here. There are other small basses, but that one is high quality and readily available.
You've got your answer. No need to debate the pros and cons beyond that.
I agree that if he's already playing lefthanded, don't sway him to switch to righty.
Yes, instruments can be flipped and modified to reverse their handedness. As a lefty, I did that years ago. But nowadays, affordable lefthanded Instruments are much more plentiful.
You might take a look online at Thomann Music. They are a huge outlet in Germany.
Yes, instruments can be flipped and modified to reverse their handedness. As a lefty, I did that years ago. But nowadays, affordable lefthanded Instruments are much more plentiful.
You might take a look online at Thomann Music. They are a huge outlet in Germany.
I've had good luck with Andertons, Thomann and Bass Direct. They don't show them in stock but have all been responsive when asked for special orders in past.
