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Sucks to be a lefty! Options?

#41
plangent music said:
Not to rub it in, but everyone should be discouraged from playing left handed. I learned drums left handed and it was nothing but a problem my whole life, so I know how you feel.

I don't think I've ever seen a left handed bassist in a symphony and I'm sure many are lefty. There aren't left handed pianos or saxaphones. You use both hands when you play no matter what.

Good luck in your quest though. Turning a righty upside down ala' Henrix isn't an option?
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Absolutely right. I used to hear this from experienced people in the business pretty often back in the early 70's when I started out. I resented being told I couldn't or shouldn't play lefty because I tried like hell to play right handed but it didn't work for me. It got to the point that I was discouraged enough to quit, or turn the strings around. After that, my playing drastically improved and so did my confidence.

My bass teacher told me that playing as a lefty would be a serious disadvantage because of sight reading and instrument availability. He was completely right. Sheet music and learning materials aren't normally written for lefties. It was impossible to find years ago and put's you at a disadvantage for studio work, unless you can choose to be dyslexic and read charts backwards. That's never been easy for me. I had to transpose things myself. Years ago, I was screwed a few times by having to order basses by mail because the are rarely stocked. What I ended up with several times was inferior to the RH "normal" version and I had to pay much more. Take a look at what's available for upright basses for a left handed player. Not much to choose from..find somebody that stocks them! I would strongly suggest converting to a lefty only as a last resort.

On the positive side, owning a vintage lefty bass is cool. I've got the only lefty Mustang Antigua that's available. I like having a one of a kind.

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Huh, I was just talking to plangent music and he vansished, large fonts and all. I saw your surf music vidoes,
They're GREAT !! I love playing that don't fear the reverb stuff !!
 
#42
Well ... I'm a lefty who play lefty and I bought Carvins basses and Warwick ... other choice are in the boutique builder.

It fits me, I don't like to have the same bass as anybody else or what is use for the past 60 years.
 
#43
I am going to the music store today to see if they have a VM fender jazz, if they have one I am going to play it and if I like it I am going to buy it. There are a lot of if's in that statement. I am also seriously looking into MIJ. When the market flops on Rics, I will try one again. Other than that, I really hope I like my custom bass. Sadowsky and Carl Thompson are out of my price range. Thanks again for the options. Cheers.
 
#48
I, too, am a lefty who plays righty. When I was a kid, my guitar teacher said I could go either way, but I'd have an easier time finding guitars as a righty player. I probably wouldn't have so much trouble with GAS if I'd learned to play lefty, though!
As a side note, I once played in a Beatles band, and the other guys perked up when I told them I'm a lefty. But I told 'em I couldn't play lefty now to save my life and they were quite crestfallen.
 
#50
Honestly, you just need to know where to look. There are fantastic basses out there, you just have to get to know a lot of people that see or deal in guitars. I local guitar shop knew I was a lefty, so when this F bass BN5 came in, I was the first person they called.
P9150170.jpg


The Conklin 7 string I found on Ebay, LOL I dont think anybody has clicked the "Buy it now" button as fast I did. Problem was no way to pay for it at the time :( SO after many stops at the pawnshop & borrowing money its mine.

Here are a few links that are great for lefties

http://www.adirondackguitar.com/lefty/lh_bass.htm
^ Definitely these guys

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^These guys,

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^ then these guys

Here is a nice Ibanez 6 string that Im really tempted to buy
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280612430313
 
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#52
I feel your pain. I play lefty also, but I save much money on GAS that way ;-)

Check out Carvin, Schecter + Spector, but do not dismiss the Left Handed Fender American Standards! Both J + P basses are excellent, top-notch instruments, even if only available in black or sunburst with rosewood (and no maple!)

Cheers!

cc_bass.jpg
 
#54
If you're gonna open the "Sucks To Be A Lefty Bass Player" can of worms, you should mention that you're fine with playing a lefty instrument and are simply looking for an idea of what basses are available, so we can avoid having to search thru all the replies from people trying to change who you are, to find the posts that actually address your query.

I'm quite thankful I'm a lefty. At a current count of 45 basses, if I was a righty I'd have to buy a larger house!
 
#56
Jim Dep said:
......Sheet music and learning materials aren't normally written for lefties. It was impossible to find years ago and put's you at a disadvantage for studio work, unless you can choose to be dyslexic and read charts backwards......
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This is a joke right?
Reading standard notation and chord charts is no different whether one is left handed or right handed. Even tab works the same if you play lefty strung lefty, and they don't issue tab in orchestras or studio gigs. :rollno:

And no one should be forced to play right handed, that's just pathetic. People should just play music and stop concerning themselves with other musicians' gear and how they play it.

It is strange that in the 33 years I've been a gigging bass player not one person has ever made a derogatory comment to me for playing left handed. Heck, my high school orchestra conductor even had a double bass converted to lefty so I could join. It seems the only place I run into this kind of predjudice and vitriol is on the internet.

The only thing that should matter between musicians is competence and attitude.
 
#57
I am right handed for most purposes, and I learned to play guitar and bass right handed. But a Navy mechanical career and CTS have taken their toll on my finger playing, so I am actually considering switching to play lefty, since my left hand is in better medical shape than my right at this point.
 
#58
Basshappi said:
This is a joke right?
Reading standard notation and chord charts is no different whether one is left handed or right handed. Even tab works the same if you play lefty strung lefty, and they don't issue tab in orchestras or studio gigs. :rollno:

And no one should be forced to play right handed, that's just pathetic. People should just play music and stop concerning themselves with other musicians' gear and how they play it.

It is strange that in the 33 years I've been a gigging bass player not one person has ever made a derogatory comment to me for playing left handed. Heck, my high school orchestra conductor even had a double bass converted to lefty so I could join. It seems the only place I run into this kind of predjudice and vitriol is on the internet.

The only thing that should matter between musicians is competence and attitude.
Click to expand...

Learning materials were made for righties only and in most cases, still are. I got through it for 35 years being a lefty, I'm just saying it's easier for righties. Your orchestra teacher went through all the trouble of popping the top off a double bass to change the treble post and bass bar? That's pretty major surgery. If he didn't, it wouldn't of sounded very good.

No prejudice here, I'm a lefty and a realist.
 
#59
I see the OP is in Victoria. I suggest contacting L+M and see if they still have any lefty Fender Jazz Deluxe basses in their system if it's on your wishlist. They'll even transfer one to you from another location.

We have a lefty bass discussion board at www.leftybassist.com and www.leftybass.com is a good resource for finding used lefty basses for sale too.

It isn't always easy being a southpaw bassist but we do have some places to help you out online.
 

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