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Sucks to be a lefty! Options?

#62
I was in the market for a lefty fretless - even more rare! I couldn't ever find a reliable US Warwick retailer that had one, and the cheapest Carvin was a bolt-on for $1200. Then I came across the Wishbass Club here on Talkbass. After lots of reading and speaking with Wish owners, I am now the proud owner of a lefty Wishbass Lobe that looks (see my avatar pic) and plays great! It was also much cheaper than anything else I could find. Now I have a handmade work of art that has re-kindled my love of the bass. I'll post a link to a demo video and some more pics later.
 
#64
SugarRush said:
I have been scouring the internet for a good starter bass as i'm currently playing a right handed bass upside down and it's awkward for me.
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I play upside down and it's fine! The only thing I can't really do is slap but it doesn't really bother me (it's not like everything you play requires slap) ;) I'm thinking of possibly switching over to playing right-handed if I ever want to get more serious and actually join a band but for now I'm surprised how well I can play plus I like the fact that it's unique :hiding:
 
#65
Jim Dep said:
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.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]


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 !!
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Euh yeah classical instrument are only right handed. Piano is ambidextrous.

You had trouble reading music because you are lefty ??? I really don't get that one. Can you explain please ?
 
#66
aussiebasshero said:
I play upside down and it's fine! The only thing I can't really do is slap but it doesn't really bother me (it's not like everything you play requires slap) ;) I'm thinking of possibly switching over to playing right-handed if I ever want to get more serious and actually join a band but for now I'm surprised how well I can play plus I like the fact that it's unique :hiding:
Click to expand...
ya you better put the "hiding" smily on that last statement...not as unique as you might think. The Lefty BassGuitar Forum has plenty of inverted players, including me.
flipping rightys? sure do. Flipping strings on a lefty? sure do. Play with E on top AFTER playing inverted for years? sure do. ( but that came later ).

I won't post my feelings on the thread as the TB Nazi's will be offended once again but F-THOSE a******'s who tell you NOT to play lefty, or "you can't read music that way", and also the ones who say "there are no lefty basses/guitars out there from 100.00 to 10,000.00" -total BS. This is not 1971, it is 2011.

Yes you may fall in love with a purple bass, and they DO NOT make it in purple..well then your just SOL, just like a righty wanting a purple bass that is not one of the colors you can buy. THAT IS WHAT CUSTOM BUILDS ARE FOR, if you really, really, have to have what you want, lefty OR righty.
 
#70
5108audio said:
Why not have all the righties learn to play lefty and get all the builders to switch as well? Makes just as much sense.
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No, it clearly makes much more sense to convert the 25% of outlying lefties to playing righty, both from an economic and efficiency point of view.

In any case, while I was only half-heartedly suggesting that the OP learn to play right-handed (honestly, re-learning an instrument you've consistently played for many years is not worth the time and effort), there have been many left-handed folks who have learned to play right-handed basses because the learning curve is going to be the same in either direction unless the player has been previously exposed to playing in one direction or the other.

This issue seems to be far less common among horn and other non-stringed instrumentalists.

FWIW, I'm not saying that there shouldn't be more left-handed instruments available, just that a design standard was set for guitars and other similar instruments centuries ago, so if you want deviation from the norm, you're going to have to pay for it. It's the same with any other aspects beyond orientation as well.
 
#74
Basshappi said:
Hey Ami had your mornin' cup o' joe yet? ;) :D
Seriously man it's not worth the heartburn. Just be the best you can be, play the gigs and let the haters hate.
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I know and never get too aggravated. I just like putting the word out about leftys, and how much gear there actually is out there despite the "oh I just bought a beautiful xxxxx bass that they don't make in lefty form too bad for you" like it is a rip on the leftys or something, and how many people still have that idea of "lefty=loser"

You want something special in lefty they don't mass produce for 500.00---well then yes your out of luck. As far as that goes, I will never disagree because there is also a righty-only production bass I will never get in lefty.

I still bought it and play it all the time, just not on stage because flipping the basses and looking like a dork years is long gone thanks to the huge selection of leftys out there entry level, midpriced and outrageously expensive.
 
#75
amimbari said:
ya you better put the "hiding" smily on that last statement...not as unique as you might think. The Lefty BassGuitar Forum has plenty of inverted players, including me.
flipping rightys? sure do. Flipping strings on a lefty? sure do. Play with E on top AFTER playing inverted for years? sure do. ( but that came later ).

I won't post my feelings on the thread as the TB Nazi's will be offended once again but F-THOSE a******'s who tell you NOT to play lefty, or "you can't read music that way", and also the ones who say "there are no lefty basses/guitars out there from 100.00 to 10,000.00" -total BS. This is not 1971, it is 2011.

Yes you may fall in love with a purple bass, and they DO NOT make it in purple..well then your just SOL, just like a righty wanting a purple bass that is not one of the colors you can buy. THAT IS WHAT CUSTOM BUILDS ARE FOR, if you really, really, have to have what you want, lefty OR righty.
Click to expand...

Oh don't get me wrong, I know I'm not the only one out there, and tbh bass for me is about expressing myself and having a musical outlet - as to how proficient I become in the future - who knows, maybe I might have to commit to one or the other, but for now I'm gonna keep on groovin' :)
 
#76
There is a lefty Wishbass up on eBay right now for $300. I know Wishbasses have a bad rap in some circles, but with a little TLC they turn into very nice instruments. I love mine. Plus, where else will you get a hand-made, neck-thru, string-thru lefthanded fretless for so little? Take the plunge! And check out the Wishbass Club here on TB for more info...
 
#80
5108audio said:
Why not have all the righties learn to play lefty and get all the builders to switch as well? Makes just as much sense.
Click to expand...

I have been working on this very thing for some time now - playing lefty - so that I'll not only have all my factory set-ups 'correct by the dial caliper readings' but also given a 'second opinion' with my hands. I've also gotten rather decent playing a lefty flipped righty, to the point where I may just bring a lefty out on my next gig and play it flipped

all the best,

R
 

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