So obviously there are more optios for basses (at least Fender wise) for righties than lefties. For istance, the American Jazz Bass Standard only comes in black, and sunburst for leftys. Also, all of the Fender specials (the 70s jazz bass) plus all the signatures are for righties. Has Fender ever addressed this issue?
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The woes of a lefty
- Thread starter stewart8980
- Start date
You can bet they have addressed the issue, statistically if in no other way. The grim reality is that there are not enough of you lefties to make it profitable for them to make every bass, in every line, in every color available for left handers; sad but true. 
It could be worse...I could be left-handed!
It could be worse...I could be left-handed!
Rickett Customs
Commercial User
You can bet they have addressed the issue, statistically if in no other way. The grim reality is that there are not enough of you lefties to make it profitable for them to make every bass, in every line, in every color available for left handers; sad but true.
It could be worse...I could be left-handed!
Not with that attitude, mister.
It's business, plain and simple. The market for lefties is small. They don't feel there is a good case to build a large variety.
Have you looked at Fender Japan? They have a much greater selection and the quality is on par with MIA FWIH. Other companies such as Ernie Ball offer a wider choice of lefties.
Have you looked at Fender Japan? They have a much greater selection and the quality is on par with MIA FWIH. Other companies such as Ernie Ball offer a wider choice of lefties.
While it is true that lefties only make up a small percentage of sales, the lack of availability for instruments only further diminishes the demand, since many lefties have no choice and are encouraged (or forced) to learn to play righty.
It's basically a conspiracy to eradicate lefties off the planet once and for all. But fear not, there is a great revolution coming. Righties beware!
It's basically a conspiracy to eradicate lefties off the planet once and for all. But fear not, there is a great revolution coming. Righties beware!
The salesman told me that when I was getting my first guitar. I believe they had one lefty, which was a cheapo and didn't have a sound I liked....and NO returns on it, so I picked up a righty.
- Feb 24, 2004
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While it is true that lefties only make up a small percentage of sales, the lack of availability for instruments only further diminishes the demand, since many lefties have no choice and are encouraged (or forced) to learn to play righty.
It's basically a conspiracy to eradicate lefties off the planet once and for all. But fear not, there is a great revolution coming. Righties beware!
KILL RIGHTY!!
It's actually a conspiracy by the custom manufacturers. They know that we lefties have better taste than our "normal" right-handed counterparts, so they pay off Fender and other mainstream manufacturers to force us into the high-end market (which is where our superior taste and intellect should place us anyway).
KIDDING.
maybe
KIDDING.
maybe
- Dec 20, 2004
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shhhhhhh!!! you keep saying that in public, and Fender just might wake-up
all the best,
R
It's basically a conspiracy to eradicate lefties off the planet once and for all. But fear not, there is a great revolution coming. Righties beware!
I thought the nuns teaching penmanship in Catholic elementary schools in the 50's and 60's HAD eradicated lefties until I saw this thread.
The other problem us lefties have to face is that, even with the limited models available to us, we don't have the luxury of being able to go into a music store and pick say a Jazz bass and play 4 or 5 different ones before we choose on the best one.
More often than not we have to take our chance and order one with perhaps only ever having seen a right hand model, and then hope it's ok!
More often than not we have to take our chance and order one with perhaps only ever having seen a right hand model, and then hope it's ok!
Seriously though, with Fender being perhaps the largest manufacturer of Basses in the World, surely they could offer to do more colours for Left Handed Jazz basses other than Sunburst or Black? And if they must insist on their only solid colour bass being black, please why don't they supply it with a black pickguard and not plain white!
What would it cost them to paint a batch of basses in another colour, even if there was a nominal charge for having them in "non-standard" colours?
The same problem goes for spares as well of course - have you ever tried buying a genuine Left Hand Fender pickguard?
What would it cost them to paint a batch of basses in another colour, even if there was a nominal charge for having them in "non-standard" colours?
The same problem goes for spares as well of course - have you ever tried buying a genuine Left Hand Fender pickguard?
I'm also a lefty, and there's the catch 22 alright, go into GC, and you see 37 Fenders, 18 Warwicks, 9 Yamahas, 44 Squiers and Epiphones, but only 2 lefty anythings from 2 years ago with dust and rust on them....
however, there's a TON of places to buy a lefty guitar or bass no matter who makes them. but if you are the "try before you buy" kind of guy, and you think your gonna find a place with 15 lefty basses then your s.o.l.
not to "convince" anyone of their practices when it comes to buying, but my 2 FAVORITE and BEST PLAYING basses were bought long before I even touched the strings, and I never regretted not being able to play them one bit.
however, there's a TON of places to buy a lefty guitar or bass no matter who makes them. but if you are the "try before you buy" kind of guy, and you think your gonna find a place with 15 lefty basses then your s.o.l.
not to "convince" anyone of their practices when it comes to buying, but my 2 FAVORITE and BEST PLAYING basses were bought long before I even touched the strings, and I never regretted not being able to play them one bit.
I don't understand the concept behind right handed basses or guitars.
Either if you're plucking or picking, you are using more of your left hand than your right as your plucking hand will use at the most three fingers but the norm is really two while your left hand uses all 4 fingers to fret the notes on the neck.
Therefore you need more dexterity out of your left hand than your right. Right?
My feeling is this might come from the classical period where string instruments like violins, cellos and contrabasses were played using a bow which, if you consider it a tool like a hammer or a screw driver would be held with the right hand for a person who's right handed so 90% of the population.
I would be very curious to take 100 young new musicians who never touched a bass or guitar before and give them the choice between a left handed and a right handed instrument not telling them which one is the right handed one and see which one they would end up choosing.
Either if you're plucking or picking, you are using more of your left hand than your right as your plucking hand will use at the most three fingers but the norm is really two while your left hand uses all 4 fingers to fret the notes on the neck.
Therefore you need more dexterity out of your left hand than your right. Right?
My feeling is this might come from the classical period where string instruments like violins, cellos and contrabasses were played using a bow which, if you consider it a tool like a hammer or a screw driver would be held with the right hand for a person who's right handed so 90% of the population.
I would be very curious to take 100 young new musicians who never touched a bass or guitar before and give them the choice between a left handed and a right handed instrument not telling them which one is the right handed one and see which one they would end up choosing.
Sorry, I pretty much won't buy Fenders because of the fact that they offer so little in lefty..... And personally, I think that the whole "profitable market" thing is a crock.
Fender is way bigger than Warwick. However, Warwick offers just about everything but the Jonas Hellborg & the Nobby model in lefty AFAIK. They even offer the fretless on just about any model in a left handed model. Why Fender can't just throw a couple of more lefty models out there blows my mind.
Don't get me wrong. Fender makes great insturments, but I just feel jipped that they don't even offer the deluxe-p, the Urge, or a 24-fret ANYTHING in a lefty.
And sorry, I'm not gonna learn to play righty.... That's BS...
Fender is way bigger than Warwick. However, Warwick offers just about everything but the Jonas Hellborg & the Nobby model in lefty AFAIK. They even offer the fretless on just about any model in a left handed model. Why Fender can't just throw a couple of more lefty models out there blows my mind.
Don't get me wrong. Fender makes great insturments, but I just feel jipped that they don't even offer the deluxe-p, the Urge, or a 24-fret ANYTHING in a lefty.
And sorry, I'm not gonna learn to play righty.... That's BS...
It's really subjective. I had a righty student who had enough troubles with her bass that we re-strung it lefty and she did terrific on it. Go figure!
Mr. Black, you've already learned it one way; the die is cast. Don't worry about relearning the bass. However...
Fender has become one of the biggest companies in the world because they have machines that can churn out these basses faster than politicians can lie. Being so fast and assembly-line oriented, however, means that it's far harder for them to interrupt their line for one bass that you want, and the decrease in productivity they endure in order to do that is passed along to you in the higher price tag. It's just the way it is.
Smaller companies (meaning everyone else) don't have as much to lose by interrupting their line, because they make fewer instruments and things aren't quite as automated.
I'm sure that if the lefty demand warranted it, Fender would find a way to have a plant built specifically for lefty instruments. But don't hold your breath.
Mr. Black, you've already learned it one way; the die is cast. Don't worry about relearning the bass. However...
Fender has become one of the biggest companies in the world because they have machines that can churn out these basses faster than politicians can lie. Being so fast and assembly-line oriented, however, means that it's far harder for them to interrupt their line for one bass that you want, and the decrease in productivity they endure in order to do that is passed along to you in the higher price tag. It's just the way it is.
Smaller companies (meaning everyone else) don't have as much to lose by interrupting their line, because they make fewer instruments and things aren't quite as automated.
I'm sure that if the lefty demand warranted it, Fender would find a way to have a plant built specifically for lefty instruments. But don't hold your breath.
