- Thread starter Stingray Matt
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Stingray Matt
Well-known member
i know how you feel. Our lead singer has a habit of forgetting lyrics! He reminds me of Shaun Ryder of the Happy Mondays when he was on stage at the G-Mex in Manchester, he read the lyrics for Step On from a piece of paper!
Stingray Matt said:
Matt, I have got up a head of steam now, so I am now going to put my angry head on for the subject of being a left handed bass player.
I asked for, and received my first bass for my 18th birthday - I am now 35 and since then I have owned a total of 5 basses, which compared with some forum members is an embarrassment. Now I have 3 young children, finances dictate my buying of new basses, but even when I was young free and single, finding left handed basses to even try out was a nightmare.
For many a year I would trek along to the London music shows and annoy the guys on the Status stand about why they would not make a left handed Status bass - still don't to this day I think.
For years even the half decent music stores might only stock one or two Aria, Westone or some other shall we politely say "cheaper" makes. It meant a trek right across London to the Bass Centre on a Saturday with no guarantee they would have anything worth trying out.
Buying and selling left handed basses is a vicious circle. When you buy a new one, most of the retailers want an extra 15% on top of the right hand purchase price - let along bargin on the existing price!
I don't see how someone can play a right handed version of a bass in the shop and then say, yeah , that's cool, order me a left-handed one please.
In the early 90's I wanted to play 5 string and also dabble with playing fretless. Could I find what I wanted? - No I ended up having to order a custom made JD Celeste Fretless 5 having never even seen one, let alone play one! - As it turned out, after the initial jaw dropping disappointment when it turned up looking nothing like any JD I had everseen, it turns out that it is loosely based on a Stingray shape - I grew to love it.
Now, if your finances dictate that you have to sell a bass to buy another one, then forget about it. Take it to a shop and they will give it "sorry mate I can only offer you silly money for it as I am taking a risk of it hanging on the shop wall for ages as there aren't many left handed palyers about".
So it costs more to buy and you lose more when you sell - How fair is that?
And before any of you right-handers tell me to stop whinging, just try and appreciate for a moment how lucky you are that you
were born right handed - imagine going into your local guitar store and finding only one bass to try out week in, week out.
And before anyone asks - No I haven't and neither will I try and play right-handed or with an unside down right-handed bass -
LEFT IS NOT WRONG - LEFT IS RIGHT! (?)
Actually, it is just as well that Ernie Ball came along and saved the day and now does left-handed monster basses at no extra charge. Long Live Ernie Ball.
End of Rant!!!
I feel much better got that now thanks Matt!
Assumer
Well-known member
Hey folks
I need a second bass and the SUB looks good. Lets talk EB into making them lefty
I need a second bass and the SUB looks good. Lets talk EB into making them lefty
Masamax
Well-known member
My bass instructor is a lefty...
He is the nerd in the centre...
He is the nerd in the centre...
Phattone
New member
Re: Being Lefty
Yes, LeftyLB, I can certainly relate to the trials of trying to buy a left-handed bass.
Typically, there is only 2 left handed basses in a store of 40 right-handed ones, and the lefties are always of poor quality. I would be old and gray before my local music store ever stocked a left-handed EBMM Sterling or Stingray, so the only way I can base my decisions on what to buy is by trying out righties.
That's just what I did! I bought a new HoneyBurst/Rosewood/Black PG Sterling two days ago! And of course, since a left-handed bass is always a custom job, I get to wait 3 months for it to arrive!
uurrrrgggghhhh!!
~Phattone.
Yes, LeftyLB, I can certainly relate to the trials of trying to buy a left-handed bass.
Typically, there is only 2 left handed basses in a store of 40 right-handed ones, and the lefties are always of poor quality. I would be old and gray before my local music store ever stocked a left-handed EBMM Sterling or Stingray, so the only way I can base my decisions on what to buy is by trying out righties.
That's just what I did! I bought a new HoneyBurst/Rosewood/Black PG Sterling two days ago! And of course, since a left-handed bass is always a custom job, I get to wait 3 months for it to arrive!
uurrrrgggghhhh!!
~Phattone.
Mobay45
Well-known member
tkarter said:
I am a lefty that plays righty but not because I prefer to. I play that way for the same reason that Matt stated. Left hand basses were scarce and expensive in the early 80's when I started playing. I decided to go righty since you use both hands and I was just starting out.
Mantaray
Well-known member
LeftyLB said:
Liam, is it still possible to find supernaturals? How much do they cost new or used?
Mantaray said:
Hi,
Yes, John Diggins is still building them and I would think that they are around the £1200-£1400 mark. The website is jaydeeguitars.com. - Cannot connect to it today, site must be down for maintenance.
I feel really guilty that I haven't used the Mark King since the day I bought the Ray!!!
Cheers
Liam
