Lefties getting stung

[steve-soar]

I'm looking for a Jazz bass, Fender preferably and was looking on the Guitar Emporium site, not only was the range nowhere near as good as the right handers but the basses they did have are over £100 more. I'm in no way criticising G.E. for this but this is a theme that runs through the industry.
There are exceptions, Warwick, erm, anyone else? ACG who built my six string DIDN'T tag on 10% either.
Does anyone know of any knooks and crannies where all the nice left handed Jazz basses live? That don't cost a bomb?
Cheers Steve.

Edited March 18, 2008 by steve-soar

[The Burpster]

Did you mean £100 MORE......?

Have you had a look on Thomman IIRC they are teh same price on there? I may be wrong....

[Josh]

Maybe because your playing the wrong way round

[vegas_hooker]

Shorter production runs, less demand and all that jazz.

[Dread Bass]

Alembic dont charge extra no cstom bilder should really.

[Dread Bass]

and you are dead right we get the p**s taken out of us really

[bigjohn]

[steve-soar]

[quote name='The Burpster' post='159798' date='Mar 18 2008, 06:02 PM']Did you mean £100 MORE......?

Have you had a look on Thomman IIRC they are teh same price on there? I may be wrong....[/quote]
Thanks lads.

[bass_ferret]

Like others have said - smaller market, more so for mass produced machine tooled instruments. Custom basses would probably make no difference. Nobody wanted the lefty GB thats for sale on here.

Guitars are just about the only instruments that come left handed, and you get lefty drummers who have the kit round the wrong way. Anyone seen a left handed piano? Or a left handed fiddle player in a symphony orchestra?

[Bassmonster]

This is a debate that will go on forever, whilst there is still not a vast choice out there its better than it used to be, but it does p**s me right off

Edited March 18, 2008 by Bassmonster

[bigjohn]

[quote name='Bassmonster' post='159846' date='Mar 18 2008, 07:17 PM']This is a debate that will go on forever, whilst there is still not a vast choice out there its better than it used to be, but it does p**s me right off[/quote]

It's not like anyone is trying to rip lefties off - it's just they make less, sell less, and so there's less economy of scale more risk involved in production deriving a higher price. It might piss you off, but until 50% of the population become left handed - it's tough sh*t.

[The Burpster]

[quote name='steve-soar' post='159825' date='Mar 18 2008, 06:35 PM']Thanks lads.[/quote]


Steve, I take it you found what you were looking for?

[steve-soar]

[quote name='bigjohn' post='159891' date='Mar 18 2008, 08:27 PM']It's not like anyone is trying to rip lefties off - it's just they make less, sell less, and so there's less economy of scale more risk involved in production deriving a higher price. It might piss you off, but until 50% of the population become left handed - it's tough sh*t. [/quote]Thanks bigjohn, tell me something I don't already know, however there are a significant number of relatively famous and what one would call successful left handed musicians, therefore one would expect in the near future a less discriminatory attitude.
One can only hope.

Edited March 18, 2008 by steve-soar

[tempo]

Steve, there is a place based in Heswall (just down the road) called "guitar lefty" google it. They do a few brands so there could well be something there.

[bigjohn]

[quote name='steve-soar' post='159985' date='Mar 18 2008, 10:25 PM']Thanks bigjohn, tell me something I don't already know, however there are a significant number of relatively famous and what one would call successful left handed musicians, therefore one would expect in the near future a less discriminatory attitude.
One can only hope. [/quote]

Positive discrimination for lefties? Good god Where will it end???

[coasterbass]

I've spent the last 12 years looking all over for decent lefties, and they are sooo hard to find. Full credit to Warwick for offering a wide variety of models in LH.

My advice is to cruise ebay.COM and see what turns up. A search of left + bass usually turns up 200+ models rather than the 25 on ebay.co.uk.

Its a trade off... you don't get to try the basses before purchase so you have to be choosy with your seller. BUT - lefty basses tend to appear in the £800+ price range which can be prohibitive. Buying 2nd hand reduces the prices massively.

I bought my Thumb V and Jazz Deluxe through this route, and paid peanuts relative to the UK new price (£400 for a studio use only Thumb V, incl all taxes/freight?!?).

Of course, you could always try the holy grail.... www.southpawguitars.com. Its almost worth the airfare!!!


Its worth keeping an eye on www.leftybass.com as info/deals often pop up.

Good luck!!!

[Buzz]

Ewww lefties.

Said the person who writes left handed, draws left handed, however does use a mouse in the right hand and plays bass right handed.

[Jono Bolton]

Just adding to what others have already said - I got here late - prices for lefties are generally higher due to the fact that companies have to completely different machine to make the bodies, neck, parts etc. As lefties make up a small percentage of the population (about 10% I think) it stands to reason that there are a lot less left handed bassists/guitarists and so companies have to charge extra to cover the costs of buying in the machines. Custom built basses shouldn't cost more as it's hand built, and so shouldn't cost any extra just to make it the other way round.

[tauzero]

Surely most modern mass-producing instrument factories are using CNC machinery for all the body and neck cutting, shaping and routing, so there's no additional machinery or tooling required?

[clauster]

Back in olden days left handed people were burnt at the stake for being witches - surely a 10% surcharge on basses is a major step in the right direction?

Seriously tho, this is why my left handed stepson is learning to play on a right handed guitar.

[coasterbass]

When i went to my local shop to ask about getting my first left handed bass the guy told me to learn to play right handed, on the basis that you need more power in your fretting hand than your picking hand.
Clearly I ignored him, but I think he may have had a sound point... Maybe everyone should swap?!?

[allighatt0r]

It has often puzzled me why we use our less dominant hand for an operation that tends to be a lot less complex then fretting, if i ever try to imagine fretting without a neck in my left hand, i can't make it do what i want at all, my fingers just kinda wiggle aimlessly.

It's too late for me now to try and play left handed basses, i think you can only make the switch if you have no previous experience, otherwise you have to kind of fight with your brain over what it's used to doing when you have a bass round your neck.

By the way, i could be talking absolute rubbish, don't take any of this as gospel truth.

EDIT: [url="http://www.andertons.co.uk/acatalog/Bass_Guitars.html"]These guys[/url] are selling to a pretty selective audience! left handed girls, that want to be bass guitarists. (see the first four basses)

Edited March 20, 2008 by allighatt0r

[tauzero]

[quote name='coasterbass' post='160782' date='Mar 20 2008, 01:14 PM']When i went to my local shop to ask about getting my first left handed bass the guy told me to learn to play right handed, on the basis that you need more power in your fretting hand than your picking hand.
Clearly I ignored him, but I think he may have had a sound point... Maybe everyone should swap?!?[/quote]
Guitarwise, it didn't do Gary Moore any harm.

[Jono Bolton]

[quote name='coasterbass' post='160782' date='Mar 20 2008, 01:14 PM']When i went to my local shop to ask about getting my first left handed bass the guy told me to learn to play right handed, on the basis that you need more power in your fretting hand than your picking hand.
Clearly I ignored him, but I think he may have had a sound point... Maybe everyone should swap?!?[/quote]

Exactly, on that basis everyone who's right handed should be playing a lefty, and vice versa. I bet your shop assistant didn't play the other way round
Also, spare a thought for Finnish post-hardcore band [url="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=15370025"]Disco Ensemble[/url], both their guitarist and bassist are lefties. Actually I don't think I've ever seen a band where all the guitarists/bassists are lefties.

[Minky]

I've found it quite exciting being a left handed bassist. There's always that initial sense of anticipation when you walk into a guitar shop. Two things usually tend to happen 1) You ogle at the beautiful selection of RH basses then leave quietly 2) there happen to be a few left handers but they're not worth the wood they've been made. There is the odd ocassion that you spot a top class LH bass but it's usually grossly overpriced. Still exciting times though.