GeorgeB Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Hi there, I'm looking to buy a left-handed double bass...argh! Can anyone help??? I'm considering one of the Thomann basses, largely because they're relatively available and affordable. I am tempted by the carved European ones, for under £2,000...however, I'll be using it largely for regular jazz gigs...do you think this would be appropriate? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Yeah. Thomann and Gedo are selling nice basses, lots of happy customers here on Basschat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyBass Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Yep, Thomann sell basses from Strunal and other makers in their lefthand section. Gedo also do left handers and seem to have a good reputation nowadays. Duke Bass in germany also made a run of left handers. I had Strunal make me a 50/4 left hander and they were great to deal with. My experience has been looking at ply basses, any of which would be fine for jazz, but if you want carved then Strunal, Thomann and Gedo are the options I'm aware of, though a few other companies will make lefts, I seem to recall them being more prohibitively expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeB Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share Posted August 27, 2013 Gee guys, thanks. Feedback much appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Yep another Gedo user here, brilliant company to deal with and you only need to hear Bilbo play his to see how good they can be in the right hands, ie not mine!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 (edited) The last time I looked at Thomann they had three models of their own brand DBs - fully made of plywood, partially made of plywood and fully carved, in increasing order of price. Good to hear from you guys that they are OK - should I ever decide to throw out half of my flat's furniture and get one Welcome, George! Good to hear from a fellow lefty DB/upright player Edited August 28, 2013 by bluejay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyBass Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 If I remember rightly, Thomann branded basses are mainly Strunal (many threads on this across TB and DBC forums), which I can vouch for having owned two. Bluejay, sorry to digress but did you convert your Harley Benton to a lefty? I'm after a l/h electric upright as cheaply as it can be done and wondered how easy it is to convert an EUB. Don't get to practice at home much now I have a baby and I could cart an EUB to work and practice at lunch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 (edited) [quote name='AndyBass' timestamp='1377719604' post='2190911'] Bluejay, sorry to digress but did you convert your Harley Benton to a lefty? I'm after a l/h electric upright as cheaply as it can be done and wondered how easy it is to convert an EUB. Don't get to practice at home much now I have a baby and I could cart an EUB to work and practice at lunch! [/quote] I did, Andy, but the results are far from ideal. The bass was playable for a while, but it's cheap and nasty whether lefty or righty. Quite apart from needing some new decent strings right from the start (which I didn't bother buying or installing for that experiment), the current problems with mine are a. that the grooves in the bridge I turned upside-down had to be filed a little to accommodate the strings at the right angle, which caused the strings to sink too deep in the grooves after a little time - I should now carefully file the bridge itself so that the strings stand prouder in the grooves; and b. a section of the wrought-iron tailpiece has come unstuck and needs to be welded back in place. All the above without the bass ever having been gigged, just played at home with maximum care. So I think you should invest in a better model, possibly left-handed from the start, or expect to have to spend a reasonable amount to get the cheapo HB up to scratch. Edited August 28, 2013 by bluejay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyBass Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Thanks for the info, Bluejay! Sounds like its worth a word with a luthier to cost up a conversion then, as the cheapest LH models seem to be £1100+. Will let you know how I get on if I pursue it in case its ever useful for you in future! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 (edited) Brilliant, thanks. FYI, I also have an NXT 5-string upright (lefty from birth, so to speak!) and that's fine, for those who like that sort of modern shape, feel and sound. With the "lefty surcharge" it came in at around a grand from Thomann a couple of years ago. Edited August 29, 2013 by bluejay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyBass Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 GeorgeB - let us know what you end up going for and how it works out for you. If you're based anywhere near Sheffield you're welcome to come by and have a go on mine if its any help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeB Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 Thank you Andy, you're a kind man! Such kind supportive folk on this website...a very fine thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubassman Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 (edited) [quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1377686083' post='2190267'] should I ever decide to throw out half of my flat's furniture and get one [/quote] Sylvia, disgraceful behaviour! ...you must get rid of some of your furniture immediately ( maybe another trip to the Academy might tip the balance? ) !! Welcome GeorgeB - the search for a decent lefty isn't easy ! Edited September 6, 2013 by ubassman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubassman Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 (edited) [quote name='AndyBass' timestamp='1377753004' post='2191293'] Thanks for the info, Bluejay! Sounds like its worth a word with a luthier to cost up a conversion then, as the cheapest LH models seem to be £1100+. Will let you know how I get on if I pursue it in case its ever useful for you in future! [/quote] The thing is to convert a bass into a lefty can be prohibitively expensive as involves taking the top off and removing the existing bass bar and carving a new one for the left hand side . You are instantly up at several hundred pounds. Then there's the nut to fix with gradated grooves in the right direction and a new bridge to carve. If you have a Rhomberg bevel on the fingerboard you are stuffed too with that. Expensive stuff but if you can buy a bass at the right price you can maybe just about break even after the luthier costs for alteration are added in. Edited September 6, 2013 by ubassman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyBass Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Yeah, thankfully am only talking about an EUB here (hijacked George's thread about proper DB briefly!). Am thinking it'd be a more viable cheapo option for EUB to get a cheap used one and mod it as the cheapest proper lefty models are £1000. Long since realised it would be far more cost and hassle than its worth to do it for DB! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubassman Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 AndyBass maybe a Stagg would convert really easily - theres only really the stick in brackets that would need shifting around to the right positions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyBass Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Thanks for the advice. Yeah, had been wondering about the Stagg and looking at the thread about them. Reckon I may just give that a go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyBass Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Deal done on a Stagg bass. Will report back as to ease, cost and effectiveness of conversion once its done, in case anyone cares! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Yes please! I do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeB Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 Indeed that would be of interest to all of us lefties, I think..I happy you hijacked my thread!! Good luck chief Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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