Black Coffee Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Am I missing something obvious here as to why anyone would do this ? This was Midge Ure's bassist while playing Vienna at Ryder cup concert. A lefty bass and player but strung the wrong way round.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telebass Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Probably learnt to play by flipping a righty bass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 I've seen it a few times Bassman but thought the same as Telebass so never bothered to ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 There are more of them than you think, the bloke from The Doves does it I'm fairly certain as does our local busker on a 12 string acoustic, I presume they are self taught on an instrument left lying around especially a symmetrical acoustic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 PS I've been looking for the reverse but never found one, a right hander playing a normal strung lefty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Lee Pomeroy does too, for the same reasons.., Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 I've started looking out for the "other" definition of upside down, where you put the bridge on the headstock and the tuners by the control knobs ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin8708 Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1411977490' post='2564390'] I've started looking out for the "other" definition of upside down, where you put the bridge on the headstock and the tuners by the control knobs ... [/quote] Steinberger bass ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Jimmy Haslip.... You wouldn't teach it, but these guys have a unique stylistic take on things so don't go trying to nick their top licks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1411980906' post='2564436'] Jimmy Haslip.... [/quote] Indeed. And I've always wondered how the heck he manages to slap on an upside-down bass!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Jimmy Haslip is probably the highest profile player to play like that. Keith Horne and Stan Sergeant play that way too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblueplanet Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 I play this way. Lefty instruments were scarce and I was happy enough playing on righty basses in the local guitar shops. I kept to small-bodied symmetrical bodies to cut down the obvious problems, eg Hofner 500/1, Gibson EBO, Steinberger... Now play proper lefties but still strung upside down of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender73 Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Pretty sure Lee Pomeroy plays upside down too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blablas Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 (edited) Andy McCluskey of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark plays right handed upside down! I always wondered why, it's not logical for a right handed player to do this. Edited September 29, 2014 by blablas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TolerancEJ Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 (edited) Bass soloist, Jeff Schmidt is left-handed but plays on a right-handed bass with the highest string at the top. That technique has contributed to him developing a unique style difficult for others to duplicate in a standard stringing format. There are many videos on YouTube of his work. Edited September 29, 2014 by TolerancEJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 (edited) ... that's Albert King ... Edited September 29, 2014 by EssentialTension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 ... and Dick Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 I saw a guitarist recently playing like this - one of Limehouse Lizzy's pair was a leftie playing a right handed guitar flipped over. That kind of rock lead guitar playing looks really odd played upside down and it was difficult not to just sit and watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upside downer Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 I've always played a flipped righty. Began on bass 25 odd years ago by playing along to Sex Pistols, Ramones and other punk stuff so it was mainly root notes and I found it easier as it was all on the E and A strings. Played in bands on and off since early 90's. Moved on from the dum-dum-dum-dum days but self taught so my technique would have many of you wincing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 [quote name='blablas' timestamp='1412008015' post='2564792'] Andy McCluskey of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark plays right handed upside down! I always wondered why, it's not logical for a right handed player to do this. [/quote] Ah you have solved my quest,I knew one must exist! Are there any more? I can only see that they must have picked up a lefty bass or guitar when starting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 I read somewhere that Hendrix could play all four ways if needed ... righty, lefty, righty upside down, lefty upside down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 [font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=1][Quote] I was having a discussion today with someone in my studio about why I play bass with the strings upside down even though I am right handed. I told them that it was because my first bass was a left handed Wilson Rapier that I bought in a second hand shop in Birkenhead in 1975. It was the only one I could afford ( I was 16 at the time). It cost me £32. ... Andy McCluskey[/size][/font] ... [url="http://www.watkinsguitars.co.uk/mp3downloads.htm"]http://www.watkinsguitars.co.uk/mp3downloads.htm[/url][/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 [quote name='blablas' timestamp='1412008015' post='2564792'] Andy McCluskey of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark plays right handed upside down! I always wondered why, it's not logical for a right handed player to do this. [/quote] so so weird........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 (edited) I used to play with a keys player who also played a bit of guitar & bass - he always played the flipped. He told me that it was because he was the only corrie-fister (left hander) in the family & he had 3 older brothers who played guitar/bass. He learned to play (& he wasn't bad, but a much better keys player) by picking up his brothers' instruments thus saving himself mucho dinero! It might be interesting to find out if those mentioned above as playing flipped learned on their older brothers' instruments. G. Edited September 29, 2014 by geoffbyrne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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