Horrorshow Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 (edited) Greetings all, I have an early 90s aria pro 2 and I'm looking to get a soft case / gig bag to transport it in. Are these type of bags generally generic for both left and right handed instruments or do I need to keep my eyes open for a specific left handed version? Also from what I've seen the general advice given when looking at a new bass is to go to a music shop and try out a few different models and makes to see what you like the feel of most. How do lefty beginner players get a feel for different makes of bass? I've only found one music shop in my area that had any left handed basses in and two of the three were squire p's Many thanks. Edit: second question. Edited December 28, 2017 by That59sound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnR Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 Gig bags are normally a generic shape to accommodate a wide range of bass shapes and sizes. I am left handed and have owned several types of gig bags which fitted my basses fine. Cases are a completely different matter of course. You should be able to get a good idea of the tone, neck shape and general playability from trying a right handed bass. It won't be perfect but should at least help narrow your search down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horrorshow Posted December 28, 2017 Author Share Posted December 28, 2017 That's good news about the gig bags then. Yeah I've had a go on a mates ibanez sr700 and I quite fancy the sr500l. The thin neck appeals to me. I've not come across a lefty ibanez as of yet to try properly though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DGBass Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 As a leftie player I've always found it difficult to gauge how a leftie version might sound and feel from a rightey version. As regards Ibanez Soundgear's, I was always sceptical about them and bought a second hand SR300L to see what they were all about. It was a revelation in weight, playability and tone. I since sold the SR300L and bought a NOS 2014 SR500L and love it. A mahogany body, a super slim tonewood neck, Bartolini's, and a great setup out of the box were all appreciated . I have a new respect for Soundgear's but as a leftie player, sometimes you just have to trust your instincts and take the plunge and realise you will never have the in store choice available that right handed players have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyJ Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 When I'm looking to try out a new bass, I rarely go to music shops. I buy most of my gear used from the internet, and for me it has been a great way to try out many different basses. I've probably owned over 30 throughout the past 15 years, from cheap beater basses to used high-end custom instruments. It has really helped me define what I like in a bass, but at the same time I've found that I can get along with many types of bass. Various scale lengths, all kinds of neck profiles from ultra thin to baseball bat, and many pickup configurations. I have since found several definite keepers, but the chase is still on 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblueplanet Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 +1 for the ‘buy to try’ approach. Bought many basses online that would never appear in my nearby guitar stores. Some I keep for a while, others get moved on much quicker, but Ive learned a lot about neck profiles, pickup placement, body wood tone and scale length. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horrorshow Posted March 11, 2018 Author Share Posted March 11, 2018 I like the ‘buy to try’ approach. I may have to employ that more often when searching online sales. Dangoose, I have done exactly the same as you. I waited ages to find a used Sr500l or similar but ended up going for a nos 2014 Sr500l too. It arrived last Saturday and I love the weight and feel of the neck. Im still a little curious about it though as I’ve noticed that it goes slightly sharp after it’s been sat for an hour or two. I had a look at the nut and to me it didn’t look finished as good as I thought it could have been, I’ve rubbed some graphite under the strings and that’s seemed to help ease it a little. Im also struggling to get a tone from it that I am completely happy with atm. I’m not sure if that’s because of the new strings, my crappy practice amp or I just have not found the sweet spot yet other than the above I found the set up out to box to be pretty sweet. How was yours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DGBass Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 Hi Horroshow, apologies for the late reply. My SR500L has been fine and it's still wearing the strings it came with in the box(the label said Elixirs). They feel about a 100 gauge set and the setup was quite low. I did a basic setup anyway to clean/polish the frets,clean any grit from the nut, and set intonation as I suspect it hadn't been out of the box ever and stored in a cold warehouse somewhere for several years. A slight tweak was made to the truss rod after about a week as it sits mostly on a stand in the front room( at room temperature) but I put that down to it warming up. I don't want to got too far off topic talking about setup and sound but the SR500L definitely seems less in the 'mids' than the sr300L I previously owned. The Bart's are super crisp and I suspect they are the main reason for the difference in tone which appeals to me. The buy to try approach suits me well too...and as leftyJ says 'the chase is still on' for keepers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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