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Upside down guitars and headstock socks


sshorepunk
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18 minutes ago, EssentialTension said:

Lots of upside down players:

 

Richard Dale

Albert King

The bloke in the Bay City Rollers

The bloke in OMD - right-handed and right-handed bass strung upside down

Doves bassist

etc etc

 

I've been an OMD fan for a long time & I've never noticed that before!

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[quote]

 

A Message from Andy McCluskey of OMD (previously Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark )

Andy recently wrote to me about his experiences with his first guitar, a Wilson Rapier Bass :

" Hi Reg,
I have just visited your fantastic website. Don't know why I never checked it out before.
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.
I was trying to describe it.. Bright red/ long scale/ giant headstock
looking unlike any modern bass. I typed  Wilson Rapier into a search engine and there was your site! My bass looked like a red version of the black one at the bottom of your bass page.
I played it for four years, recorded my first single with it. "Electricity"
on Factory records. I was in "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark' (later called OMD). And then at our first gig in London in 1979 at the Aklam Hall some bugger stole it from the dressing room. I could not find another like it so I've played a Fender Jazz (right hand strung upside down) ever since.. I guess I liked it because it's narrow neck reminded me of the Rapier.
Maybe one day I will find another one for sale. ( he did - I sold him one of mine!!...)
Keep up the good work.
All the best..
Andy McCluskey "

http://www.watkinsguitars.co.uk/mp3downloads.htm

 

[/quote]

Edited by EssentialTension
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My long term teacher, latterly the programme leader on the BMus course I did is left-handed and plays that way. He had to modify his slap technique, but he’s a monster player. Left-handed instruments weren’t readily available when he first started, so he bought a regular right-handed bass and turned it upside down.

 

The amazing Jimmy Haslip plays upside too.

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6 hours ago, EssentialTension said:

[quote]

 

A Message from Andy McCluskey of OMD (previously Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark )

Andy recently wrote to me about his experiences with his first guitar, a Wilson Rapier Bass :

" Hi Reg,
I have just visited your fantastic website. Don't know why I never checked it out before.
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.
I was trying to describe it.. Bright red/ long scale/ giant headstock
looking unlike any modern bass. I typed  Wilson Rapier into a search engine and there was your site! My bass looked like a red version of the black one at the bottom of your bass page.
I played it for four years, recorded my first single with it. "Electricity"
on Factory records. I was in "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark' (later called OMD). And then at our first gig in London in 1979 at the Aklam Hall some bugger stole it from the dressing room. I could not find another like it so I've played a Fender Jazz (right hand strung upside down) ever since.. I guess I liked it because it's narrow neck reminded me of the Rapier.
Maybe one day I will find another one for sale. ( he did - I sold him one of mine!!...)
Keep up the good work.
All the best..
Andy McCluskey "

http://www.watkinsguitars.co.uk/mp3downloads.htm

 

[/quote]

 

Surely he means "Watkins Rapier" (my brother had the Rapier 33 guitar). The website link gives a bit of a clue.

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12 hours ago, tauzero said:

 

Surely he means "Watkins Rapier" (my brother had the Rapier 33 guitar). The website link gives a bit of a clue.

 

But the name Wilson was also used ... see here:

 

http://www.watkinsguitars.co.uk/

 

"In the late 60's the decision was made to split the guitars away from the amps as a separate company and the name Wilson was adopted. Wilson was the maiden name of the brothers' mother."

 

Wilson Rapier Bass:

fa9b3a9e4383775ebd06ffe5f783398d.jpg

 

Edited by EssentialTension
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I caught Eric Gales when he came over here last time with Cody Wright and Nick Hayes. The best trio I've ever seen. They all took their solo spots in a jammed out version of Don't Fear The Reaper, and it was just phenomenal to hear.

Edited by NickD
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