Lefty Double bass

[Bonin-in-the boneyard]

Hi, I'm looking for a lefty Double bass 

It looks like there isn't to many around aspecealy on the used market 

I was wondering if anyone have converted one ?

Or is there any shops online 

I have seen a few on thomann 

There's even a 5 string are these a good buy 

Double bass is something I've been hoping to play for some years but finding one left handed is hard 

Any help appreciated 👍

[Silvia Bluejay]

Lefty DBs are very rare indeed. If you can find a "native" one to buy, as you say perhaps at Thomann, I would go that route. 

Converting a proper acoustic double bass - as opposed to an electric upright - from righty to lefty is very complicated. 

Besides the obvious - installing a new, symmetrical nut and bridge - you have to literally open up the DB and move the bass bar from one side to the other; the bass bar has to be under the E string. You also have to make sure to reposition the sound post on the opposite side from where it is on a righty (that will depend on the size and length of the bass bar). You will probably also need a new fingerboard, and have it reshaped for a lefty player. Proper DB fingerboards are not symmetrical. The machine heads in the scroll of an originally righty bass may also be in the wrong positions for easy re-stringing as lefty.

All the above would need a lot of work by a good luthier. While I know of lefty players who only did the nut and bridge replacement and got on with it on a right DB, I would prefer to buy a new, properly left-handed double bass rather than mess around.

[Burns-bass]

16 hours ago, Silvia Bluejay said:

Lefty DBs are very rare indeed. If you can find a "native" one to buy, as you say perhaps at Thomann, I would go that route. 

Converting a proper acoustic double bass - as opposed to an electric upright - from righty to lefty is very complicated. 

Besides the obvious - installing a new, symmetrical nut and bridge - you have to literally open up the DB and move the bass bar from one side to the other; the bass bar has to be under the E string. You also have to make sure to reposition the sound post on the opposite side from where it is on a righty (that will depend on the size and length of the bass bar). You will probably also need a new fingerboard, and have it reshaped for a lefty player. Proper DB fingerboards are not symmetrical. The machine heads in the scroll of an originally righty bass may also be in the wrong positions for easy re-stringing as lefty.

All the above would need a lot of work by a good luthier. While I know of lefty players who only did the nut and bridge replacement and got on with it on a right DB, I would prefer to buy a new, properly left-handed double bass rather than mess around.

Fascinating stuff!

[Beedster]

1 hour ago, Burns-bass said:

Fascinating stuff!

It is isn’t it, also true of acoustic guitars, although mechanically less problematic 👍

[pete.young]

I was told that it used to be the case in the orchestral world that left-handed double basses, and other strings, were not permitted in orchestras because it spoils the visual effect of having the bows all going the same way at the same time. If you were left-handed, you learn to play right-handed regardless.

[Silvia Bluejay]

We all have choices.

[Bonin-in-the boneyard]

Thanks Bluejay 

Great advice the thomann route is probably the best way 

But will look out for a used one you never know 😅 

I do have an NS Omni 5 string that's a great bass and has a really nice sound 

I use it in my Jazz band but I just love the sound of double basses

I like the look of the 5 string double bass

that thomann are offering in lefty 

But would this be too much to learn on double bass as specially with the longer scale and different hand fingerings ?

 

[Silvia Bluejay]

6 minutes ago, Bonin-in-the boneyard said:

I like the look of the 5 string double bass

that thomann are offering in lefty 

But would this be too much to learn on double bass as specially with the longer scale and different hand fingerings ?

If I had the space for a proper DB that's native lefty and 5 string I'd jump to it! Yes, at some point you may have to source a replacement 5-string set, which are probably rare as hen's teeth, but everything else, in terms of effort needed to learn, will just be the same as learning a 4-string DB.But better!  @Owen has a (righty) 5-string DB, he will have experience to share. 👍

[Owen]

No different from learning the basics on a 4 string. it is a truth universally acknowledged that you cannot spell Bass without a B.

 

Yes, the bottom B is so expensive you will want to cry. But lower notes are more better, right?

[NickA]

9 hours ago, pete.young said:

I was told that it used to be the case in the orchestral world that left-handed double basses, and other strings, were not permitted in orchestras because it spoils the visual effect of having the bows all going the same way at the same time. If you were left-handed, you learn to play right-handed regardless.

Also your bows will clash ..especially if you're trying to share a stand.  I've played in orchestras for 55 years and never seen anyone play left handed.  I guess with the violin family, you just have to learn to play right handed ..in away IT SHOULD be easier as you can do all the difficult fingering stuff with your dominant hand.

[Beedster]

7 hours ago, NickA said:

Also your bows will clash ..especially if you're trying to share a stand.  I've played in orchestras for 55 years and never seen anyone play left handed.  I guess with the violin family, you just have to learn to play right handed ..in away IT SHOULD be easier as you can do all the difficult fingering stuff with your dominant hand.

I’m guessing same is true with some brass also. It’s interesting, in sport there’s been a lot of work done on inclusion of left-handed/footed athletes (advantageous in some, disadvantageous in others).  In some sports such as crew rowing forced handedness is a fact of life (half the crew have the oar to the right, half to the left, while oar to right appears to be the ‘natural’ configuration for most people). 
 

interesting fact, the word sinister is derived from Latin (IIRC) for left handed 🙂

[Bonin-in-the boneyard]

Okay more developments 

I was looking into the 1/4 double bass

 but it seems there isn't many people using them as its more a student instrument 

But this could work for me as the size would be great it would fit in my car 😅

And using bass guitar fingerings 

I have combos and preamps as the acoustic volume wouldn't be as loud as a 3/4

Thomann said they can make a lefty 👌

Thomann 22 1/4 Europe Double Bass in a lefthand version and probably a 5 string 

Anyone using or played one?

 

 

[Happy Jack]

I'm now intrigued ... why do you want a 1/4 DB?

 

Obviously they're intended for young people and - I suppose - very small adults, which may be the explanation, but a 5-string DB with a 90cm scale length? Hmmmmmm.

[Beedster]

1/4s are shockingly small, to the point that I'd be pretty surprised if a normal sized adult could play one to any degree of satisfaction without developing some pretty nasty habits both postural and technical 

[Silvia Bluejay]

Minimum size fo an adult, even a tiny one like me, has to be 3/4. Otherwise get a different-shaped, and less deep, DB - Eminence, Kolstein Busetto - or an electric upright. I would steer well clear of anything smaller than 3/4 for an adult.

[Bonin-in-the boneyard]

I do have an NS Omni bass 5 string that's great as the scale length is The same as my electric Basses 

I actually had the full size version 

But the scale length gave me really bad hand pain I did have a few lessons from a upright player when I first got the NS 

But the scale length was the problem  I still would love a double bass 

And the 1/4 seemed like a good solution 

 

Thanks for the advice on the 1/4 👍

 

[Beedster]

27 minutes ago, Bonin-in-the boneyard said:

I do have an NS Omni bass 5 string that's great as the scale length is The same as my electric Basses 

I actually had the full size version 

But the scale length gave me really bad hand pain I did have a few lessons from a upright player when I first got the NS 

But the scale length was the problem  I still would love a double bass 

And the 1/4 seemed like a good solution 

 

Thanks for the advice on the 1/4 👍

 

 

It seems unlikely that scale length per se is a problem, but how you choose to manage that scale length certainly can be. 

[pete.young]

2 hours ago, Silvia Bluejay said:

Minimum size fo an adult, even a tiny one like me, has to be 3/4.

 

I had a 1/2 size for a while and it was OK to play and very portable, but sounded puny against a 3/4 .

[AndyBass]

Putting aside the 1/4 element for a moment, I have two “built left” basses (a Strunal 50/4 and a Duke) and a basic conversion on a RH Duke (bridge and nut switch only, nothing internal). Also a converted RH Stagg EUB. Thats my lefty credentials.
 

Built left is best if resonance etc is important as the placement of sound post and bass bar play an important role. Also makes it structurally more sound. If you’re playing jazz it depends on the style and setting to an extent - if you’re going to be amplified anyway then getting a RH and doing a bridge &nut switcheroo may well be fine as long as the fingerboard doesn’t have a bevel/has an even profile. My converted Duke sounds great, and was a small cost.

 

As others have, I would massively advise against getting a 1/4 if the rationale is to make it easier to transition from bass guitar and to fit in a car. You’d be surprised what cars a 3/4 will fit into with some ingenuity applied, and the transition will be different whatever. Plus a 1/4 won’t look as cool (which, let’s face it, does matter) and if you get bored or want to upgrade, you will NEVER sell a 1/4 LH double bass!

 

I’m not on Facebook any more but there was a guy near London selling a lefty 3/4 Gewa bass for £300 back in Dec. May still be there. They do turn up. 

[Mike Hulme]

There's currently a lefty on Facebook matketplace:

 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/905936938361630/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A30366b98-4455-4410-abc8-442daa1c519a

 

It's in Portsmouth, and £400.

 

Mike

[NickA]

6 hours ago, AndyBass said:

You’d be surprised what cars a 3/4 will fit into

My 4/4 goes in my Skoda Citigo. 

 

In fact I took the Citigo to a bass bash with:  double bass, pjb flightcase & pb300, 2x Wals and a Warwick. Had to leave my bitsa fretless jazz at home tho.

[Burns-bass]

You can get a 4/4 in the smallest cars (I have!).

 

Last gig I got my DB, two 10” cabs, two amps and a leads box. We also got two guitars, two guitar amps, a PA speaker on and a coat, all in a 2034 Dacia Sandero.

 

Fold down the seats and by turning the bass on its side, you can slide the neck between the two front seats and secure in place with a coat or some padding. Easy!

 

[Happy Jack]

[Staggering on]

4 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

You can get a 4/4 in the smallest cars (I have!).

 

Last gig I got my DB, two 10” cabs, two amps and a leads box. We also got two guitars, two guitar amps, a PA speaker on and a coat, all in a 2034 Dacia Sandero.

 

Fold down the seats and by turning the bass on its side, you can slide the neck between the two front seats and secure in place with a coat or some padding. Easy!

 

 

Living in the future! That 2034 Dacia must be quite a car.😀

[Burns-bass]

7 minutes ago, Staggering on said:

 

Living in the future! That 2034 Dacia must be quite a car.😀

I’m too tired to edit it.