LeftyBassist.com

stumbled into this while searching for a double headed guitar.
you would guess these are the closest to affordability when it comes to getting what you want in an unnatural manner.
Im realy doubting any of these are the real deal (even the stingrays and esp the rickenbacker look a-likes), thinking copies from china/korea but all left handed, anyone else seen this site before?
http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?Sea ... 0&manual=y

come to think of it...
the lack of info just wreaks of scams left and right.
a good forewarning none the less
but all in all, nvm.

This site has been around for a while- they are indeed Chinese copies. Not a scam, I haven't heard of anyone that has bought from them, but they seem like just another Chinese company doing business on the internet. If anyone has had some experience buying from them, please post!

I like the brand name on that McCartney memorial edition: DAVE

Memorial edition?

Wow... so Paul is dead.

I have a Blueburst Rick copy. Surprisingly a very cool bass-- very similar to the Tokai Rockenbetter being sold in the UK. Quality level comparable to Dillion, Epiphone and other halfway decent quality Chinese built stuff that you'd be familiar with these days...if this were sold here in your local Guitar Center it would probably retail for around $499-$599. Plays and sounds great, though it doesn't sound particularly Rick-like (more like a good P/J tonal palate, thus less personality but actually more useful in many ways than a Rick). Has a couple things about it that I like better than my real Rick:

-The color (I'm a sucker for that Blueburst)
-The slightly bevelled front and back body contours (more comfortable)
-The back angled headstock (I prefer an angled string break over the nut for tension, intonation and resonance)

I ordered it from one of the China export sites quite a while ago (there are several others in addtion to aliexpress) using Paypal (hell of a lot easier than ordering a Bach bird)... The most hilarious feature: they put the name "Rickenbacker" on the truss cover backwards... which seems strangely ironic/appropriate. You have be really selective about what you order from over there, as the quality varies significantly from model to model, factory to factory- but if you do your research there is some decent stuff being done for the price, in the same factories that are already doing manufacturing for various brand names in the US and other markets.

Carmine do you have more pics of this bass/pics of the back?

LOL, that mirrorred TRC reminds me of that guy with the elusive lefty Red Rick...

This one looks nice....

http://www.aliexpress.com/product-fm/58 ... alers.html

I like the last picture of the back of the headstock - it says "Made In The USA".... then when you scroll down to the description, it says "Place of Origin: China".... Well, China owns a lot of our debt, so that statement ain't that far off!

There was a thread on Talkbass a while ago about one of these companies making a rip off Garrison Fodera and Jens did this video at the last NAMN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARyVweFJH5A

all those people complaining about the knock offs kind of come off as elitist, I personally don't see a problem with someone selling a 400 dollar knock off of a 20,000 dollar bass. As long as its not priced like the real thing I don't see the issue. BTW carmine the color on that fakenbacker is awsome.

I imagine a lot of these instruments are built with genuine parts that are "liberated" from the factory. As long as they're not misrepresented as a "real" whatever, it's probably the only way some people can get their hands on an instrument in some parts of the world, much like the ban on U.S. imports in the 50's in the U.K. and the Cold War caused the rise of alternative instruments in Europe. Many of which now are collector's items.

Maybe in twenty or thirty years, a "Fakenbacker" will command an amazing sum. And here we are, not stocking up!

Carmine - do you have any suggestions on how I can find out about these dealers/factories?

I agree, and considering theres not much options or availability for lefty's vs right handed player
these instraments are quite tempting, thats why im not suprised more generic left handed instraments are popping up, i did recall a year back theres a company in aust that strictly makes left handed look alikes of no-longer made models of the real deal, http://www.gaskellguitars.com/ more $ vs china but genuine hand made and not available there .
thanks for the confirmation.
dunno if its just me.. but for owning the real deal on an uncommon bass I would say noone take more pride
to having it than a lefty.

You could try http://www.tradetang.com

you could get a fodera http://www.tradetang.com/wholesale+fodera_c22.html or a Alleva Coppolo LM5 http://www.tradetang.com/for-sale/New-Alleva-Coppolo-LM5-Model-Electric-Guitar/149195-2231868.html#

Thanks - it's interesting stuff. As for unauthorised knock-offs, I believe the Hofner violin bass was also a pretty blatant copy of an earlier Gibson design and that copy became the most famous bass of all time. Gibson probably couldn't be bothered go after a West German company in the 1950/60s either much like modern companies won't have much luck with any cease & desist orders in China.

I'll try to take some more first chance I get.

Has anyone placed an order from this company recently? I'm thinking about going for something on their site.

Carmine, I too would be interested to know some research tips...My woman has been telling I need to stop getting cold feet about purchasing a new bass and go for it and that 5 string jazz they have on that site looks like a project waiting to happen, or at least the neck basswood is so

i had bought a lefty gibson lp jr dc guitar copy from tradetang a few years back i wasnt hoping for much but when it came i was very pleased with it i would say it was up to par with anything that epiphone makes.