LeftyBassist.com

Hi Everyone, I'm Glenn, a newbie but I've lurked for about a year and really do like your forum.
I've wondered, since Fender seems to not have a ton of love for the 10-15% who are left handed, what lefty bass are YOU wanting to see in production? One you're waiting to buy.
About once every couple of months I go through the Fender site to find my baby but it's hasn't appeared yet!

Kind Regards,
Glenn

Welcome, Glenn.

For me, it would have to be the original single coil P bass (or 1st series single coil Telecaster bass), followed by the Mustang. I know a lot of us are waiting on those, and some have opted other builder routes to get the look/sound. (See the Douglas Pisces bass for a cheap alternative). The original P bass, IMO, is aesthetically one of the most beautiful basses Fender ever made. LOVE the Tele headstock and larger pickguard.

DITTO, PJ! The original Fender Precision basses are just beautiful!
I have a Douglas Pisces, pictured here, with crude temporary white plexi guard for comparison- I have since made a nice thin vinyl one for it. It's a good bass, especially considering it was only 139 bucks. It always surprises people when I bring it out. The fit and finish is as nice as the Indonesian Squier VM's, I know, I have one. I'm a repairman- luthier. I'm building three basses now, one is a parts single coil p-bass...it has an ash USACG slab tele body, but I think I'm going to cut contours in it.
I cannot find an aftermarket parts jobber that makes a one piece chunky 'v' shaped left handed Fender tele-precision neck with a skunk stripe. All use a separate fingerboard. Not what I want- So, If I have to, I will make one, and use a GOOD double acting truss rod. If anyone sees one for sale, please let me know, it will save me a lot of time!

I agree on the '51 P and the Mustang!

I would also like to see more variation in the models already on offer. Not just black, sunburst, and only rosewood boards. Where's our maple, and why don't they offer any more finish options? Now all lefties playing Fender look alike

Jeroen you are spot on!

Why doesn't Fender make ALL the basses they offer, in exactly the same colors, but in left hand? They did that up until some bean counter or other blithering idiot management type made their minds up to stop it. I had a white '71 rosewood neck Jazz bass, and a black '73 maple neck p-bass, right off the production line. I've seen nice old Fenders in all kinds of really rare colors. I played Doug Lubahn's original 1960 factory Burgundy Mist P-bass and it was was pretty amazing. Don't know if he still has it.
Yves Carbone has a '63 Fiesta Red Jazz bass- I saw it on an Austrailian website prior to his acquiring it...it's well reliced, but it's original with matching headstock. Now that's rare. We should be able to get that now, in the much better built new era basses with the dual acting rods... FENDER, WAKE UP- WE HAVE MONEY, TOO!

A maple neck Jazz Bass with an Ash body and the pickups in the 70's position such as a 75RI (I know they had the MIJ one but it does not have the period correct pickups placement and it is too expensive for a MIJ)

This is one thing I never understood. I'm actually fairly sympathetic to guitar manufacturers' bottom line by overbuilding to what is 15% of the market tops - look what happened to Bach. However, what is the extra cost involved to paint the instruments as many colors as the righty instrument? The finishing dept shouldn't care what direction the body points and it would require no retooling or slowing down the production line. Does anyone know if this is an incorrect supposition on my part?

If they don't want to make any new lefty models, the least they could do is allow all those kickass MIJ models to be sold here.

Nope, if nothing else Carvin put the lie to that. There is absolutely NO reason that lefthanded instruments cannot be offered with different fretboard woods and in every color that the right handed instruments are. The production cost is the same.

I would be satisfied if Fender would simply offer a MIA Precision and Jazz standard model with the choice of maple or rosewood boards and the same selection of non-signature colors that they offer to the right handers. Oh, and don't gouge me for the "privilage".

As to what I wish they would offer, I'l add to the '51 Precision chorus. I was excited when I saw the Squire version of both the SCPB and Tele versions, but alas, foiled again.

I have long ago given up on any true lefty love from Fender.

I have been seriously considering the Douglas Pisces as I have a SX Jazz and it is actually phenominal, I even gig with it. I would reshape the headstock and maybe even do a refinish just for aestheics.

+1 infinity

Now piling on for a lefty '51 or '71 telecaster bass. Fender currently offers (3) models: Dirnt / Sting/ Modern Player and (0) are left handed. And if Fender displaying (0) left handed basses, and (0) left handed guitars at NAMM this year is any indication of their commitment to lefties, I'm not holding my breath for a second. Out of the hundreds of instruments they had on display, only left handed instrument there was (1) Squier VM bass in the corner. I walked in. Took a lap looking for the lefties. And walked out pissed.

I went to NAMM in Nashville a few years ago and specifically went to the Fender booth. I asked about the Roscoe Beck, 5-string, with a lefty body. No way. He did make a phone call and said that their custom shop could make me one for around $3500. At that time I owned a lefty Alembic, and I responded that for $3500 I could buy another Alembic.

I really, really wanted a Roscoe Beck.

Just so you guys get a better idea as to why we get NO love from manufacturers... even though ±10% of the world's population is left-handed, we make up less than 3% of the guitar and bass buying market.

I've talked to several custom builders who have told me that less than 1% of their sales are lefties. There are lots and lots of left-handed people who end up playing right-handed, for obvious reasons... so, even though a person is a lefty, it doesn't mean they'll play that way.

As for the subject at hand, I would pick this:

Thanks guys, lots of cool ideas. I'm like a lot of you who don't think Fender takes us lefties seriously. Nobody's asking them to reinvent the wheel, they're already tooled up to make lefty stuff, they just need to do it. I completely understand that it might be a special order item. I completely "get it" if they could only offer 50% of their line in lefty and I know that not many music stores will keep 'em in stock, these are things we're already used to. Still, there's no excuse for them not to keep a wider variety of bodys (colors!!!!) and necks so that they could assemble a lefthanded instrument in a few weeks...I'll start rambling if I'm not careful

To answer my own question though. If they were adding just one more model I'd probably hope for one that appeals to a wide variety of players with different styles. Something like the "Deluxe Active P-Bass Special" would be neat. P-body, J- neck, P-J pickups, maple or rosewood neck, 7 different models to choose from, under $1k retail. I'd say add a 3 way switch so you could solo either pickup or blend them. I've built such a bass on a MIM Jazz body and neck with EMG-X P-J pickups and it's a nice rig. The P pickup is in the normal rearward position unlike a lot of other P-J rigs.

Kind Regards,
Glenn

I'd be down for a '51 P. Realistically, I'd like a precision with a maple fretboard.

This. Definitely this.

Yowza, I agree!
Or a lefty Marcus Miller 5, with 70s pickup placement, a killer preamp and a smaller fingerboard radius. Those are absolutely killer!

"There are lots and lots of left-handed people who end up playing right-handed, for obvious reasons... so, even though a person is a lefty, it doesn't mean they'll play that way."

I've maintained this all along. The limited/non-existent support begets the lack of demand, not the other way around. If you give people no choices then they're forced to find a way elsewhere. For many it ends up switching over to the dark side, and for fewer others willing to brave it there's literally dozens of other companies and custom builders willing to give you what you want. Fender ain't the only game in town (Have you heard? Gibson's the new lefty mistress. Who'da thought?).

The Fender name obviously carries a great history and respect for it's revolutionary, iconic instruments, but perhaps we need to move on from the allure of owning one based almost purely on it's status value. Really folks, is it that hard to put together a good sounding/good playing P bass that doesn't bear the Fender logo on it? My guess is if you know what you're doing (Are you listening, Rod!), you'll find better instruments out there, as much as I like my Fenders. But if you're interest goes beyond that and you're looking for a rare collectible down the line, then I fully understand.

If they want to show support for lefties, fine, I'm all ears (and thumbs). And if not, I'll happily tell them to their faces that I prefer to play a (fill in the blank) because I'm not treated like a second class citizen.

http://www.adirondackguitar.com/lefty/k ... h/menu.htm
ken smith makes jazz bass look-alikes. there's even a 6 string version. personally I'm not into fender.
never liked their guitars nor their basses.
but I agree with pjmuck if yo're willing to pay for a brand new fender then you're obviously not buying a budget
instrument. just go with some other company.

Did you talk to Doug at Soulmate?

http://www.soulmateguitars.com/index.htm