LeftyBassist.com

Hello, This new forum will be used to discuss all the new gear we bassists will find at the current NAMM show. I hope to update this thread for each NAMM Show.

Ba-ring it on!

Well, I guess we could start with NAMM 2009. Not much of a year for us as last year, but we were introduced to the new ESP LTD F-104L (the first lefty model by ESP). Not to mention that Ibanez has broadened it's sales with the infamous SR Basses and with the introduction to the new award winning SR Prestige line. even Fender got into the mix with unveiling their Steve Harris Precision Bass and their new Road Worn series. Dean also payed homage to the great Jeff Berlin with his new signature model. Dean also provided some new color to the Demonator Bass this year as well as handing out some new Edges. Warwick on the other hand has decreased it's market sales to just the Corvette series. the Buzzad and Stryker will have to ordered through their custom shop. BC Rich also didn't do much for bass this year as they only unveiled the new Virgin 4 model. Schecter's been busy with revamping the 004 and reanming it the Stargazer. they also unveiled the Devil series basses, which look alot like Gene Simmons's Punisher Bass. They also unveiled a new series called the Riot series which seems much classier than the rest of the Schecter models. more will be on the way soon!

Is Ibanez making a lefty Prestige Soundgear?

After I had the privelage of playing one (it was the s**t!) I haven't seen one on the website yet but I hope they do. Here is the Ibanez Website for the SR Presitge Line:

http://ibanez.com/BassGuitars/Series-sr_prestige

There isn't any word from companies like Rickenbacker of Hofner or that sort. I also found a company that does pay homage to us lefties and their instruments look pretty cool. they are known as Bernie Rico Jr. the CEO and founder is the son of the late Bernie Rico Sr., who was the founder of BC Rich. this is their website:
http://www.ricojrguitars.com/page.php?1

I also heard that some company is making a signature Stanley Clarke Wah Pedal

I got an update from Gibson... they are rereleasing the Grabber for a short time!!!

We are going to try really hard to get one/a couple of us at NAMM in January 2010 to photograph/report on all the lefty bass goodies coming out.

I played a right handed Gibson Grabber as a kid. Interesting bass...I am certain I'd have a different appreciation for it now.

That would be EBS. No word from them at all when it's going to be released.

Yeah, I heard they were reissuing this. I also heard it's going to be somewhere in the ballpark of a custom shop price too, i.e. $2500+. For a Grabber??? Leave it to the clueless idiots at Gibson to reissue a very average instrument that nobody wants, especially when you can get an original one off ebay for under a grand. The Ripper was a far superior bass, and given the number of players seen using them recently (or at least within the past 10 years like Green Day), they should be reissuing the Ripper instead. Though they may have missed the window of opportunity by now.

Actually they're reissuing both the ripper and the grabber at an over inflated price.

Leave it to Gibson to release something overpriced

Everything Gibson releases is overpriced.

I know , oh well, ESP is a pretty good company as well. I played a few floor models recently and I must say that I am ver impressed with how well they're put together. In anywho I also got a chance to play some of the new Sterlings by Music Man. Everything that a standard Stingray comes with is all in those basses

Höfner does produce lefties (of course, the man who made their 500/1 famous is a lefty!) but Rickenbacker has stopped taking orders for lefties for a while to clear their backorderlist for the regular models. They've also stopped taking orders for some vintage reissues and special editions. Rumour has it they're even ceasing production of their legendary 12-string guitars for a while. All these instruments will still be built for some time, but only to reply to orders that were made before the '09 NAMM.

I heard that rumor last year actually from Rickenbacker, as they posted it on their website... I'm still pissed about it.

A little over 2 years ago jimmy from southpaw guitars made a HUGE point of telling me that he had to cancel a $60,000.00 deposit on orders he placed with Ric because of their backlog. As most of you probably know, he's no longer a Ric dealer
So I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for lefty Ric's. They put out a batch of about a dozen or so assorted instruments just before Xmas. so we might see another batch in a month or two.

I got my 4003 new in January in the UK, at that moment they were readily available in a number of stores in the UK. The store where I ordered mine even had three in stock (Jetglo, Mapleglo and Fireglo) and another store even had four (the aforementioned colours, AND Midnight Blue!). I saw more on the net throughout the UK. The store where I got mine was the second-cheapest (with huge price differences actually! The cheapest was 1399 Pounds, mine was 1514 Pounds and the most expensive was 2599 Pounds. Yes, for exactly the same bass, a 2008 4003!). It's incredible how some stores try to make extra profit out of RIC's stop of taking lefty orders, even at a time when lefty 4003's are still readily available in several stores for more than 1000 Pounds less...