Lefties in

Vintage, Modern, V & C series, Fretless, Signature & Special Editions

Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4

User avatar
xsubs
Member
Posts: 467
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 5:22 am

Lefties in

Post by xsubs »

Wildwood has posted a couple 4003 MG lefties... I'm not a south paw myself, but I know many have been waiting on this.
Last edited by xsubs on Tue Nov 13, 2012 2:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Rickenbacker '64 & '68 4001 basses ♦ Fender Pre-CBS J & P Basses and 1968 Telecaster Bass ♦ Moog Taurus III Bass Pedals ♦ Hiwatt (Hylight) Amplification
"A good bassist determines the direction of any band."- Ron Carter
User avatar
iamthebassman
Veteran RRF member
Posts: 2415
Joined: Tue May 28, 2002 5:00 am
Contact:

Re: Lefties in

Post by iamthebassman »

Never seen a lefty without a plexi TRC.
"Top 10 Best Bass Players" Austin Music Poll 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010
Ivan3000
Advanced Member
Posts: 2392
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:53 pm

Re: Lefties in

Post by Ivan3000 »

iamthebassman wrote:Never seen a lefty without a plexi TRC.
They don't have a mold for it. So all lefties have plexi TRC's. Lucky feature for lefties!
User avatar
iamthebassman
Veteran RRF member
Posts: 2415
Joined: Tue May 28, 2002 5:00 am
Contact:

Re: Lefties in

Post by iamthebassman »

Indeed!
"Top 10 Best Bass Players" Austin Music Poll 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010
Ivan3000
Advanced Member
Posts: 2392
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:53 pm

Re: Lefties in

Post by Ivan3000 »

iamthebassman wrote:Indeed!
It would make alot more sense just to make a mold, to cut the costs.
I understand that the manufacture of the mold would be an initial investment, but it would work out in the long run.
User avatar
bassduke49
Senior Member
Posts: 6580
Joined: Wed May 14, 2003 5:00 am

Re: Lefties in

Post by bassduke49 »

Yeah, but the "long run" on lefties will take a "long time" to make up for the initial cost. I'll be willing to bet they make one lefty for every 100 righties. No way to prove that, just a hunch. I'm sure that was considered when they designed the mold for the raised-letter TRC which appears to be used for all "non-vintage" guitars and basses. They just trim it a bit differently to fit certain instruments or mold it in different colored plastic for some models (4004 series, for example).
Author: "The Rickenbacker Electric Bass - 50 Years As Rock's Bottom"
User avatar
iamthebassman
Veteran RRF member
Posts: 2415
Joined: Tue May 28, 2002 5:00 am
Contact:

Re: Lefties in

Post by iamthebassman »

Hopefully they never change it, I don't care for the raised letter version.
"Top 10 Best Bass Players" Austin Music Poll 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010
User avatar
johnhall
RIC
Posts: 3926
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2000 11:17 am
Contact:

Re: Lefties in

Post by johnhall »

bassduke49 wrote:I'll be willing to bet they make one lefty for every 100 righties. No way to prove that, just a hunch.
I'll bet that number is closer to one in a thousand, at least in recent history.
User avatar
cassius987
Senior Member
Posts: 4723
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 2:11 pm

Re: Lefties in

Post by cassius987 »

Considering a lot of guitarists and bassists "convert" to right-handed early on from being left-handed at most other things, like me, I can imagine the demand for lefties in the guitar market is much lower than the proportion of lefties to righties in the general population. I have met lots of people who share my story or a similar one: only guitar to learn on was a righty, parent/teacher said to switch, etc., even that the extra left hand strength helped fretting a lot making right-handed guitar playing feel more natural.

I do think these TRCs look really neat, and lefties, I'm really happy for you as RIC couldn't have picked a better time to bring the lefty back than when the 4003 was already being made at such a great peak in overall quality.
User avatar
johnhall
RIC
Posts: 3926
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2000 11:17 am
Contact:

Re: Lefties in

Post by johnhall »

One thing I've never quite understood is a left-handed guitar. I mean the idea seems counter-intuitive to me.

The better part of playing is dexterity with the fretting hand, so wouldn't a left handed player be using the best hand for the job if he played a conventional guitar?

To test this theory, I could, of course, try to learn to play again on a left handed guitar . . . well, maybe not.
User avatar
sloop_john_b
Rick-a-holic
Posts: 13843
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 6:00 am

Re: Lefties in

Post by sloop_john_b »

Try it out on your left-handed piano first John.
User avatar
leftybass
RRF Consultant
Posts: 5359
Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2001 10:23 am

Re: Lefties in

Post by leftybass »

johnhall wrote:One thing I've never quite understood is a left-handed guitar. I mean the idea seems counter-intuitive to me.

The better part of playing is dexterity with the fretting hand, so wouldn't a left handed player be using the best hand for the job if he played a conventional guitar?

To test this theory, I could, of course, try to learn to play again on a left handed guitar . . . well, maybe not.
To the same degree, I have never understood how some baseball players can switch-hit, but they do.

If I picked up a right-handed bass and tried to play it, it would feel weird and out of place. I can chord and finger-pick better on a right-handed guitar, because I only owned basses for years (which were all lefty) and all my friends had right-handed guitars...I learned out of necessity and used what was available....I own some lefty guitars now and endeavor to learn 'properly'... :mrgreen:

A new 2012 4003 LH for me..? Soon. :wink:
Ivan3000
Advanced Member
Posts: 2392
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:53 pm

Re: Lefties in

Post by Ivan3000 »

johnhall wrote:One thing I've never quite understood is a left-handed guitar. I mean the idea seems counter-intuitive to me.

The better part of playing is dexterity with the fretting hand, so wouldn't a left handed player be using the best hand for the job if he played a conventional guitar?

To test this theory, I could, of course, try to learn to play again on a left handed guitar . . . well, maybe not.
I thought the same thing too. I'm a righty, but I naturally played guitar lefty when I started. My dad told me to convert, so I did.
I know it sounds silly, but thats the biggest regret of my life (so far). I could have been so much more suitable for a Beatles Cover Band.
User avatar
cassius987
Senior Member
Posts: 4723
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 2:11 pm

Re: Lefties in

Post by cassius987 »

IvanMunoz wrote:I know it sounds silly, but thats the biggest regret of my life (so far). I could have been so much more suitable for a Beatles Cover Band.
I'm sure there are other things a musician can aspire to... and if that's the biggest regret of your life then you're doing pretty good.
User avatar
johnhall
RIC
Posts: 3926
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2000 11:17 am
Contact:

Re: Lefties in

Post by johnhall »

leftybass wrote:If I picked up a right-handed bass and tried to play it, it would feel weird and out of place.

Let's suppose there never was such a thing as a left-handed guitar. So, would it be any harder for a lefty to learn the guitar? I can't imagine that it would and I suspect that the lefty might find it easier to learn chording using his dominant hand.

I suppose that finger-picking would level out the field, however, but using a pick I can't imagine that a lefty's right hand wouldn't easily be up to the task.
Post Reply

Return to “Rickenbacker Basses: by Joey Vasco & Tony Cabibe”