Left Handed Bass article
Common Left Handed Bass Mistakes to Avoid
Most beginner bass mistakes apply equally to left-handed players. The lefty-specific errors are few: buying a converted asymmetric bass, skipping the setup and ignoring nut quality on second-hand instruments.
Most mistakes made by left handed bass players are not specific to being left-handed — they are the same errors that affect all beginners. The few that are specific to lefties relate to instrument sourcing and setup. Understanding both categories in advance reduces the time spent correcting them.
Mistake 1: Buying a Right-Handed Bass and Restringing It on an Asymmetric Design
Restringing a right-handed bass and flipping it to play left handed bass style produces immediate ergonomic problems on asymmetric designs. The lower cutaway — the deeper horn that allows access to upper frets — faces the wrong direction. The volume and tone controls end up under your forearm. The nut is cut for the wrong string order, which means string slots are the wrong width for the strings now occupying them, causing tuning instability and potential string binding. On a symmetric design (Hofner violin bass, for example) this approach is legitimate. On a Fender-style instrument, it is not worth the compromise when purpose-built alternatives exist.
Mistake 2: Skipping the Setup
Production instruments at all price levels often arrive with action too high, intonation uncalibrated and neck relief poorly adjusted. Playing on an unsetup instrument makes notes harder to fret, causes buzzing or dead spots, and makes intonation in higher positions unreliable. These setups are not more complicated than right-handed ones — any competent guitar tech can perform them. Budget £30–£60 for a professional setup before your first proper practice session.
Mistake 3: Holding Too Much Tension in the Fretting Hand
Gripping the neck too hard and fretting with excessive force is the most common technical error for any beginner. The left hand (in a left-handed player's case, the fretting hand) requires only enough pressure to produce a clean note. Excess tension causes fatigue, imprecision and can lead to overuse injuries. Use the lightest pressure that produces a clean result. If a note buzzes, check your position relative to the fret rather than pressing harder.
Mistake 4: Ignoring the Nut When Buying Used
A second-hand left handed bass may have been converted from a right-handed instrument by cutting a new nut with reversed string spacing. Confirm that the nut is properly cut for the strings being used. A poorly cut nut causes tuning instability, string binding and inconsistent open-string tone. If the instrument has clearly been a conversion, check whether the nut work is clean and confirm string-to-string spacing is even. Replacing a nut is inexpensive but should factor into the negotiated price.
Mistake 5: Expecting the Same Range as Right-Handed
Searching for a left handed bass equivalent of every popular right-handed model and being disappointed by limited colour, specification and availability is a frustration rather than a mistake — but managing expectations from the start saves time. Most manufacturers offer core left-handed models in standard finishes only. Demanding more from the market than it currently provides leads to delays, over-spending on custom orders for non-critical specifications, or waiting indefinitely for a stock model that may not arrive. Focus on what is available in the configuration that matters — body style, scale, string count — and be flexible on aesthetics.
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