Tired of waiting for a lefty, I pulled the SCPB trigger!

[ADSR]

Will I ever find a lefty SCPB that doesn't cost small fortune? I doubt it...tho with my luck, now, Fender will release one tomorrow.

I was considering making, or having one made but I just don't know enough get the job done right and get real impatient when projects like that are in somebody else's hands.

With the price going up, I decided to just grab a right handed Classic Vibe 50's Squier and deal with it. I played one upside down several times in the shop. Seemed like conversion to lefty play would not be too awkward. Balance is acceptable and controls will be out of harm's way. So I done the deed.
The nut popped right out and snapped back into place reversed. Re stringing was no problem. Got a few more minor issues to deal with but I think it's going to work out very well as a lefty.
Will report back with more info and maybe some pics.

[andrew]

Ever see the movie The Commitments?

[ADSR]

Ever see the movie The Commitments?

Well, no, but I'm guessing maybe there's someone playing left handed on a right handed SCPB with the strings reversed? Are they really playing it or just synching to to a soundtrack?

[andrew]

Yes, their bass player is a lefty playing a righty SCPB, and he really plays it.

[AustinLeftyBass]

Uhhh...ever heard of Keith Ferguson?

[Basshappi]

I feel your pain brother! Congrats on the new bass.

[ADSR]

Uhhh...ever heard of Keith Ferguson?

Not until now altho I guess I have heard him on recordings. Thanks, ALB, for pointing him out.

Just googled and I see he (was?) a lefty playing a reversed righty SCPB. Cool!

[Matt R.]

Cool. I just googled keith ferguson. that type of PBass looks killer upside down for some reason

[ADSR]

Man there must be an unusually high percentage of lefty bass players in Austin! When I visited in 2006 I saw a band with another lefty player with a P strung right handed.

[pjmuck]

Lead singer/bassist of The Doves plays an upside down righty P lefty.

[Matt R.]

Lead singer/bassist of The Doves plays an upside down righty P lefty.

Yes! I'm a big fan of those guys

[ADSR]

Just an update after playing 2 gigs and several rehearsal sessions, I can say that this right handed Squier P 50's Classic Vibe flipped lefty has exceeded all expectations.

Conversion to play lefty was a simple process. When flipped, the tugbar was in a fairly good location to use as a thumb-rest, but I found it awkward so I removed it. I installed my own thumb-rest which feels more comfortable. Put in Straplocks positioned for lefty play. With a strap, the bass does tend to neck-dive down to about 45 degrees. I know that's a problem for some players but it's has never been a big issue for me. My old '67 lefty P neck-dives the same way because the body is so light and I've long since gotten used to it. I can easily hold this bass in good playing position and the controls are set back far enough that they are not in my way. The body shape, control positions, and balance also work fine for me to play seated.
The build quality is excellent, the bass feels solid and sturdy and the Lake Placid Blue finish is gorgeous with the maple neck in high gloss. I may want to change the tuning gears down the road altho the ones that are on there now work OK.

The sound? Well I've read dozens of descriptions of how good SCPB's sound and they are all different so YMMV. On the few occasions when I've heard SCPB's played live I noticed a certain distinctive tonality, especially in the low notes. I'd describe it as a purity in the fundamental with a real in-your-face old school punch and growl. It's a different sound from any other bass including split coil P's. Regardless of how accurate my description is, it's a sound I immediately recognize as coming from a SCPB. I put TI flats on this bass and installed a foam mute, and that SCPB tone that I expected is unmistakeably there, and it's there in spades.

So I finally got my SCPB fix. I'm diggin this bass, big time!

[Rodent]

definitely wanting to see an image or two of the mods you've made. congrats on this working out so well!

all the best,

R

[AzWhoFan]

Pardon my ignorance, but what does SCPB stand for?
Squire Classic Precision Bass?

[ADSR]

Pardon my ignorance, but what does SCPB stand for?
Squire Classic Precision Bass?

Sorry, Single Coil Precision Bass. It's the original Precision bass design using a single coil single pole type pickup as opposed to the more typical Precision split coil dual pole pickup. The SCPB design has been reissued many times by Fender but lefty versions in the original or the reissues are extremely rare.

definitely wanting to see an image or two of the mods you've made. congrats on this working out so well!

all the best,

R

I'll try to get some pics in but there is really not much to see different from the stock piece. The only really noticeable change is that I installed a white plastic disc about 2 inched wide that sits just ahead of the pup and extends out from under the strings to serve as a thumb-rest.

[ADSR]

definitely wanting to see an image or two of the mods you've made. congrats on this working out so well!

all the best,

R

I just put pics of my small lefty bass collection in the photo gallery thread, including the flipped Squier Classic Vibe 50's P.

This bass is really impressing me. I've played in a number of situations now thru various large and small rigs. The low notes on the E string have amazing clarity along with that deep punch, probably a combination of the single coil pickup and the muted TI flats seriously kickin' butt!!