LeftyBassist.com

Lefties from all over the world get united!
1st „Lefty BassDay“ in Duisburg


CMS Music Equipment and Arnis Lefthand Bassplayer Community are hosting the 1st Lefty BassDay on 19th September 2009 in Duisburg.

We would like to host this premiere in the three-country-triangle Germany/The Netherlands and Belgium on the premises of the company “CMS Music Equipment” and we like to invite all Lefthand-Bassplayers to this event.
The Bassplayer Stephanie Weidner (CMS) is, as is probably known, a Lefty. So the idea was born to host a meeting on this subject for everybody interested.

As well as offering a wide range of CMS Lefthand-Bassguitars we would like to ask you for your support to be able to present a wide spectrum of Lefties.
We would therefor kindly ask you: “Bring your basses along.”

Our aim is to be able to present a such a big number of Lefthand-Basses, that wouldn’t be found in this variety in any shop.
Especially for this event we have created a website-forum on http://s1.zetaboards.com/Arni/index/ on which anybody interested can leave wishes and suggestions on what he/she would like to see and try on this 1st LeftyBassDay.

I am looking forward to meeting a lot of friends with their bassguitars on this day and I am hoping, that many people will show interest in this event.
Ideas and suggestions of any kind are welcome.
The Entry is obiously free of charge.

Further details and development will published on:
CMS Music Equipment (http://www.cmsme.de/)
Arnis Lefthand Bassplayer Community (http://www.leftybass.com)

I'll be there! Will probably bring a 2008 Rickenbacker 4003 along

Great Jeroen!
I´m glad to meet you in person!
A lefty Rickenbacker 4003 is a highlight!

Thanks

Wish I could spring for the plane ticket from the states. Have fun guys

Wish I could come to show you my Red Rick. I'm sure it will be an awesome time though and i look foward to seeing some pics

Sorry Arni
I've just purchased a new house in Alberta and I have to spend whatever time I can get off of work down there this year creating and overseeing the contractors construct my landscaping which I'm being told will set me back between 30 - 40K.
The Gibson EB-3 will be staying home
Rick

I got an email from Arni yesterday asking if I could raise some attention for the Lefty Bass Day he's organising. It's this saturday at CMS Music Store in Duisburg, Germany. I'm not sure if there are many Western-European members on this board, but it's always worth a try:
http://www.leftybass.com/1_Lefty_BassDa ... sDay_E.htm

The program is in German, but I think the general message will come across . Below is a section in English.

The main goal will be to provide a meeting place for lefthanded bass players, and to gather a large amount of lefthanded basses to provide lefties with an opportunity they'll rarely get (and definitely not in music stores): being able to play an enormous variety of lefthanded basses! Some German and Polish luthiers will also present their instruments, and bring along some lefty models. There will be basses from Clover, Börjes, BassLine, ESH, Maruszcyk, Spector, Squire, Ibanez, MusicMan, Waja-Bass, Schwalbe, Alembic, Rickenbacker, Hamer, Carvin, Fender, Italia, Marleaux, Rössel, Sandberg, Wal and Phantom!

I'll be there, I'm very curious to meet Arni after browsing on his site A LOT, buying and selling basses through his site and emailing back and forth with him.

I'd love to go from the UK if I could, but unfortunately I have a full day of commitments based around earning my living to help pay for my infatuation with expensive basses! (Good news is that some of them actually get played in the process )

Arni, I'll be there in spirit, and so will my friends...

1977 Jazz 4;
1998 Thumb 5 BO;
2003 MIM Jazz 4;
2005 SEI Original Headless 5;
2007 Shuker Headless 5;
2009 Regenerate Axiom 4 (who could well have been the first of his kind to experience German hospitality, but you'd need to ask Rodent about that).

If there's a gathering next year we'll be there! Have a great day.

So how'd this go, anyone attend?

I was there, it was fun. I think there were approximately 35 lefty bassplayers attending, so not an awful lot, but for a first time this certainly was a success. All attendants had brought at least one bass along, offering a wide selection of lefthanded basses ready to be played by anyone curious to try them out. Among others there were Arni's two Alembic 5-strings, Arni's Wal Mk.II fretless, Arni's Hamer Chaparral 12-string, an Ibanez ATK305 that belongs to Arni's son, two identical Stingray 5's, a '77 Jazz, a Turner 5-string fretless, a nice custom Sandberg, an incredible (and incredibly heavy) Warwick Thumb doubleneck (6-string fretted + 5-string fretless), a Carvin 5-string, my MIJ Jazz, my Italia, my Rickenbacker and my Ibanez Musician. Especially the Rickenbacker received a lot of attention

The store itself had an interesting (and large!) stock of lefty basses too, most of which were of German (Sandberg, Clover, Phantom, Waja, Börjes, Basslines, Esh) or Polish (Maruszczyk) origin. From some German brands luthiers were present on the meeting to provide more information about their instruments and take orders. Some incredible basses there! I especially enjoyed the old Ibanez RS924 hanging there. The electronics need some work but the bass is great fun to play and sounds good. It belongs to the owner's daughter who played it as her first bass. All in all (both store inventory and basses of the attendants) there probably were approximately 50-60 lefthanded basses at hand.
An amazing stock of amps too, lots of TecAmp stuff and Aguilar and Glockenklang.

CMS Music lefty stock:


The clinics were fun to watch and great to listen to as well. I especially enjoyed Maruszczyk-endorsee Armin Alic with his Royal Street Orchestra, who mixed gipsy jazz with classical and pop music in a very interesting way. Well worth checking out and listening to.

Most attendants were from Germany, but there was one Danish guy and some 8 or 9 Dutch people. Everyone got along nicely, the atmosphere was very pleasant and everything was perfectly arranged. Store personnel was very kind and friendly too and had thought of everything. There were plenty of refreshments and great food free of charge, and there was no entry fee whatsoever. Very well organised. And Arni is a very kind and friendly guy, and very enthousiastic too. I had a great day, met some interesting people and played some incredible instruments I would otherwise never see. Well worth the 2,5 hour drive!

And of course everyone got to sign Arni's 'autograph bass'

Me signing Arni's autograph bass, an old Hohner Precision copy


There will probably be another Lefty Bass Day next year

Wow! That looks like a complete success. Wish I were there. Looks like I'll need to save up my pennies (or sell off some basses) to justofy another trip to Germany next year.

Jeroen, what's that orange bass hanging on the top level with the guitar pick-shaped pickguard?

That's a Bassline Buster CW X-tender.
http://www.bassline-bass.de/en_bassline ... uster.html
Very nice bass with an interesting pickup concept (the Delano X-tender HE).

The full stock you're seeing, from left to right (if I remember correctly):
Top row: Spector Rebop 4-string, Spector Rebop DLX 5-string, Maruszczyk Jake, Squier P-bass Special, Ibanez RS924, Maruszczyk Jake, 2x Bassline Buster CW X-tender, Ibanez GSR200, Richwood J-style and a Bassline Incognito.
Bottom row: Sandberg California PM5, Sandberg California MM5, Sandberg Basic JM6, Clover Apeiron Classic 6, 4 Esh basses I don't know by name, Börjes Bassinger 4 JM, and two Dead Butlers (by Bassline, a 4- and 5-string). And just before the far right Dead Butler is another Bassline Buster, a 6-string with dual MM-style humbuckers. Beautiful bass!

So, are any of the Europeans here coming to visit the 2nd Lefty Bass Day in Duisburg, Germany on the 18th of September?
I'll be there again, and I'm looking forward to it

Damn! I've already signed up to go to my high school reunion on the same day, or I-Would-be-There! Well, no matter what, I'm there in Spirit! you all have a great time!