I threw right, but batted left and golfed right. I consider myself to be moderately ambidextrous, but I can’t write at all left handed. If I were in your place, I would seriously try out a left handed bass (strung correctly), even if I had to rent one. Especially if I was just starting out learning, as @joeike suggests.
IMHO, it would be just way too complicated to flip a right handed bass over and play upside down (although it IS possible to do as @Koldunya pointed out).
Any way you want to look at it, if something is easier to do, feels more natural, and isn’t painful, then it should be done that way . . .
It’s probably too late but when you are just starting out it really doesn’t matter which orientation you go with as both would feel like your weak hand anyways. It’s not about muscle but muscle memory. Both hand has significantly important job to do. Think piano it doesn’t matter what hand orientation when you are new to it you are screw either way, lol.
Speaking of drums. I’m a right handed player playing cross hand to high hat then added the extra high hat over the bass drum to play open handed style. It was much better. Then I saw Simon Phillips open handed video and I started playing that, it’s very difficult to switch that way but after rewiring my brain and build up some muscles and muscle memory I just love it. I actually setup my drums somewhat ambidextrous since it’s the eDrum I just have to add high hat control by the bass drum.
It’s the second guessing that is the rub here. Because you really don’t know one way or the other which would be “better”. You’re just going to choose a path and stick with it. I am happy I went left handed cause I had always wondered about it (going to Suzuki guitar class with my son, I floated the idea out of playing left handed, and the teacher reminded me I am here to teach the kid, not to learn myself…I was trying to double dip.) so when I was choosing a bass, I wanted to go left handed to avoid the wondering years down the road. I probably would be just as bad/good/far along now either way. But I would have definitely gotten way too into trying other basses and wondering what If about the stock at Guitar Center. So I feel good about that too. Instead of spending time worrying about the what ifs, that time is better spent practicing probably.
I got myself a beautiful left-handed bass. It is working quite well as I “stopped” the modules for a few days so I didn’t learn anything new with the right-handed area. I can now start up again with confidence. I’ll probably just go back to the start and do a quick brush up. I also have some in person lessons at our local music academy starting on Saturday. I think the two will compliment each other nicely. OMG…I’m doing this! yeah baby.
I’m left handed and do everything as a lefty except for playing the bass. When I went to check out basses at Guitar Center, all they had were right hand models on display. I tried some of them out and it felt so natural to be fretting with my dominant hand, and so that’s how I’ve been playing for almost a year now. I have zero regrets that I’ve chosen to do it this way.
Count me in as a lefty who plays righty. I’ve often wondered about whether I could play left-handed. I recently had the opportunity to try a lefty guitar. Couldn’t do a thing with it… I also have two sons, one lefty, and the other righty. They both do things opposite of their dominant sides. Guess that’s the way it works sometimes.
