Left handed frustrations?

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by Django2000

Out of interest, is speed a problem for you leftys playing right handed? Can you pick say 16th notes at 90-110bpm?
I can't right handed, but I can left handed

I am a profoundly left-handed guy playing right-handed. The question isn't about speed, but coordination. To a lefty playing rightie, right-handed things that are considered simple to execute by a right-hander can be extremely difficult for a lefty. While you may be able to play fast, long passages may cause your idiot right hand to eventually screw up, for instance. As a result, you may limit the length of time you let a run that requires precise right-hand timing to last, for example.

I've payed a lot attention to lefties playing righty (Duane Allman, Mark Knopfler, Gary Moore, et. al.). I've discovered that many of them adopt a style that emphasizes left-hand articulation over right-hand precision. Interestingly, with finger picking I don't feel the limitations as badly.

Bob

[Jengstrom]

I had a couple cheap righty guitars as a kid. I could strum a few cowboy chords but couldn't do leads or any melodies worth a darn. I put it down for many years.

When I was 51, I bought a lefty guitar (paying a premium for it being a lefty) and went to work. I wouldn't call myself good by a long shot, but I'm a heck of a lot better than I ever was as a righty.

Depending on whose numbers you look at, lefties comprise 10-20% of the population. However, I've read that only 3% of all guitars sold are lefties. It makes perfect sense from a business standpoint that stores don't carry a lot of good (translated "expensive") lefty guitars. They want to move inventory.

There are several online stores that have a big lefty inventory. However, the ones I'm thinking of advertise prices higher than MAP, even though the brands in question advertise as 'lefty friendly' or state there is no premium for lefty. This aggravates me more than the lack of inventory. For price, unless you get lucky and find the right guitar at your local store or at one of the AGF sponsers, you have to deal online with the major players. Hit and miss.

In any case, I can't imagine going back to playing right handed. Now golf, on the other hand...

Thanks for reading the rant.

John

[Muddslide]

Originally Posted by dkstott

I'm left handed in the majority of my daily life. But in 1965, when I wanted to play guitar. Left handed guitars were pretty much non-existent or priced way out of my parents budget. So I was taught to play right handed & have never looked back.

Same. My father would only help me purchase a guitar (I worked off his portion of the cost) or pay for lessons if I learned to play righty.

I'm glad he did for 3 main reasons:

- The lack of availability and often extra expense of left handed guitars

- I can pick up and play nearly any guitar at any shop or anyone's house

- I think it's beneficial to have the left hand dexterity on the fretboard. It seems to me you'd want your dominant hand on the neck.

[Brazad]

If you're a "true" lefty, and only want to play lefty, there's no reason to be frustrated.

https://www.jerrysleftyguitars.com/

https://leftyguitarsonly.com/

https://www.dhrguitarexperience.com/

https://www.southpawguitars.com/

On top of these stores there are countless luthiers willing to build you a custom lefty guitar in your flavor, whether you want electric or acoustic.

Good luck!

Gary

[rodmbds]

I'm keeping a close eye on this thread. Not only learning a lot but also discovering different points of view.

Indeed, there's a great number and variations of left guitars out there. As I mentioned, I share some of the OPs frustration, but not so much as I used to feel before the internet made it easier to find these guitars.

As for resources, I've been used to read chords upside down and can't actually use lefty chord diagrams and tabs.

What I've always found frustrating, though, was to find thumbpicks for letf hands. Some time ago I traveled to London and searched for them in every shop on Denmark Street - no luck.

I learned about getting a better fit of the thumbpicks by putting them in hot water and loosen or tighten them while still hot. Didn't take long till I figured a way of "inverting" in the hot water and finding a good fit afted removing.

While in the hot water, you can use some pliers to do so, or chopsticks (what I did, thanks to my Asian wife's help).

By the way, I hold the chopsticks with my left hand, though I can do it with my right.

And a curiosity: forks and spoons with left hand though if having a dessert, I'll do it with my right. Never noticed that until one day my wife asked me why was I holding the spoon with my right. Go figure...

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by Paddy1951

I do remember seeing a guitar shop that was specifically for South Paws.

https://www.southpawguitars.com

[SouthpawJeff]

I guess I’m lucky as there were enough lefty guitars in my area it was never a real problem. Of course it stinks when you walk into a guitar shop and can’t find anything to play, but I can’t complain too much. Having read numerous posts here over time i realize there are people who have to drive an hour or more just to get to a single guitar store! I have over a dozen within 1/2 hour of my home.

I don’t own any expensive guitars but own 2 acoustics, 2 solid body electrics, a hollow body arch top, and a nylon string classical, ( which to be fair started its life as a righty), and a couple more that were moved along over the years....so being left handed obviously hasn’t prevented me from finding nice toys to play with.

So I can sympathize with you, but don’t let it get in the way. You may have to look a little harder, but there’s plenty out there to choose from.

Good luck,
Jeff