Calling all leftys

rikk · Post by **rikk** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 5:19 pm

I want to get my son a starter guitar. He is a lefty. Should I get him a lefty or a righty? When I give him my guitar sometimes he plays righty and sometimes he plays lefty. Any suggestions would be helpful.

alanz · Post by **alanz** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 5:29 pm

As a left-handed person who plays right handed I say get him to play right handed; he already has a lot of fine motor skills in his left hand, which is the one he'll be shaping chords and fingering lead notes with.

He'll progress very rapidly and will have a lot of satisfaction with his playing quickly.

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 5:33 pm

Lefties really suffer when is comes to buying guitars. The selection is not as good and you often have to take what you can get. You would be doing him a great service by starting him as a righty if he is capable.

jason_brown · Post by **jason_brown** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 8:35 pm

I agree with the above posts. I too am left-handed, but play righty. I feel very fortunate not having had to go through what left-handed players do.

leftyguitars · Post by **leftyguitars** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 8:59 pm

I am a "dealer" who specialises in left handed guitars. I always recommend that left handed people try to learn to play right handed first. 9 out of 10 left handed people will learn to play right handed without a problem if they have never picked up a guitar before. However if after trying there is no co-ordination, and it is getting nowhere, then learn left handed. Getting a lefty guitar is nowhere near as hard now as it used to be but I know of tutors who refuse to teach lefty players, and let's face it the world still makes life difficult for lefties no matter what they do.

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 5:09 am

A friend of mine is a lefty and he envys the guitar selection available to righties. In a guitar show of a few thousand instruments, there may only be 1 or 2 lefthanded models. Lefthanded vintage guitars often come at a premium beyond that of the same guitar in right hand.

wings012345 · Post by **wings012345** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 5:50 am

Let him play lefty!!! Sure, it's harder to find guitars, but there out there. Plus he will be different, looks cooler on stage. If he is a true lefty, why change him. it's who he is.

alanz · Post by **alanz** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 6:55 am

Most left-handed people are actually quite ambidextrous, because the right-handed dominant culture worldwide makes us do things their way to begin with.

For example, nearly every sporting activity I play is in right-handed form except racket sports. I throw right-handed, bat right-handed, golf right-handed. I am left footed (very useful for soccer). I write, eat and do a few other essential things left-handed, though, so that's what I declare myself to be.

For me, picking up a guitar and playing it right-handed was natural and correct. We are well past those dark days when left-handers were punished for being superior; nowadays we are just pushed aside.

leftyguitars · Post by **leftyguitars** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 7:36 am

Ted, you are so right!
Arlington this year 10,000 right handed guitars and 6 left handed ones. (My figures might not be 100% accurate though

).

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 7:38 am

Alan: LOL! I agree with you. I do as much with my right hand as I do with my left, but guitar playing has always felt normal to me as a lefty. I play guitar both ways, but bass was/is strictly a left-handed affair.

rikk · Post by **rikk** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 8:08 am

Thanks so much. I think I'll try a righty for him. I can always re-string it lefty if need be. I can't find a short scale in lefty anyway.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 3:27 pm

Rikk said:

...I can't find a short scale in lefty anyway....

http://cgi.ebay.com/1984-Rickenbacker-320-Left-Handed-Guitar-Jetglo_W0QQitemZ7363009067QQcategoryZ41439QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Ummm ... you were saying ...?

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 5:04 pm

I know someone who owns that same model and color in LH. He is always on the verge of selling it. This auction ought to be of interest to him.

rikk · Post by **rikk** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 6:09 pm

Did I mention my son is only 7? A bit too much for a first guitar.

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 6:42 pm

He'd never need a new one.. get it fer him!