About Left Handed Guitars

Left handed guitars are designed in the exact opposite way as a right handed guitar. The head, neck and body are all reversed, allowing a player to play in the same way a right handed player would. Visually, this creates a mirror image of right handed players, whether playing individual strings or a combination of chords. Besides traditional electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitars are also available in a left handed style.

Features

A variety of companies such as Fender and Gibson make guitars that are specifically designed for left handed individuals. According to Drexel University, ten percent of the population is left handed at most. However, these companies only make approximately two to three percent of their guitars for left handed people.

Significance

The most common left-handed guitar is that which is played with the string correctly aligned in position. This means that the guitar was specially designed to have the strings aligned for traditional guitar playing with the lowest string on the top.

Considerations

Some players, instead of investing in a specially built left-handed guitar, simply use a regular guitar and align the strings backwards. This allows a person to play as a right handed individual would. However, the challenge with this is that the guitar's head is not designed for this; it requires a greater fundamental understanding of the instrument.

Effects

Due to the limited amount of models that are manufactured by the guitar industry, the costs for a left handed guitar can be up to double compared to right handed models. The more common the model, the more cost effective the price. The Fender Stratocaster is the most manufactured left handed guitar in the world, according to Guitar Player Magazine.

Misconceptions

Not all people who play left handed choose to buy a specific left handed guitar. Some players simply play a regular guitar backwards. This is more common with older players such as Dick Dale and Seal, and due mostly to the lack of left handed guitars until the 1980s.

Resources

• Playing a Left Handed Guitar
• Left Hand Guitar Dealer