Left Handed Guitars
As manufacturers tend, for reasons of profit, to manufacture things that are geared to the majority, there are many things that are made for the “righties”, and the lefties are left with tools that are difficult for them to use, or with a much smaller choice of products.
One such area is the niche of musical instruments, or more specifically the niche of string instruments – or more specifically, guitars. Right handed people hold the guitar with their left hand and strum with their right. Left handed people feel more comfortable doing the opposite. But if they hold a regular guitar with their right hand, the strings will be in the wrong order, and for some guitars, the whole shape of the instrument will be wrong and uncomfortable.
The big guitar companies try to fix this situation by producing also left-versions of their most popular models. But unless you live in the USA or in other big cities, it is difficult to find these versions. Because the left-handed are a minority, not every retail shop will carry these models. For a small shop it is not worth the trouble to get them, as they will not be asked for them often.
The internet presents a handy solution for this: An online shop is not catering to a small region. It can send its product to far away places, to small towns where a left handed musician may live.
It appears many of the lefties do not take advantage of this solution. They resort to learn to play a “regular” guitar, in a manner that is not natural for them. Or they just reverse the strings in a regular guitar so that they can hold it in a “lefty” way, but if the nut is not made for this order it will rub the strings and tear them. It is also not a good solution for the more irregular shaped guitars – the cutaway will be positioned wrong, and the knobs will be in the way making it more difficult to strum.
That is really a shame. People should not be afraid to shop through the internet and find the right (or is it left?) instruments, build especially for them.
By: Debbie Barak
About the Author:
One such area is the niche of musical instruments, or more specifically the niche of string instruments – or more specifically, guitars. Right handed people hold the guitar with their left hand and strum with their right. Left handed people feel more comfortable doing the opposite. But if they hold a regular guitar with their right hand, the strings will be in the wrong order, and for some guitars, the whole shape of the instrument will be wrong and uncomfortable.
The big guitar companies try to fix this situation by producing also left-versions of their most popular models. But unless you live in the USA or in other big cities, it is difficult to find these versions. Because the left-handed are a minority, not every retail shop will carry these models. For a small shop it is not worth the trouble to get them, as they will not be asked for them often.
The internet presents a handy solution for this: An online shop is not catering to a small region. It can send its product to far away places, to small towns where a left handed musician may live.
It appears many of the lefties do not take advantage of this solution. They resort to learn to play a “regular” guitar, in a manner that is not natural for them. Or they just reverse the strings in a regular guitar so that they can hold it in a “lefty” way, but if the nut is not made for this order it will rub the strings and tear them. It is also not a good solution for the more irregular shaped guitars – the cutaway will be positioned wrong, and the knobs will be in the way making it more difficult to strum.
That is really a shame. People should not be afraid to shop through the internet and find the right (or is it left?) instruments, build especially for them.
By: Debbie Barak
About the Author:
Visit our new left handed guitar shop, where you will find a variety of left handed models in compatible prices: http://www.LeftHandedGuitarPlace.com
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