Gibson-no more left handed guitars?

[chovie d]

Hearing a rumor that Gibson will no longer be making lefties. True?
except politically, I'm no lefty...but bummer eh?

[space_ryerson]

The lack of left handed guitar availability has always astounded me. I mean, in the age of widespread CNC use (computer/CAD controlled routing) in the making of guitars, how hard can it be to 'mirror' a CAD file?

I know that left handed guitars make up only the tiniest fraction of guitar sales worldwide, but some companies not only don't make them; they won't even take custom orders for them! I mean, I'm willing to pay through the nose for a particular guitar in left handed, and they still won't do it.

On that note, I have to compliment Fender and Agile, because almost every major Fender model that springs to mind, I have seen available as a lefty guitar; and for a reasonable price. Agile, while not considered by many to be a 'quality' brand, sells a lot of lefty models, for the same price as the righties. I have one, and I have to say that is sounds and plays great. Granted, I swapped the pickups, but I digress.

[wardshorsehead]

I heard a rumor that Gibson stopped making any guitars worth playing, with few exceptions, over 30 years ago. True?

I think so.

Bad business decisions + bad guitars = a company whose legacy I love, but am not sad to see crash and burn.

Signed,

A true Gibson fan to the bone

[channelcat]

I heard about that a few weeks ago. The same source said PRS wasn't going to make lefties anymore either. Thank Jebus for Fender and Gretsch (and Elliot Easton). When I picked up my Epiphone Sheraton II in London several years ago, I was surprised and delighted by the number of lefties in stock in the stores over there (almost 50% lefty). It was nice being able to play it before buying instead of having to special order it (as I've had to do with my American Standard Strat, '52 Tele, and HD28). Well, I guess I missed my opportunity to get a lefty Jack Casady bass.

Stu

[heylow]

I'm going to play devil's advocate here....

When I fist started playing guitar, I never knew from left handed/right handed/what have you...I just took the one that was offered to me and learned to play it. I mean, I'm right handed....but I don't think trying to play a left handed guitar would have been any easier or harder for me at that point, seeing as it was all f*cking impossible.

I guess what I'm saying is....maybe some of these companies are thinking along the lines of.....left handed guitars are a niche and maybe not even really a necessary one.

I mean....who bitches about no one making left handed pianos, right?


Just a thought....just sayin' is all.



heylow

[KilledByAlbany]

That's really obnoxious. I feel really lucky that, while I am a lefty, that for whatever voodoo reason I have always been able to play guitar right handed (can't even make a proper chord playing lefty)

[Recycled_Brains]

meh, south paws have no business playing guitar anyways.

-ryan

[DefD]

That's really obnoxious. I feel really lucky that, while I am a lefty, that for whatever voodoo reason I have always been able to play guitar right handed (can't even make a proper chord playing lefty)

you and me both.

[channelcat]

I'm going to play devil's advocate here....

When I fist started playing guitar, I never knew from left handed/right handed/what have you...I just took the one that was offered to me and learned to play it. I mean, I'm right handed....but I don't think trying to play a left handed guitar would have been any easier or harder for me at that point, seeing as it was all f*cking impossible.

I guess what I'm saying is....maybe some of these companies are thinking along the lines of.....left handed guitars are a niche and maybe not even really a necessary one.

I mean....who bitches about no one making left handed pianos, right?


Just a thought....just sayin' is all.



heylow

There's a lot more to it than you think. As well, there's a lot more of us than you think.

My first electric was right-handed, strung upside down, and it was a PITA! In those early days of learning, I sat instead of stood while playing/practicing. Let me tell you, having a cable poking you in your armpit for several hours at a time was very uncomfortable. Later on, I had to redrill for the strap-knob and deal with the goofy weight distribution; yeah, Jimi made it look easy, but it's not. Trem, pick-up selector, and knobs were always a hassle. Filing the nut was a hassle. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to get my first lefty from Fender (which I had to special order and pay an extra $100). As for acoustics, the internal bracing is completely reversed on lefties for a reason.

Maybe it is a niche, but there definitely is a market for them.

Viva la Leftorium!

Stu

[heylow]

I'm going to play devil's advocate here....

When I fist started playing guitar, I never knew from left handed/right handed/what have you...I just took the one that was offered to me and learned to play it. I mean, I'm right handed....but I don't think trying to play a left handed guitar would have been any easier or harder for me at that point, seeing as it was all f*cking impossible.

I guess what I'm saying is....maybe some of these companies are thinking along the lines of.....left handed guitars are a niche and maybe not even really a necessary one.

I mean....who bitches about no one making left handed pianos, right?


Just a thought....just sayin' is all.



heylow

There's a lot more to it than you think. As well, there's a lot more of us than you think.

My first electric was right-handed, strung upside down, and it was a PITA! In those early days of learning, I sat instead of stood while playing/practicing. Let me tell you, having a cable poking you in your armpit for several hours at a time was very uncomfortable. Later on, I had to redrill for the strap-knob and deal with the goofy weight distribution; yeah, Jimi made it look easy, but it's not. Trem, pick-up selector, and knobs were always a hassle. Filing the nut was a hassle. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to get my first lefty from Fender (which I had to special order and pay an extra $100). As for acoustics, the internal bracing is completely reversed on lefties for a reason.

Maybe it is a niche, but there definitely is a market for them.

Viva la Leftorium!

Stu

Yeah, but....

The point I was making wasn't that you could turn it upside and play it....the point I was making was, it's an instrument...like a piano. No one makes left handed pianos or even thinks about it....they just learn to play them as an instrument regardless. People don't lay up on top of the piano and play it backwards because they are left handed.

When a person starts out on an instrument, it's all so alien and foreign that it doesn't matter. With guitars, there's this choice of left or right handed models and people just go, "Oh, I'm left-handed, so I guess my headstock should point thataway".

There's no reason for left handed guitars...not really if you think about, other than somehow the deal got twisted and now people play that way. What other instruments have left and right models? Not a lot, really. Tubas? No.

Hopes this makes more sense. It doesn't really even matter....I was just making a point I found insteresting. As you were....nothing to see here.


heylow

[ctmsound]

I heard a rumor that Gibson stopped making any guitars worth playing, with few exceptions, over 30 years ago. True?

I think so.

Bad business decisions + bad guitars = a company whose legacy I love, but am not sad to see crash and burn.

Signed,

A true Gibson fan to the bone

amen!

[channelcat]

I'm going to play devil's advocate here....

When I fist started playing guitar, I never knew from left handed/right handed/what have you...I just took the one that was offered to me and learned to play it. I mean, I'm right handed....but I don't think trying to play a left handed guitar would have been any easier or harder for me at that point, seeing as it was all f*cking impossible.

I guess what I'm saying is....maybe some of these companies are thinking along the lines of.....left handed guitars are a niche and maybe not even really a necessary one.

I mean....who bitches about no one making left handed pianos, right?


Just a thought....just sayin' is all.



heylow

There's a lot more to it than you think. As well, there's a lot more of us than you think.

My first electric was right-handed, strung upside down, and it was a PITA! In those early days of learning, I sat instead of stood while playing/practicing. Let me tell you, having a cable poking you in your armpit for several hours at a time was very uncomfortable. Later on, I had to redrill for the strap-knob and deal with the goofy weight distribution; yeah, Jimi made it look easy, but it's not. Trem, pick-up selector, and knobs were always a hassle. Filing the nut was a hassle. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to get my first lefty from Fender (which I had to special order and pay an extra $100). As for acoustics, the internal bracing is completely reversed on lefties for a reason.

Maybe it is a niche, but there definitely is a market for them.

Viva la Leftorium!

Stu

Yeah, but....

The point I was making wasn't that you could turn it upside and play it....the point I was making was, it's an instrument...like a piano. No one makes left handed pianos or even thinks about it....they just learn to play them as an instrument regardless. People don't lay up on top of the piano and play it backwards because they are left handed.

When a person starts out on an instrument, it's all so alien and foreign that it doesn't matter. With guitars, there's this choice of left or right handed models and people just go, "Oh, I'm left-handed, so I guess my headstock should point thataway".

There's no reason for left handed guitars...not really if you think about, other than somehow the deal got twisted and now people play that way. What other instruments have left and right models? Not a lot, really. Tubas? No.

Hopes this makes more sense. It doesn't really even matter....I was just making a point I found insteresting. As you were....nothing to see here.


heylow

I understand your point with regards to approaching a new instrument, but the fact is people will inherently hold a guitar however it is most comfortable. My 3-yr-old nephew was handed a guitar, and immediately started strumming it lefty; I don't know that he's going to be lefty, but that's how he wanted to play. In grade school, there were like 3 sets of lefty scissors. When those disappeared, I was forced to use righties and hated it because it was unnatural and uncomfortable. With regards to the other instruments, they are nothing like the guitar and can not be compared; piano requires both hands playing keys and many horns can be played with either hand.

So do you think all guitarists should be forced to play righty? That's the impression I get.

As to your last point, yes it does matter ... to me and all of the other lefties.

Stu

[heylow]

I'm going to play devil's advocate here....

When I fist started playing guitar, I never knew from left handed/right handed/what have you...I just took the one that was offered to me and learned to play it. I mean, I'm right handed....but I don't think trying to play a left handed guitar would have been any easier or harder for me at that point, seeing as it was all f*cking impossible.

I guess what I'm saying is....maybe some of these companies are thinking along the lines of.....left handed guitars are a niche and maybe not even really a necessary one.

I mean....who bitches about no one making left handed pianos, right?


Just a thought....just sayin' is all.



heylow

There's a lot more to it than you think. As well, there's a lot more of us than you think.

My first electric was right-handed, strung upside down, and it was a PITA! In those early days of learning, I sat instead of stood while playing/practicing. Let me tell you, having a cable poking you in your armpit for several hours at a time was very uncomfortable. Later on, I had to redrill for the strap-knob and deal with the goofy weight distribution; yeah, Jimi made it look easy, but it's not. Trem, pick-up selector, and knobs were always a hassle. Filing the nut was a hassle. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to get my first lefty from Fender (which I had to special order and pay an extra $100). As for acoustics, the internal bracing is completely reversed on lefties for a reason.

Maybe it is a niche, but there definitely is a market for them.

Viva la Leftorium!

Stu

Yeah, but....

The point I was making wasn't that you could turn it upside and play it....the point I was making was, it's an instrument...like a piano. No one makes left handed pianos or even thinks about it....they just learn to play them as an instrument regardless. People don't lay up on top of the piano and play it backwards because they are left handed.

When a person starts out on an instrument, it's all so alien and foreign that it doesn't matter. With guitars, there's this choice of left or right handed models and people just go, "Oh, I'm left-handed, so I guess my headstock should point thataway".

There's no reason for left handed guitars...not really if you think about, other than somehow the deal got twisted and now people play that way. What other instruments have left and right models? Not a lot, really. Tubas? No.

Hopes this makes more sense. It doesn't really even matter....I was just making a point I found insteresting. As you were....nothing to see here.


heylow

I understand your point with regards to approaching a new instrument, but the fact is people will inherently hold a guitar however it is most comfortable. My 3-yr-old nephew was handed a guitar, and immediately started strumming it lefty; I don't know that he's going to be lefty, but that's how he wanted to play. In grade school, there were like 3 sets of lefty scissors. When those disappeared, I was forced to use righties and hated it because it was unnatural and uncomfortable. With regards to the other instruments, they are nothing like the guitar and can not be compared; piano requires both hands playing keys and many horns can be played with either hand.

So do you think all guitarists should be forced to play righty? That's the impression I get.

As to your last point, yes it does matter ... to me and all of the other lefties.

Stu

Well, actually...it doesn't really matter to me who does what as I was really only playing devil's advocate and now am stuck in a position of defending a position.

I AM saying that I don't think guitars are any different than other instrument or CARS for that matter. For many people, working the gas and brake would be "easier and more comfortable" but they get in and learn to drive and it doesn't matter.

I don't think you actually get my point....not trying to be disrespectful but you aren't seeing past your own situation and last time I checked, people played guitar with 2 hands as well.

I'm not about to get all rowdy about this, man. It SO doesn't matter what I think.


heylow

[space_ryerson]

I'm left handed, and tried; really tried to play right handed when I first started playing guitar. What would take days to get right while playing right handed, took minutes when I simply flipped the guitar over and played lefty, even with the strings backwards. I couldn't get around playing left-handed; and I'm a fairly ambidextrous lefty.

Just my two cents

[emrr]

Lefty bassist here; five basses owned and not a one of them lefty. I've not really searched, but if I had to pick a good bass based on lefty design I'd never own a bass. I never see lefty basses. Maybe you can get them in major markets, but otherwise forget it. There have to be a substantial number of lefties who play righty.

As an aside, I play drums righty these days, after a good bit of lefty setup experience. I decided I learn things best in lefty position, but I play them better (especially kick drum) in righty mode.

I understand that we are about 10% of the population according to some surveys, which means that many racial minorities (in the USA) and the homosexual population (according to some other surveys) equal or outnumber us. An interesting point to consider that we may be the last minority with no equal rights protections. What a pain for manufacturing: "you must make 5-10% of this for lefties". We may always be an afterthought.