Left handed guitar Help! 1 July 2014 at 12:11PM in Music MoneySaving 19 replies 6.9K views

Kaybenson

Hello Fellow savers,

I have kids who started learning guitar recently.

The recommended guitar for them was this http://www.musicstore.de/de_DE/EUR/_SET_-FENDER-Squier-SA-105-NT-Bag-Tuner-Strings-Pics/art-GIT461

One of them is left-handed and its double the money.

Can someone recommend a cheap version for me for a 8 year old boy?

Cheers

Kay

baxie

Are there any music shops near you?

Certainly for a beginner one of these kits is excellent, maybe try a 3/4 size guitar to start with.

As for charging more for left handed guitars, unfortunately there are a lot of manufacturers that charge more for left handed guitars and there really is no need for it.

DomRavioli

Hi OP,

I'm right handed and play a left hander. Has your child tried to use the right handed guitar? they may find it is better for them.

zenmaster

The guitar you have linked to has no cutaway and so, apart from the scratch plate, is symmetrical so you could just replace the saddle with one of these and reverse the order of the strings.

If the child is concerned that the scratch plate is in the wrong place (looks funny and is of no practical use) then you can buy another for a couple of quid and stick it on. I would not recommend trying to remove the original.

grimbo

I have 2 sons, both left handed who play a right handed guitar. They have never had any trouble, in fact they find it easier.

Kaybenson

grimbo wrote: »

I have 2 sons, both left handed who play a right handed guitar. They have never had any trouble, in fact they find it easier.

Cheers. I might ask him to try the right_handie

Do anyone have a suggestion for a 3/4 string guitar?

tyllwyd

My daughter is another left hander who learnt to play guitar right handed. I'm not sure if she would do better or worse the other way around, but it is good that she can pick up someone else's guitar and play whereas left-handed she would be limited to her own guitar.


I know that when she was learning drums her drum teacher swapped the kit to left handed for her, but she also plays piano and obviously she has to go with what's already there!

baxie

zenmaster wrote: »

The guitar you have linked to has no cutaway and so, apart from the scratch plate, is symmetrical

The difference between left and right handed acoustic guitars is to do with the internal bracing. For example a right handed guitar played left handed would then have the lighter strings where the heavier bracing is and vice versa. Although a few acoustics use a symmetrical bracing method, most don't.

I would still recommend going to a music shop and finding something your child is comfortable with.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

converting guitars for left handed isn't all that straight forward.


The NUT in the kneck is pre cut to right hand for RH guitars and vise versa for LH guitars, the bridge needs to be turned around (plastic ones easy metal ones not so easy).


Its an easier life to not convert a RH guitar for LH use, and lefties usually have no difficulty learning with the strings the wrong way round and looking unconventional.


A good local guitar shop will have stock of a few types a guitar or left handers. my local one stocks left hand versions of 90% of his stock with no difference to price.

googler

Just get them a right-handed model and go from there. It didn't harm Robert Fripp's technical ability.

The action of playing a guitar is totally foreign to any beginner, and there's no reason to suppose that playing it right-handed will feel 'odd'.

The strong hand will be doing the fretboard work anyway, which can be seen as an advantage.....

Nemoness

Stick with right handed, as a musician i know it'll be a LOT cheaper in the long run...