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Reverse bridge compensation for left handed player strung upside down


cjorata

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Hi there.

 

I'm looking for my first Gibson guitar, i havent made up my mind on a particular model yet.

 

I noticed that bridge in some models is already oblique for fixed string compensation. Unfortunately im left handed but i learned to play strung upside down, so basically i need a lefty guitar with a righty compensation bridge.

 

I could solve the problem buying a right handed guitar, but having the controls on the upper side of the body is quite annoying to me.

 

Is there a practical solution which doesnt require to butcher the guitar ?

 

Thank you

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Hi and welcome.

 

I'm not 100% certain that it would work perfectly but you might enquire whether fitting what's affectionately known as a 'Harmonica' style bridge would solve your problem.

This was a design which originally came out in the '70s and had a much wider saddle adjustment slot than that found on either an ABR-1 or a Nashville. With such a range of adjustment available it could possibly be used with no other work deemed to be necessary.

 

Google 'gibson harmonica bridge' and see what comes up. There are quite a few aftermarket manufacturers offering various similar designs.

 

Pip.

 

EDIT : Here's a snap of an SG with the Harmonica;

 

Lefty_SG_Harmonica.jpg

 

As can be seen the bridge sits square (i.e. not angled) on the body and there is plenty of travel. Depending on which guitar you select it might be necessary to re-drill two new holes for the bridge-posts or, if you are lucky, there might just be enough adjustment 'as-is'.

Probably best to check first...

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So you play LEFT handed, using a LEFT handed guitar, strung backwards (Left handed guitar strung right handed)? Very interesting. I'm lefty too and I use lefty guitars strung left handed. I've tried using righty guitars 'upside down' but it just didn't work for me. I can see why a righty guitar strung left handed would be annoying with the controls under your arm, so to speak.

 

I think Jimi Hendrix played, on occasion, a righty guitar, left handed, strung left handed. If you see pictures of that, you will notice the bridge is 'wrong' in that its not lined up correctly for a lefty in that situation. It changed his tone ever so slightly, and that became his tone.

 

Unless it bothers you ascetically, having the bridge 'wrong' will affect your tone but not very much. Intonation might be a problem but modern bridges should have enough movement to get you intonated properly.

 

On a Gibson the bridge is secured using posts that are drilled into the wood. You mentioned that you didn't want to butcher the guitar which I take to mean you didn't want to re-drill holes. I have never seen nor heard of a compensated bridge that would re-angle the position using the existing 'wrong' holes.

 

The suggestion posted earlier is a good one, but that is a special guitar with a special bridge that wasn't made very long. You would have to go aftermarket and you might still have to modify the guitar in a non-temporary manner. It would be very difficult to find one, in left handed.

 

Do they make tremolo systems that have a bridge as part of the trem? Maybe a retrofit of that would work.

 

If it was me, I would just keep doing what you're doing and not worry about the slight difference in the bridge position. Unless you are talking about literally a fixed bridge, with no adjustments. Then, well, I don't know. I'd go with a guitar that has an adjustable bridge so you can intonate it.

 

Believe me I feel for you being a lefty.

 

 

Hi and welcome.

 

I'm not 100% certain that it would work perfectly but you might enquire whether fitting what's affectionately known as a 'Harmonica' style bridge would solve your problem.

This was a design which originally came out in the '70s and had a much wider saddle adjustment slot than that found on either an ABR-1 or a Nashville. With such a range of adjustment available it could possibly be used with no other work deemed to be necessary.

 

Google 'gibson harmonica bridge' and see what comes up. There are quite a few aftermarket manufacturers offering various similar designs.

 

Pip.

 

EDIT : Here's a snap of an SG with the Harmonica;

 

Lefty_SG_Harmonica.jpg

 

As can be seen the bridge sits square (i.e. not angled) on the body and there is plenty of travel. Depending on which guitar you select it might be necessary to re-drill two new holes for the bridge-posts or, if you are lucky, there might just be enough adjustment 'as-is'.

Probably best to check first...

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