Left Handed Guitar Options/Availability

[ViciousBirdZZ4]

Intro:

Hello. My name is Matthew Davis. This is the first time I have ever been involved in forums for anything. I usually keep my comments to myself. Because this is a topic that I am very passionate about, I feel very compelled to have my voice be heard.

 

About Me:

I have considered myself a serious guitar player since I was 13 years old. I am now 24. When I was a kid, I would fall asleep on a couch in the basement listening to my dad play bass and guitar in his homebuilt recording studio. When I became interested in learning how to play guitar, my dad didn't take me seriously, so he didn't provide me with a left handed guitar, nor did he reverse the strings on a right handed guitar for me so I could play properly. I have since then had to teach myself how to play due to the fact that I am one of the few southpaw players who play right handed guitars without modification. Unfortunately, I had to cut down the amount I practiced for the past 5 years due to my active duty service in the United States Marine Corps. I have recently been honorably discharged as a Sergeant. I have served two tours to Iraq. My job in the was a helicopter crew chief. That basicly means I was a mechanic as well as an aircrewman.

 

My Goal/Objective:

I have never been the type of person who felt the world owed me anything and I have always worked for the things I have had. I was a bad kid and did some pretty terrible things. I feel that after serving my country I have paid back mydebt to society in full. I also am passionate about equality and everybody having the right to be heard and freedom of speech. I also feel that having served my country and defending these freedoms, I have every right to be heard as much as anybody else, and I do expect somebody to spend a little of their time to respond to my forum posting(s). I hope that doesn't seem to selfish, but I am upset and I feel I can be just a little bit selfish about this. Also, my goal is to voice my opinions and make the guitar world a better place for left handed players like myself. But I can't do it alone.

 

My Complaint/Proposal:

As a left handed player, I have found it very difficult to be accomidated by all guitar manufacturers in many ways. I fully understand the far exceeding demand for right handed guitars over left handed models. Even though this fact remains true, I beleve there should at least be some options for left handed models. The majority of left handed guitars available occur in two generic fashions for the most part:

 

1- The basic and/or cheap model may be available with lit1-tle to no finish options (usually the most popular/generic finish is standard)

 

2- If a popular artist has a signiture model that is left handed or if a one time special edition is created that is modeled after an artist. ( such as Fender's Jimi Hendrix model )

 

I do not expect there to be ever as many options available to left handed guitars as there are for right handed players, but there can be things put in place to make left handed models more suitable, available, and convienant for left handed players.

 

Left handed guitars do not have to be necessarily as readily available as right handed models, but options changes should be available via special order without having to go through a custom shop. There should be at least a few finishes available for left handed models. Instead of just "heritage cherry burst" being the only available finish for a left handed Epiphone Les Paul Standard, there should be two or three basic colors available, and two or three different types of "burst" finishes available as well. Guitar manufacturers should have polls and questionaires available online and and at popular guitar retail stores in order to find out what the public wants and market the most popular other finishes and options in order to produce a line of products that will sell.

 

If a guitar manufacturer does not see that it would be profitable to offer a significantly greater amount of models available in left handed body styles, the least they could do is offer a wide variety of options for the most popular, basic or standard model.

 

Here is a great example: Because Epiphone Les Pauls have increased in quality over the years, and the Les Paul model is one of the most popular body stlyes in the world, in addition to the fact that the Epiphone brands are significantly cheaper, it would be a perfect guitar to market with more options available for left handed players.

 

Some options choices that should be available via special order without dramatic increase in price should include: finish, neck profile, pickups, and hardware type.

 

Hardware Type: 1-Nickel

2-Gold

 

Neck profile: 1-50s

2- 60s

 

Pickups: All should be available covered, zebra

 

1-Burstbucker w/ Alnico V magnets

2- 490R, 490T Magnet Humbuckers (or) 496R,500T Ceramic Magnet Hmbucker

 

Finishes: There are three basic/popular types of finishes : Natural, Solid Color, or a Burst

1- one of the natural wood finishes

2- Ebony

3- Gold Top

4- Classic White (or) Alpine White

5- Heritage Cherry Sunburst

6- Vintage Sunburst

7- Tobbacco Burst

8- Iced Tea

9- Honey Burst

 

Top: 1- Figured

2- Faded

 

I know it seems more like some "build your own" guitar type of a system than anything else, especially when some of the options described above are currently only offered on select models, but that's what makes it special. Left handed players would have a unique opportunity to show off the Gibson/Epiphone name with pride and individuality.