Gibson - anti-Left Handed? - UPDATED - True and Confirmed

Seems unlikely that it's true. I don't know anything about this at all but it has the stink of misinformation.

i highly doubt that is true

I'm a righty through and through.

When I first got interested in drums I was too young to even understand right handed from left handed. I took my inspiration from my next door neighbor who was left handed and played drums left handed. His drumming father actually was right handed.

I learned to play left handed as I never knew there was a difference until I got my first set. When I went to put it together it didn't seem right and I realized things weren't how they were when I watched other drummers. So I forced myself to unlearn and relearn it right handed. Now I wish I was better suited to be ambidextrious.

I know it's not as easy to convert an instrument to left handed like it is easy on a drumset. I guess my point is...why is there a factor between leftys and righty's when it comes to guitar? My right hand is probably stronger than my left, yet I strum with the right. Actually using less muscle resources than with my left hand/arm that does all the fretting, all the moving around the neck and barring chords, etc.

I would think if you haven't had any previous experience, there shouldn't be any difference in how you approach or attempt to play the instrument. To me it's almost backwards from what it should be. I should be fretting with my right hand since it's the dominant limb on my torso.

Even take the piano. Both hands are doing something totally different and people don't complain that the piano is setup for righty's only. I can see if you've already begun learning the guitar left handed that it will be an issue.

So I guess my overall take on this is....playing 99% of all instruments shouldn't be an issue based on your dominant hand. Guitar seems to be an acception to the rule. I wonder how hard it would be for me to assume a lefthanded stance while relearning how to play. Difficulter :wink: still is finding a guitar to try it out. :shock:

That's odd and it doesnt really seem to make much business sense, if it is true. They will sell more guitars by making some of both, you would think.

As far as handedness making a difference with the guitar, I am left handed and while that is my stronger hand, all my rhythm and coordination is in my left hand as well. I play right handed just to make life easier and because I did figure if I were playing piano or something else, I wouldn't have a choice anyway. I do find though that sometimes strumming and especially finger picking is kind of difficult with my right hand. It is still my natural tendancy to play air guitar left handed.

I think most lefties, when they first pick up an instrument - or simply see one hanging on a wall or leaning against a chair at a friend's house for instance - and reach out to make it sound, usually will reach out with the dominant hand to brush the strings. You're not thinking at that point that the fretting will be more difficult or the strumming or comparing the two; you just want to run your finger across the strings and make a sound.

And that, like I mentioned, is most likely always done unconsciously or instinctively with the left hand if you're left-handed.

Or you give guitar or uke to a kid whose never played before and walk away. If you start hearing noises and look back, you'll see them using their dominant hand to strum and the other hand to simply support the neck. They're not fretting anything (or maybe they're pressing one string down), but the main 'sound producer' is the dominant hand.

I don't know how that figures in the example of piano or drums, but as I understand it, with piano at least, the whole idea is to make both hands able to do the same things, whereas on guitar, they have to, by design, do really different sorts of things.

Back to topic: generally it's thought that 1 out of every 10 people is left-handed. That's not a very good demographic for a marketing team to be faced with. Gibson sees this percentage but for them it comes out to even less than one out of ten because of their pricing. What beginning or intermediate lefty guitarist is going to spend $2K+ for a lefty Gibson Les Paul?

Just about none.

There's really a tiny, tiny market for it.

Add into this the influx of affordable lefty instruments from overseas, and Gibson's marketshare goes even further down. I don't kow what the actual numbers are but I'm just guessing that a single Guitar Center store probably only sells...I dunno, 5 high end lefty instruments a year? Something like that.

Then you add in the recent quality control problems and the vintage market and you have Gibson trying to outsell it's own, older product. I mean, they already got their money from the original sale of a '54 goldtop, but that was back in '54.

As for me personally, I would never own another Gibson of any kind, and so if it's true that they're getting out of the lefty business, it really doesn't affect me in the least. I have a '74 or '76 Les Paul custom which has seen a lot of use since I got it in '78 or so, has a great sound and all that, but I would never get another one. I would get an Epiphone version (I like the headstock shape better anyway), because even after all these years an instrument (to me) has to be functional more than anything. It can't be downright ugly to look at, but I don't need pretty woods and fancy finishes and spend 2 or 3 grand on something that I would then feel like handling with gloves or something.

Like PRS guitars. When they first came out it was like "Oh...fancy Gibson...(yawn)" and I still feel that way. I think even if someone were to give me a lefty PRS I'd wind up selling it because I simply don't have any use for gorgeous, perfect, work-of-art, one-of-a-kind, keep-in-a-glass-case guitars. To me they're instruments, tools, things to use and of course enjoy, but if I'm thinking about not scratching the finish or making sure I don't bang into the desk while I'm recording, then I'm not thinking about music at that point.

And music is the whole point, unless I've been misled all these years :)

So Gibson can go ahead and stop making lefty versions of guitars that I wouldn't personally buy and that are out of the price range of such a large group of people, and I'd say, good riddance, really.

I think for playing with a pick a left handed guitar might be easier for a natural righty to learn on since fretting is the more complicated part, but I think that the left and right handed guitar stuff was established maybe when people played finger style almost exclusively and therefore maybe the better coordination made a difference there? I'm a natural righty but I'm not too far from being ambidextrous (and many hours of typing away on the keyboard has probably evened up the coordination too).

I would have an extremely hard time relearning on a left handed guitar, the same way that it is difficult to switch from playing with a pick to fingerstyle... it's difficult to be patient when you can play the same thing just fine by grabbing a pick.

Sorry if I took this off topic earlier. It was probably left for a separate thread altogether.

Great points, Demo.

However, my PRS is a player even tho I do concern myself with damaging it unintentionally. Mine even has finger prints on occassion. If you've not played a PRS yet, go find a Custom 24. Just give it a 20 minute excercise and I'd venture an educated guess you may see more value than before and especially over a Gibby. If for no other reason....no surprises when you take it out of the case for the first time.

And just so I stay on topic, :oops: , I haven't ever seen a lefty PRS. :D

I agree cent per cent with DemoEtc.

And though it is off topic, I will like to express my views over this ‘strong hand' belief.

Now, I never think that my left hand is more stronger than my right hand. Simply, because that is not the case at all. Left and right hands (or legs) are simply to perform different activites. What activites they do or can do, is decided by their motor ability, which is in turn controlled by the brain.

This motor ability is somewhat opposite in lefties compared to our right handed counterparts. So that is the reason I find ‘holding' and ‘bending' the strings way easier through my right hand rather then the left. But just because I strum through my left, that doesn't mean that my left hand is stronger.

If that theory applies, it should apply to piano also. But I find forming chords and playing notes way easier with my left hand compared to the right. (the hand which I use on guitar, to hold chords) And I am sure, the right handed players find it difficult to form chords with their left hand on piano.

This is simply an example of motor ability. In holding strings down, you are using different muscles. In holding keys down you are using different ones. That's the reason of using hands differently on different ‘playing type' intruements. I am absolutely sure, that if I am given any stringed instrument, be it Mandolin, Banjo, Uke, Sitar, Dobro, Violin, Contra Bass, Cello etc, I will play it left handed only. And if I am to play an Organ or a Harpsichord, I am sure I will play it exactly like I play a piano. This is simply due to my developed muscle memory and motor ability which guides me to use my left hand in those aspects where a normal person will use his right one.

To refute the strong hand theory further, let me give a real life example. I used to learn martial arts few years back. Now I remember that I could hit the punching bag much harder with my right hand than the left. However, kicking was easier from the left leg. Another one - While playing cricket, I throw the ball from my left hand (I bowl fast) and I bat (just like hitting a ball from baseball bat) righty. Now, it takes a lot of power to hit the ball and I do hit some huge shots. (when I am in form...lol). So where is the consistency in the 'strong hand' theory ?

The point of all this is simple. Its completely wrong to tell a lefty beginner to start playing righty by telling that your ‘strong' hand can be used to fret and that is an advantage. He can try, but if he is a born lefty like me, chances are that he will eventually play the instrument left-handed only or give up. Hendrix and Paul McCartney were among those, who while starting felt very odd playing righty as everyone did. And thank God, that they got the wisdom early about their being southpaws.

I feel sad for you, UrbanCowgirl that you find it diffcult to fingerpick. If you play air guitar lefty, that is a clear cut sign that your 'natural' instinct is to play left-handed. By playing righty, imo, you have certainly made playing less enjoyable and hard. (or so I feel)

Coming to the thread, I stronly believe that Gibson will continue to make lefty versions of atleast their ‘Standard' LPs. Anyways right now, I am not in a position to buy one, so doesn't matter much to me.

However, I feel that more manufactures should atleast offer decent budget lefty guitars on custom, if not as ready inventory. Martin provides left-handed version of every model it makes – from a backpacker to D-100. (on order, if not available in stock)

I wonder, if us lefties could take the guitar manufacturers to court for discrimination on the basis of ‘handedness'.

In any case, you have my hearty support, Jim. I am here to write any letter of support or representation if you want. UNITED WE STAND. :wink:

Rahul

im a lefty, and ive complained before about the extra money it costs to buy a left handed version of a Gibson. i own a right handed SG, and i flipped the strings around. i hadnt heard about Gibson not making lefty guitars anymore, and i really hope it isnt true.

For the record, the salesperson who told me this seemed credible, although this is the first time I have ever met the guy. I sincerely believe that he was told this by the Gibson rep. I only hope the rep is wrong.

I agree that it is frustrating that lefties are less available, but I think this is truly going in the wrong direction. I understand the logic behind the previous arguments that it might ba an advantage for a lefty to learn righty, but if that's the case, then why don't righties learn to play lefty? They should have the same advantage, right?

I personally do certain things lefty and certain things righty. I write, throw and play guitar lefty and I bat, shoot and golf righty. I think I could have probably learned to play righty at the beginning, but now I have a physical restriction which prevents me from playing righty. A couple of years ago I was in a car accident and they had to surgically re-attach my left hand. I barely have the flexibility to rotate my wrist enough to strum up and down (it's still at a bit of an angle on the strum path). There is no way I could get my wrist around to finger the fretboard with my left hand. So, unless I want to learn Jeff Healy style, I'm stuck playing lefty. Besides, I have too much money already tied up in left handed guitars.

Anyway, I digress, I think Gibson should embrace the growing left handed market and offer lower end lefties to beginning guitarists. I already took my LP off of my computer wallpaper. I might put my Strat up.

Jim

It's not just Gibson - the Jagstang is not available in a left-handed version, which is surprising considering who gave it street cred.

Best,

A :-)

Growing up in the 60s-70s there were simply no lefty guitars in my area, so i learned to play right handed.
It didn't seem limiting to me in any way whatsoever. in fact, strumming, picking, and fingerpicking were easy to learn compared to fretting.

IMO "if true" this is just another stupid marketing decision on Gibsons part.

A year or so ago when some brilliant genius at Gibson decided to require shops to carry unrealistic stock requirements, it resulted in only large chains, stores being able to carry their guitars. Couple that with the now famous drop in QC and it seems we have a company that is making one stupid move after another.

Note to Gibson: i would love to own one of your guitars but all things considered i will probably be going here,

http://www.carvin.com/products/guitars.php?CID=GTR

"It's not just Gibson - the Jagstang is not available in a left-handed version, which is surprising considering who gave it street cred." GREAT POINT!
like i said a while back in another thread...if i'd known when i first picked up the guitar the cons of playing lefty as opposed to righty i'd have played right handed.

I agree that it's wacked for a major company with ample resources to not make lefty guitars.

However, in the initial post, and his subsequent post MrJonesey refers to a "growing left handed market". Is this market growing as a function of population growth in general (i.e. are more people buying guitars overall and thus there are more lefties buying guitars) or are there actually more lefties, proportionally, than there were a couple decades ago?

Just playing the devil's advocate here, mind you. So where are all these new lefties coming from? Immigration? Lefty friendly activist schoolmarms? Conversion after dillusionment with radical righties? Is there really a growing lefty market or is this just a case of the existing lefties raising their left fists in the air and shouting "We will be heard!"?

:wink: :wink: :lol: