The Steel Guitar Forum

I am left handed but play a right handed PSG. I just obtained a left handed guitar and the thought occurred to me. I would like to know how many of you play a left handed pedal steel.
Thanks,
Jerry

I'm right-handed but I'm still interested to know. I believe that around 10% of people are left-handed (someone correct me) and that in larger markets, such as regular guitars or golf clubs, the same percentage is manufactured.

But I wonder if in the much smaller PSG market a left-handed instrument is harder to find, and that this puts some folks off.

Up until I lost 1 finger and had another permanently disabled on my bar hand (Right hand), I owned the only 2 left handed S-10's that Eddie Fulawka ever built in his long career of making steel guitars.



1970 Rosewood lacquer S-10, 3 pedals, 4 knees.


2001 Rosewood Mica S-10, 4 pedals, 5 knees.

Both have been sold since my injuries.

I'm sure that you've seen lots of left handed players, and never knew it because they play standard instruments. Just like you wouldn't think of looking for a left handed piano, flute, trumpet, car or toaster, but for some reason, some folks seem to think being left handed gives them a disability when learning a stringed instrument. I know that in some cases that may be true, but I know lots of gifted string players, who can't do anything else right handed, who play standard instruments, and many who feel that being left handed may be an advantage. You have to develop dexterity in both hands either way, so why would you intentionally put a student at a lifelong disadvantage by starting them playing on in a way that makes it nearly impossible for them to sit in on someone else's instrument, or try out an instrument before buying it? I'm not one of those cruel folks who thinks all leftys should be made to conform and learn to write, and throw, with their right hand, by the way, I just think playing an instrument, where both hands are needed, is a totally different situation. I'd be interested in hearing what a few left handed pros think about this. I'm sure there are many of them.

I'd be interested to know what the neurologists on the forum think, but a great many instruments (piano, flute) use both hands equally and on the asymmetric ones (like strings) both hands are still equally important. I suspect that limb dominance is not an either/or parameter, but exists on a continuum, and some folks find less difference in what they can do with their left and right hands (and feet) than others.

What I find truly weird is the trombone. Left-handed players simply turn the two parts so it fits on the other shoulder, but I've tried and I simply can't play like that, even though I'm used to sliding a bar up and down with my left hand!

(There are cricketers who bowl right-handed and bat left-handed, and I mean all the time, not switch-hitting. And I notice that some soccer players are much more ready to use the other foot than others.)

I am left-handed but play guitar right-handed.
I think you'll find that a lot of lefties play guitar right handed.
When I 1st started on guitar lessons, my instructor told me that the left hand was the most important in playing guitar.
It hasn't worked out very well for me though!

I am left-handed and play guitar and steel right-handed. (In my youth I played trombone right-handed, too )

For a number of years I developed a fairly good facility on piano, and didn't feel my right hand was disadvantaged at all. In fact my left hand was the less dexterous of the two.

But on guitar (flatpick and sometimes fingers) and especially steel (thumb pick and two finger picks) my right hand is definitely my Achilles heel.
Go figure.

I am totally left-handed, but play righty. Started playing guitar lefty in the early 60's (just flipped my Fender Mustang)but my teacher told my mom I would never be any good unless I played the RIGHT wayLOL!

I'd prolly be a better guitarist, but woulda never learned steel.

BTW the only other thing I do righty is cut with scissors, and that is prolly 'cause there were never any lefty scissors around my house, even though my mom was lefty.

BTW, Jimi Hendrix was right-handed, he just played lefty. Ringo Starr is also left-handed, but played a righty kit, which is how he got his trademark sound, which no other drummer has been able to copy.

BTW, did anyone know that the true meaning of the word "Sinister" is "left handed"? The word "Sinister" got to mean "dark & evil" over time because in bygone eras, left-handed people were thought to be in league with the devil.

Was Achilles right or left handed and which heel was it?

Bobby Burns has it right, no need for us lefty's to have a left handed Steel Guitar, we have to utilize both hands, both feet, both knees both sides of our brain, etc. IMHO, it's not a "handedness" thing.

Ian Rae wrote:Was Achilles right or left handed and which heel was it?

Another lefty here!
I've played guitar right-handed for over 50 years, steel for about 6.
I used to golf right handed too!
Most lefties have to adapt.

Closely check my Avatar! Yes, that guy's sitting on the wrong side of the geetar!
Here's my Wechter Scheerhorn



What burns me up is that WE usually have to pay extra for anything made left handed

... and one more lefty! I play lefty psg and resonator guitar. Have to play lefty because my right hand is disabled. I used to play guitar and banjo right handed for many years. About 10 years ago my right hand got disabled and I could not play any more.

Tried to live the life without music. Do something else... That was the most booring time I ever had. After about one year I had to do something. I could use my right hand to lift up a beer to my mouth (and drink it...) So could I use that ability on any instrument? Well, violin I thought, it's about the same movment you do with the arm... and dobro?

I had no violin. Took my acoustic guitar and tuned it to an open G. Fingerpick's on left hand and a bottleneck steel on the right hand. I could make some sound. It worked! That was 2009.

I made an attachment to the dobro steel bar that I'm using today, to make it attached to my hand because I can't hold it with the fingers. It works fine. The psg steel bar is easier because it's bigger and I don't do any pull-off's or hammer-on's, but I plan to do an attachment on it too.

Today I can play a little with a guitar right handed and I sometimes do it at gig's, one song or two, it's funny to confuse people... ;0)

My S-10 psg is a WBS made in Germany and made specially for me. It's an ordinary psg but everything is mirrowed. Would be nice with a D-10 so if you know one for sale please let me know.

Tomi Grasso in Sydney Australia is a very fine left handed player. He plays a leftie Emmons Legrande.

Another lefty here which plays a standard guitar setup.

Robert

I am also a lefty that plays a right handed steel. However, that's not the way I started out as a youngster. Check out this pic. I'm the kid in the foreground.

Monte Good, who played steel with John Michael Montgomery in the nineties is left handed. He was a temporary member of the group Ricochet before Teddy Carr joined the band. He played a left-handed Derby

Rich Upright wrote:the true meaning of the word "sinister" is "left handed"

and "dexter"is the Latin for "right", hence "dextrous".

Dexter has survived as an English surname. Judging by our city phone directory it's exactly as common as Rae (5 entries). No-one called Sinister, else I'd have called them up and accused them of devil-worship.

I am a mixed up lefty and proud of it. I write left-handed, swung a bat or golf club lefty back when I played baseball, bowled righty, eat and drink left, shave lefty, play steel and guitar right handed. When a child I held my home made cigar box guitar left handed and when older left felt natural for a guitar but when Dad bought my first Supro lap steel it was strung right handed so that is the way I started learning. I grew as pedals were added and had no one to guide me so wound up Day setup on E9th and pedals 5 and 7 reversed on C6th. That backwards C6th is the one thing I would like to change but have never done so. When I set up a guitar for me to play I have to swap pedals 5 and 7 then if I sell it I have to switch them back whether the E9th is Day or Emmons.
Thanks for the responses. I have a very nice black BMI late model left handed S-10 I need to sell. It has a super good tapped coil pick-up that are made for BMI which sounds great. I had the same pick-ups in my D-10 ordered at same time as this lefty guitar
Jerry

Hey Jerry

I'm a lefty, and I have been playing my right handed Emmons S10. I love it, but I know I could be so much better if I had a lefty guitar - I'm a really good picker, but I'll never get my right hand to pick the way my left hand can.

I'm thinking of trading the Emmons S10, in good working order for a good lefty. I know that's a long shot, but if you hear of anybody...

Are you enjoying the instrument, or does it seem just strange to play it?

Sam Hammond

Sam, I ordered this guitar from BMI about three years ago for one of my students. He has passed away and His wife asked for help in selling his gear. I have never attempted to play it. I have played right-handed for 62 years so I won't be changing.
Jerry

I'm sure I've read that both Lloyd Green and Curly Chalker are/were left-handed in other respects.