Left Handed guitar???

Patrick Layher · From: Buffalo WY, USA

Has anyone ever seen, played or heard of a left handed steel guitar? I suffered some nerve damage in my right hand as a kid and can't get the speed and consistancy in my picking. I have been playing for a couple years now and I'm starting to get frustrated with it. I have messed around using my left hand for picking just to see if it could be done. I think I can do it if I could find a left handed guitar.

Today I am sending a deposite to Bruce Zumsteg to have him build a guitar. I called him and asked if he could build one backwards. He said that he never had and didn't know if he could, but that he would think about it. I have a year and a half wait so maybe something will change between now and then.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Pat

Skip Ellis · From: Bradenton, Fl USA

Pat - try Roy Thomas at Pedalmaster Guitars - he's in the links section. He makes a great guitar and builds lefties as a matter of course and I don't think he charges extra. Oh, he's also one of the nicest guys on the planet and a real class act.
Skip

Matthew Prouty · From: Warsaw, Poland

Patrick,

I am a die hard lefty (actually semi-ambidexterous as I am right eye dominant, took me a long time to figure out how to catch that ball!), anyway I did a search around for guitar builders who would build a lefty for me and I talked to almost all of them. Each builder I contacted wanted to charge 300 to 500 dollars more for the guitar and were generally reluctant, others had problems (personal or business) which discouraged me from purchasing from them. The one man that stood out and made me feel comfortable was Bob Simmons. Here is a discussion about the lefties.
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum5/HTML/004513.html

I almost went for a MSA before I found out about Bob. The MSA price was cost prohibitive for me...

Contact Bob and see what he has to say. I love my guitar side by side with other guitars it is right up to par.

I only changed one thing, the pickup. I put in a Wallace True Tone.

If you want any more info just let me know.

Rgds,
Matt

[This message was edited by Matthew Prouty on 14 November 2006 at 10:14 AM.]

Steve Waltz · From: USA

I payed at a Jam in alameda with a guy from Oakland. He had his guitar modified by Tom Bradshaw to be a lefty. It might have been an MSA. His was a single ten. I would think that would be much more simple to alter than a D-10. I think there is a Link to Tom on the links page of the SGF.

Steve

Paddy Long · From: Christchurch, New Zealand

Patrick, I was over playing at the Brisbane Steel Show in OZ in June, and Tommy Grasso, one of Aussies greats was playing a Leftie Emmons Legrande which they had custom build for him. He told me that he started out on a normal guitar but felt he was always struggling -- his playing didn't flourish until he got the left-handed job!!

Patrick Layher · From: Buffalo WY, USA

Thanks for all the advice guys! In addition to the nerve damage, I am left handed. So I'm thinking this change will help things a bunch.

I can only imagine that it will be somewhat odd getting used to everything being batckwards after having played "normal".

Hope I don't melt down during the solo's. You know...half in gear and half out. Start working the bar with my elbow and picking with my teeth...some stranger from the dance floor running the pedals...

Pat

Jerry Stout · From: Checotah,Oklahoma

I just sold a left handed Sho Bud pro to a forum member in Pa.You might contact bobby reed in Hendersonville,Tn. he found that one for me.

Sonny Priddy · From: Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA, R.I.P.

Call Bobbie Seymour At Steel Guitar Nashville. (615-822-5555) He Can Help You . SONNY.

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Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

If you turn a regular PSG round the first problem is the pedals being backwards. These can be removed, turned round and attached to the back bar (which used to be the front bar). Since the pedals just move the connecting rods up and down they can be connected to the mechanism by just playing around with the length of the rods. This gives you a left-handed instrument with the strings not yet reversed. To reverse the strings just take them off and put them back on in the reverse order. Then you have to adjust the copedant because your pedals will work on the wrong strings. I can't see that it would be that difficult.

Billy Carr · From: Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)

Jerry Fessenden built a left handed S-12U for a friend of earlier this year. Red lacquer with 10 & 9, I believe. Fine guitar.

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

Gene Fields at GFI has a reputation for building special steels to accomodate various disabilities and needs. http://www.gfimusicalproducts.com/

Jerry Erickson · From: Atlanta,IL 61723

The Mullen company has built lefties in the past. try contacting them.

John Drury · From: Gallatin, Tn USA

When I worked at SGN I remember Bobbe saying that a Deckely could be switched left with no machineing etc., and it was the only guitar that had that capability.

Maybe he will jump in here and expand on that.

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John Drury
NTSGA #3

Robert Cook · From: Collierville,TN

I've played a Pedalmaster left-handed made by Mr. Roy Thomas. It's a beauty and I'm sure that all the trepidations of learning the instrument are the same as for the right-handers. Jerry Fessenden makes lefties by request as well as a few other builders. I think if you approach them with what you want, when you want it, and how much you're looking to spend will determine how you come out. Most of the builders I contacted were responsive, fair, and pretty easy to deal with. Good luck.

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Alan, I think one of the main problems is the issue of endplates. If the guitar is a D-10, exchanging the end-plates right to left, makes the neck closest to the player the highest neck. And look under the guitar. The tuner end-plate has virtually nothing machined into it, while the changer end-plate has a ton of stuff. If a builder has his own CNC machine, he might be able to go into the programing and change it to make lefty parts. But if a company farms the machining out to another machine shop, it will cost a premium to just make a couple of lefty parts.
Of course, this varies with the designs of different guitars. Even most S-10's today have a small shelf at the back of the guitar, or a pad. I don't think the switch would be too easy. I'm also assuming a lefty would want to play the pedals with their right foot, and the volume pedal with their left foot, right?

[This message was edited by John Billings on 24 November 2006 at 11:08 AM.]

Winston Street · From: Laurel, Mississippi, USA

I have a left handed model that Jerry Fessenden built me ealier this year. A U12 with 10 and 9. Play's great. I think I broke Jerry from the habit. I will probably be building some left handed models later in 2007. Have to get a CNC milling machine and build a shop to put it in but it's in the making. A previous post is right. The biggest problem in converting to left handed is building left handed end plates. The pedal will reverse by putting the pedals on upside down and then flipping it over. Usually the belcrank that the pedal rod hooks into has to be machined left handed. Most other stuff will change over.. Of course your going to have the changer hole where the right handed changer was mounted unless you fill it with something. I converted an MSA SS to left handed and set it up U10 as far as it would go. Has some really nice stuff on it set up that way.

Winston

Herby Wallace · From: Sevierville, TN, R.I.P.

Mullen will build a left-handed HWP model on special order. They are just finishing up one now for a customer of mine in Washington state. Please contact me for more info if you are interested.

Herby Wallace

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