Best LEFT- HANDED guitars that are reasonably priced...

lluukkiinn

Anyone have any suggestions?
I play left handed and currently been rocking on a Kramer Focus, which only sounds good cause it's coming thru a BOSS distirtion pedel and a Marshal amp... But I need to get a second guitar since I will be gigging soon. But all lefty's are so expensive...and I don't trust buying a guitar online...cause it may come home and sound like donald duck. Any one have any lefty favs?? that don't cost too much?

Novawind

Left handed Fenders have a pretty good reputation, just ask Exhausted. How much are you willing to spend?

exhausted

in the under 1K range i'd say the highway one and japanese reissue fenders. and the various hollowbody epiphones (sheraton II, dot, etc.).

or one of the many many used american standard fenders on ebay etc.

kitfoo

Agreed. Fenders are the way to go for lefties. I'd also suggest Schecter if you want something that can handle heavy stuff.

lluukkiinn

I was hoping to only spend $200-$300 , but from what I've seen, they're going for about $500.

opsopcopolis

Epiphone also makes some nice leftys
I have a friend who just bought a lefty casino i believe for fairly cheap

ianvomsaal

Most lefties generally have to take whatever they can find as far as cheap guitars go.
Which is why I recommend that my beginning left handed students actually learn to play
right handed. STEVE MORSE, MARK KNOPFLER, GARY MOORE, DUANE ALLMAN, JOHNNY
WINTER, MICHAEL HEDGES, PAUL SIMON, DANNY GATTON, DAVE HOLE, BOB BROZMAN,
TED GREENE, GEORGE VAN EPS, MICHAEL ANGELO BATIO, PRESTON REED . . . . .
These guys are all left handed but play right handed - and they aren't just okay players,
they are really good players - and there's tons more (god, Steve Morse is just a monster).
Cheers . . .

- Ian

Novawind

FWIW, I'm a lefty and I play guitar righty.

exhausted

Novawind wrote:

FWIW, I'm a lefty and I play guitar righty.

noel gallagher too.

i would have if i could have but my body just doesn't work that way.

kitfoo

I tried playing right handed, but it just felt wrong. Playing left handed just feels more natural to me. Plus, I've played drums all my life, and my left hand is my highhat hand. It seemed a perfect fit as a picking hand, because it's already got rhythm and perfect timing.

Character Zero

I just recently purchased a lefty Epiphone Les Paul Standard and I love it. I paid $560 for it. It certainly has the Les Paul sound if thats what you like, and it really well made.

Some people will knock Epi's for not being Gibsons but a lefty Gibson is outrageously priced. This is the real deal.

godpt3

I've got a left-handed Squire Strat. Set me back about $500, though.

kitfoo

godpt3 wrote:

I've got a left-handed Squire Strat. Set me back about $500, though.

You got ripped off big time. The most expensive Squire goes for $300. Or was it made of gold or something?

godpt3

kitfoo wrote:

You got ripped off big time. The most expensive Squire goes for $300. Or was it made of gold or something?

Yeah, I know. Bought it like 8-9 years ago. But if you wanna play lefty, you've gotta pay the price.

kitfoo

I've NEVER seen a guitar marked up $200 extra for being left handed. Fender does not charge a dime extra for left hand. You were plain ripped off.

opsopcopolis

You can always buy a righty and reverse the nut.
Jimi Hendrix style

emily18

i have a left handed fender tele...less than $300. do ittt.

exhausted

kitfoo wrote:

I've NEVER seen a guitar marked up $200 extra for being left handed. Fender does not charge a dime extra for left hand. You were plain ripped off.

that's a change too. it used to be 15% or so when i was buying. good on them.

lostdawg

Here we go again...LOL! If you have a budget of up to 1K, you have lots of choices. I had a real nice Ibanez that was around $750. I have a Kramer Baretta from '85 or so and no guitar ever comes close to the way that one plays and feels and sounds. If you could find a vintage Kramer(even right handed) ,you should go for it. There are cheap Teles and Strats, and the Epiphone Les Paul copy is not a bad way to go either, that might be my next one. And as I've mentioned before in this forum, right handed guitars are literally a dime a dozen and can be easily "fixed" by a competent guitar shop , costing less than a new lefty. BTW, I tried the righty way...I can't even hold a pick properly, let alone trying to hold down chords and strumming, etc. Good Luck!

SkipWilsonJack

Not to get off topic, but as a lefty, I'm getting a kick out of some of these replies.

I can honestly say that being a lefty does, to a certain degree, suck. On one hand, guitars are often more expensive, and fewer and far between than righties. Go to guitar center on 14th street in new york, and you will see all sorts of fun looking guitars... only three fender strats are lefties*!

However, there are some surprising perks. The biggest perk is that 80percent of guitar players can't play my stuff! I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but when I got my Martin acoustic, all my friends wanted to get their filthy paws all over it. I'd be playing someplace, and some jerk I hardly knew would want to bang out some Everlast song on the nicest piece of wood they've seen without a judge sitting behind it. Or back in high school, when we were playing with careless metal bands who would break a string and look at me to borrow my axe before their last song... how do i know they won't get "carried away" with their staind cover and break the thing!? I get paranoid about that kinda thing, scratches, dents, dirty fingers, so when I say "Sorry dude, its lefty" Blam, all interest is lost.

In close second, it is really really cool to be lefty. You'll have to take my word for it, but when you go to a venue, and the other guitar players look at you and think you are standing backwards, they are always inclined to ask. I can't tell you how often i hear "Hey, you're a lefty?" while i have my guitar on. It should be a dead give-away, but always the same dumb question. Good conversation starter. It is almost like although I am just playing guitar, I possess some sort of high understanding, or power, over the dime-a-dozen righties.

So while it may be expensive sometime, being lefty is worth it. it's a cool tax you gotta spend, but I say its worth it. i haven't even mentioned the fact that I am almost completely schooled in playing a standard boring right handed guitar upside down... everywhere I go, and there is a guitar, its usually righty. After hanging out with enough righties, and dicking around on their guitars, i've probably logged about 1000 hours of playing upside down, and I can hold my own in a jam flipped. Blows minds... everytime.

--Jack

*or something like that, don't quote me on it, but it is ridiculously few.

lluukkiinn

Character Zero wrote:

I just recently purchased a lefty Epiphone Les Paul Standard and I love it. I paid $560 for it. It certainly has the Les Paul sound if thats what you like, and it really well made.

Some people will knock Epi's for not being Gibsons but a lefty Gibson is outrageously priced. This is the real deal.

Is your lefty Les Paul just as heavy as Les Paul's are known to be? Just curious...

and I second the Fender being a rip off, I can find those everywhere, but want to find something much more intresting for my magnitude!

JonnyPistachio

Im the rare exception as a righty who plays guitar lefty. I had a roomate a few years ago who had five lefty guitars...it was inevitable at the time.

I got lefty Epiphone casino about a year ago brand new off ebay for $600. I like it, it sounds great, but i'm used to a fatter neck.

TunnelThroughDenial

I'm a lefty guitar player with 10 or so lefty guitars.

Go buy a Japanese or Mexican made Fender strat for $200 or an Epiphone Les Paul type.

The physical construction is pretty much the same as the American Standard versions but the electronics are a bit inferior. Take it to a luthier and for a wee bit of $$ you can get new pots and switches and even new pickups and have a monster on your hands.

my most rockin guitar is a black strat with all new electronics that was made in Japan...

My .02..