Last Updated on October 19, 2023 by Chris
Hi all! I’m Chris; I live in England, and welcome to LeftyGuitarist.com, the go-to hub for left-handed guitar and bass enthusiasts!
Ever struggled to find that perfect lefty guitar or been curious about which brands offer left-handed versions? Look no further. I’m dedicated to showing a diverse range of guitars and basses available in left-handed orientation, making your search a breeze.
I’ll also have reviews on guitars and must-have accessories, as well as features on various lefty guitar subjects, ensuring you’re always in the know. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting your musical journey, LeftyGuitarist.com is your trusted companion. Rock on, lefties!
Of course, righties are welcome too!
My Guitar Journey
I have been playing guitar since I was thirteen years old, and I’ve been left-handed for as long as I can remember!
Actually, I first picked up a guitar when I was a few years younger when I found my dad’s old classical guitar in a cupboard. It was, of course, strung for a right-handed person, but I just enjoyed making a noise, so it didn’t really matter that the strings were upside-down.
A few years later, around 1990, I discovered music and bands that inspired me to want to learn how to play and even make up my own music. It was then, at thirteen years old that I decided that the guitar was for me.
I’m very lucky to have very supportive parents, so not too much later, I was the proud owner of a left-handed Hohner Professional ST59 electric guitar, which I still own to this day (though its condition is not the best these days).
I haven’t really been the most dedicated student of the guitar, so I’m still learning, even after more than thirty years! I hope I can learn loads of new stuff as I write this blog, and maybe share it here too.
Where’s Mine?!
Over the years since then, I’ve noticed a distinct lack of choice of guitar designs for the left-handed player, as I’m sure all of you have.
I remember looking through an old Fender catalog or perusing the local music stores, and only being able to find one or two guitars aimed at us poor southpaws, whereas there were dozens of designs in so many wonderful colors on offer in a right-handed configuration. “Where’s mine?!”, I used to think to myself.
LeftyGuitarist.com
Nowadays, a lefty’s choice is so much better, though our right-handed counterparts still get a much wider variety to choose from. Now I’m glad to have a little place where I can share my thoughts and experiences about gear, info, and other guitar-related stuff with like-minded Lefty Guitarists!
So anything I write about on this website will apply to any left-handed folks out there. Obviously, there’ll also be stuff for all guitarists; after all, I don’t think there’s such a thing as a left-handed amplifier or a left-handed effects pedal!
If you have any questions or would like to share anything, please feel free to comment or send a message, and I’ll do my best to help out.
Keep on rockin’!
Chris
LeftyGuitarist
I keep thinking most guitar shops should have a sign up like they did in Wayne’s World but it says ‘No Lefties’ rather than ‘No Stairway’.
If you don’t mind putting a bit of work/cash in, then DHGate is worth a look for left-handed stuff. I’ve had a few 6 and 12-string guitars and a hollow body bass from them. They all mostly play really well though occasionally a bit of extra setup is required.
Really wanted one of those new Revstars but ‘surprise’, no LH model with P90s.
Haha! Yes, I think I’d rather have a sign telling me they don’t stock left handed guitars, rather than me going into a store to find out they don’t! It’d be a time-saver, that’s for sure!
I’d heard of DHGate, but never bought from there… Isn’t it similar to Alibaba?
I was also particularly interested in a lefty P90 Revstar; no such luck right now, but the new models are the very first Revstars available to left handers, so hopefully in the future we may get some. I haven’t given up hope!
Cool site, I’m a bassist in Dublin and a lefty (for my sins lol).Been playing over 30 years now.
Hey Peter,
Thanks for coming to LeftyGuitarist!
I try to include the bass as much as I can. The site is still relatively young though, so there are still plenty of companies I haven’t covered yet. There’ll be more to come!
The choice for lefty bassists seems even more limited than for lefty guitarists, but at least there are some companies out there willing to offer a half-decent range to choose from.
We can be thankful though that things have definitely improved in the last 30 years!
Cheers
Chris
If you stumble upon one on the second hand market try a Gaskell. Explorers and Firebirds they were renowned for.
Hey Oscar,
Thanks for the comment.
Yeah, I have heard of Gaskell, but I have never seen one yet. They’re an Aussie guitar company right?
Maybe I’ll take a look at their lefty range in the future!
Ahh..Hohner Professional ST59 electric guitar, This was my first in electric guitar it was really built solidly. I remember getting it setup by a guitar tech at the guitar shop and walked in one day to pick it up and i could hear this guitar playing it was the guitar tech playing my Hohner. He said he would gig with this guitar anyday as it played beautifully. I had no experience at playing back then and i asked him do you do lessons and he got annoyed by the question. It was obvious he was in bands and had decent experience but he’s no guitar teacher. I had next to no equipment only plugged it into a boombox and bought a boss overdrive pedal and headphones. Lost the hohner to a pawnshop. Someone has this guitar in their cupboard.
Thanks for the comment Chris.
Wow! What a coincidence that we had the same guitar as our first one! It really is a good guitar; if only I’d maintained it properly in the thirty years or so that I’ve had it.
I still like to play it to this day, albeit not plugged in as it really crackles and buzzes now, so you can barely get much sound from it anymore. I plan to do some upgrades on it when I get the time.
Haha, it’s a shame the guy couldn’t give you lessons. How did you go about learning after that?
A shame also that you got rid of the Hohner!
Thanks for visiting the site.
Hi Chris,
thanks for turning up on the Aveyroad web site and left a message 🙂
it’s always great to check out another lefty fellow there on the internet.
Just liked your FB page.
Hope things are ok in the UK
stay safe and talk soon 🙂
greetings from France
Eric
Thanks Eric, I have done the same too.
Hope these times haven’t stopped the band too much.
Take care
Chris