• johnk
  • Junior Member
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  • Registered: 2006-11-15
  • Posts: 3

Topic: Restring a right to lefty?

My wife wants to learn to play guitar.  She is left handed, and playing right handed does not feel right to her.

I want to restring a right handed acoustic guitar upside down so she can get a feel for playing.  If she likes playing guitar, we can buy her a lefty, if she doesn't, we're only out the cost of strings.

I've noticed the bridge on my Taylor 110 is at an angle, and is offset where the B string rests.

Will restringing this guitar give her a legitimate feel for playing?

JohnK

  • From: Chillicothe, Ohio
  • Registered: 2010-08-16
  • Posts: 1,013

Re: Restring a right to lefty?

Because bridges are slightly angled, re-stringing as a lefty will mess up the intonation.  Also the nut is cut to accommodate the different string gauges, so stringing it "backwards" may also cause a lot of string buzz.  However, replacing the nut with a "left hand" one should be pretty easy to do and  If she doesn't capo or play up the neck the guitar will probably be close enough to being in tune to not deter her from learning.

A couple buddies were lefties - they just turned the guitar around to play it "lefty" and learned all the chords upside down.

DE

I want to read my own water, choose my own path, write my own songs
  • Jandle
  • Jandle
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Re: Restring a right to lefty?

johnk ....... I am left handed and play guitar and ukulele, but with guitars it is harder to just alter the strings because of exactly what you said, the bridge.  My advice would be go online buy a good condition 2nd hand guitar for her to learn on and if she really likes it, then buy her a good left hand guitar.  If she doesn`t like it, then re-sell the 2nd  hand one you brought her smile

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  • From: Western Oregon,US
  • Registered: 2008-07-22
  • Posts: 2,498

Re: Restring a right to lefty?

I'm going along with Jan on this for sure, the compensated bridge is offset to allow more even tension on the strings at tune, and might pose a problem with a new player (whose fingertips are likely going to be suffering for awhile anyway). Many folks tune down and capo up to ease that "break-in period" and then intonation will matter. Left handed guitars hold their value well and if you were to invest in one and it doesn't work out in say a few months or a year, you will get really close financially out of it as a pre-owned instrument as you would "current stock new" of like make and model. Even a new Epi is only a couple hundred dollars + and fine instruments for the $$, certainly not the "guitar shaped piece of cardboard" commonly sold as "perfect for the student guitarist" these days.  It is easier to learn on a good one IMO.  wink

"what is this quintessence of dust?"  - Shakespeare
  • From: The Land Of Song
  • Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 5,649

Re: Restring a right to lefty?

Hi John

I'm a lefty too and in recent years I've bought proper left hand guitars which you should be able to pick up quite easily, maybe a little more difficult to find an acoustic. So what I did was find a guitar with a fixed bridge, mine was a fender f90 which worked fine. Though changing the nut or top bridge is recommended.

Good luck teaching your wife to play, got to be like teaching her to drive...

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

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  • dino48
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  • From: los banos,california
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 6,801

Re: Restring a right to lefty?

John you might want too ask JJJ if he has any leftys he might sell.

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman