Left Hander Playing Right

everwax

I've been playing for some 45 years. I picked up a 12 string owned by a folk guitarist, Ian Campbell, when I went to my best friend's house for munchies after school. Long story short, when he saw me eyeing his acoustic axe he grumbled in a broad Scottish dialect "So you want to play guitar". "Um, yes," I mumbled, totally intimidated. He was right-handed, I was left.

And I've never changed, playing right-handed left. It does offer great bass and open chord possibilities but there are challenges when I need to see the dot fret markers on the side of the board.

So, the question: any advice how to apply some non-permanent fret markers?

I don't wish to devalue my guitars by a permanent fix (with a professional luthier's costs, or otherwise) but I'd like to see the buggers when I'm fast shifting. It's not so bad with the prominent mid-fret inlay on my HD28 and such but I frequently ride a Faith and the only indication is the logo on the 12th fret.

Tips and suggestions most welcome.

BigLicks67

The simplest thing would be to get some blank white address labels and cut them into small triangles and stick them on the side of neck.

They are easy to remove and will not leave a permanent mark - I used this method on my old classical guitar with no problems.

everwax

Cheers Licks, simple, effective solution. Off to the post office later ...

everwax

However ...

Shot in the dark.

I thought about this and wondered if anybody knows where I can buy 2mm decals, like on Airfix model planes and the like. They are water transfers that will sit tight once in place and are simple to remove. I've spent a few hours googling for a company that will offer these but no joy. Any help appreciated.

John_P

I've seen a few places doing decals that would go over the dots on the fretboard on eBay.   stars     blocks  etc

Sassafras

Letraset?

Gru

Do you mean you play a right handed guitar left handed, thus upside down?

I've seen a few people do this on YouTube. Never tried it personally. I guess if you start that way, it must feel normal to you.

I am left handed but play as if I was right handed.

everwax

Yup, for some 40 or so years. You try telling a bloody big Scot you want to re-string his guitar for some spotty left handed kid

AnimalBreakdown

Hey I've just joined this site specifically to talk about this! Everwax how do you find purchasing guitars? it's really hard for me as i play left handed guitars but then have to reverse all the strings. So you can play a guitar in the shop but not truly know how it will feel until you get it home and change everything. I could just buy right handers but then theres always the problem with reaching the high notes unless its an SG or turning the knobs with the strumming hand. Damn

NickL

AnimalBreakdown said:

...i play left handed guitars but then have to reverse all the strings...

Simple enough on Fender-style electrics, as you only need to replace the nut and adjust the bridge saddles. It worked well enough for Hendrix the other way round. On a Gibson style with an angled bridge (particularly a one-piece wrap-over type like on an LP Junior) you'll struggle to get the intonation right so it won't play in tune up the neck. An acoustic is likely to be worse because as well as the bridge angle, the bracing of the top will be the wrong way round for the strings, so it won't sound quite right.

everwax

Hi Animal,

I don't have an issue checking out a guitar because I simply take a right-handed acoustic and turn it upside down. I have always played this way. It does mean there's little point in buying cutaway instruments (unless they play well) but I tend to play mid-range fretting and lower finger picking so no big deal. Oh, and welcome to the forums.

revdick

I've always wondered about this.  My question is, why don't left-handers learn to play a right-handed guitar right-handed from the beginning? Since we use both hands to play, why does it make a difference?  I guess it must....  On the same tack, I have often picked up a left handed guitar and managed to play chords "upside down" (a bit slowly). But I'm sure I couldn't play a left handed guitar left-handed without a lot of effort - I'd have to learn to use my right hand for chords.  Strange - righties' left hands are weaker, yet we use them for the hard work of chord formation.

SCMIV

speaking for myself I think difference is that though we use both hands to play, it makes intuitively more sense as a beginner to use the hand you can coordinate easier as the one that produces tone, in the first instance. Some folk have a more severe imbalance with handedness than others - hence why some lefties can pick-up it up right-handed easily, with difficulty, or not at all (and absolutely have to play lefty, like myself).

that most folk use the weaker hand for fretting  is a perfect indicator for me of where the 'hard work' actually is - alot of the time folk get obssessed with fretting hand stuff, to the detriment of the importance of a strong, dynamic and articulate picking hand (I'm as guilty of this as anyone).