Any Guitar players ?

[Biggie]

My son wanted a guitar for his birthday and we looked on guitar guitar..........bloody expensive !
Anyway, he's a beginner and the guy said to spend approx. £150 to see how it goes.
He's also a leftie.

Can anyone offer advice on a) the best guitar to buy in that price range and b) where could he get lessons ?

Also....the guy said there's very few left handed guitars, so he'd be best learning as a right hander. (is that true ?)

Any advice welcomed.
Thank you.

[Geo_1875]

My son wanted a guitar for his birthday and we looked on guitar guitar..........bloody expensive !
Anyway, he's a beginner and the guy said to spend approx. £150 to see how it goes.
He's also a leftie.

Can anyone offer advice on a) the best guitar to buy in that price range and b) where could he get lessons ?

Also....the guy said there's very few left handed guitars, so he'd be best learning as a right hander. (is that true ?)

Any advice welcomed.
Thank you.

Depends what age and how serious he is. If he's young enough to adapt he could try learning right handed. If he's too young to know if he's serious there's plenty second-hand at a reasonable price. Is he going acoustic or straight into electric? If your looking at shops try GAK online. They've got a good selection and speedy delivery. Let us know how you get on.

[marinello59]

My son wanted a guitar for his birthday and we looked on guitar guitar..........bloody expensive !
Anyway, he's a beginner and the guy said to spend approx. £150 to see how it goes.
He's also a leftie.

Can anyone offer advice on a) the best guitar to buy in that price range and b) where could he get lessons ?

Also....the guy said there's very few left handed guitars, so he'd be best learning as a right hander. (is that true ?)

Any advice welcomed.
Thank you.

I'm a Leftie. It's true that some manufacturers don't bother with left hand models. It's not a problem with the more 'mainstream' manufacturers such as Fender and Gibson. I'd say if his natural inclination is to pick up the guitar left handed then go with it. I originally learned playing a right hand guitar upside down which is one option or you could restring a right hand model. (I wouldn't say either was a good idea.)
Jim Deacon do left handed Strat copies at a decent price and to my mind better quality than Fenders 'Squier' entry level models. Maybe worth checking out the second hand market.
(I am assuming it's an electric guitar.)

[Peevemor]

i know quite a few people who make their living from music (teaching, performing or both). A relatively high percentage are left handed and almost all of them play their instruments right handed.

When you start learning an instrument, you train your hands/fingers to do stuff they've never done before and there's no real reason for a beginner to start off with his or her hands inversed.

If a left handed learner (learning right handed) is really struggling, then you can try switching to see if there's an improvement - there rarely is.

However, a left handed person playing right handed who attains a certain level of competence will almost always find themself with an above average weak (ie. left) hand compared to people of the same level.

I've taught bagpipes for over 30 years and have had both left and right handed pupils who have gone on to be excellent players. I've never produced a piper who plays left handed.

[marinello59]

i know quite a few people who make their living from music (teaching, performing or both). A relatively high percentage are left handed and almost all of them play their instruments right handed.

When you start learning an instrument, you train your hands/fingers to do stuff they've never done before and there's no real reason for a beginner to start off with his or her hands inversed.

If a left handed learner (learning right handed) is really struggling, then you can try switching to see if there's an improvement - there rarely is.

However, a left handed person playing right handed who attains a certain level of competence will almost always find themself with an above average weak (ie. left) hand compared to people of the same level.

I've taught bagpipes for over 30 years and have had both left and right handed pupils who have gone on to be excellent players. I've never produced a piper who plays left handed.

You have much more knowledge than me on this but it would have taken me much, much longer to learn right handed. When will we rid the world of leftism. :greengrin

[Peevemor]

You have much more knowledge than me on this but it would have taken me much, much longer to learn right handed. When will we rid the world of leftism. :greengrin

Did you take lessons or were you self taught?

The only reason that I start left handed pupils off right handed is to save them hassel when looking to buy instruments - they'll have a much better choice. There's also the question of getting a shot of someone elses instrument should the occasion arise.

[speedy_gonzales]

When will we rid the world of leftism. :greengrin
The day after they start allowing left handers in orchestras!

[marinello59]

Did you take lessons or were you self taught?

The only reason that I start left handed pupils off right handed is to save them hassel when looking to buy instruments - they'll have a much better choice. There's also the question of getting a shot of someone elses instrument should the occasion arise.

All good points, I would probably be a casebook study on how to do it wrong. I'm self taught, started with a right handed Telecaster copy which I didn't bother re-stringing and played upside down. I was in a hurry though, punk was big and I only needed to learn three chords to join in. If only I had learned the right three. :greengrin

[marinello59]

The day after they start allowing left handers in orchestras!

Don't start me on scissors. And tin openers. :grr:

[snooky]

The day after they start allowing left handers in orchestras!

Why can't somebody start a left-handed orchestra? :dunno:

:violin: <-- btw, look at smiley in mirror.