Conference napalm::guitar

    I've never been convinced that left-handed people should play what
    is conventionally considered a left handed guitar nor vice versa
    for right handers.
    
    I am left-handed but I play a right handed guitar.  I've always
    felt that the picking hand does mostly simple motions that don't
    require a lot of strength and only moderate accuracy, whereas the
    fretting hand does complicated motions that involve accuracy, strength
    (for certain things) and flexibility.  It seems logical that you
    want your dominant hand doing the fretting.
    
    I've read interviews in GP by other lefties-who-play-rightie who
    seem to support this belief.  In fact, if I recall correctly, Steve
    Morse was one of them.
    
    Regarding the asymmetry of keyboards, I remember reading the Josef
    Zawinul of Weather Report used a setup with perfect symmetry.  How
    did he do that you ask?   He had two electronic keyboards, one of which
    was set up conventionally, the other was reversed (remember, the
    keyboard itself is symmetric.  He played the conventional keyboard
    with his right hand, and the the reversed keyboard with his lefthand.
    (If you're having trouble imagining reversing a keyboard just imagine
    a keyboard where the C key plays E, and the E key plays C, etc....)
    
    	db

    Note that Libba Cotton and some other lefties such as Bill Staines
    play normal guitars, without restringing them, backwards (i.e. with
    the bass strings nearer the floor). Their fingering and picking
    styles are quite different from what you get used to seeing (for
    example, the right thumb does most of the melody picking while
    the middle finger picks out the bass line).

    There's a company called Shane Instruments which specializes in
    left-handed instruments. They make good quality Strat-type guitars.
    Their address is
    
                 	7010 Brookfield Plaza, Suite 205
    			Springfield VA 22150
    			(703)644-4089

RE: Dave Blickstein & other lefties who play righty.

If guitars weren't designed to be plucked with the dominant hand, then why
do righties do it that way?

My experience with playing violin (right-handed) is what convinced me to
switch. I found that my intonation was very good, as would be expected since
it was done with my dominant hand. My articulation and dynamic control was
poor (atrocious) as it was controlled by my right, or non-dominant hand.

I feel that articulation and dynamic expression are more difficult than
intonation, especially on a fretted instrument, and should be performed by
the dominant hand. Then again, I studied classical guitar for years and I
use all 5 digits of my left (picking) hand at times. I'm sure I couldn't do
all the tapping and simultaneous harmonics I do if I had to use my right
hand to do it.

Don.

>If guitars weren't designed to be plucked with the dominant hand, then why
>do righties do it that way?

    I can't say for sure.  But it may be only because that's the way
    they've been told their supposed to play.
    
    I think it's even already been said in this notes file that it's
    a widely held belief that most of your sound comes from your
    left hand (assuming you play a "right handed" guitar).  I think
    that articulation (on guitar, not violin) is probably about 30%
    fretting hand, whereas expression is probably 80% fretting hand.
    If you buy that, it seems only to strengthen the theory that you
    should fret with your dominant hand.
    
    My opinion is that you shouldn't make the decision based on what
    your dominant hand is.   I think that ideally, when you are just
    starting out, you should try it both ways and determine which suits
    you best.  But given the limited availability of left-handed
    instruments, that's rarely posssible.  I ended up playing a rightie
    guitar mostly because that's what was available (although I think
    it was the right choice for me).
    
    	db

    I'm a lefty (somewhat ambidexterous, actually) and I learned to
    play a right-handed guitar. I never "noticed" any difficulty
    other than what I thought was the normal learning process.
                                         
    	having spent the last 2 days thinking of what Dave Blickstein
    said, I guess I kind of agree with him. Although, bottom line
    might be this: you get as good as you really want to get by
    putting in the effort you really want to put in to it.
    	Look at the great musicians with missing fingers.....
    
    	maybe handicaps are more a state of mind....
    	rik s.
    

	re .0  You beat me to the punch on this one.  I was going to 
	       do a note on this myself.

	re .2  Being a lefty player myself and always being around 
	       right handed instruments, I have gotten fairly adept
	       at playing a right handed (upside down) guitar as well
	       as a lefthanded strung instrument.  Gets confusing 
	       sometime.

	Anyway ...I've been playing lefthanded for over twenty years
	now and if I had to do it over????  Probably would make the
	attempt to play righty.  Why?  Mostly access to instruments.
	It is kind of a drag to pick up a real nice guitar (or mandolin
	or whatever) and not really be able to play it.  Just pick at
	it and say "oh that's kind of a nice instrument.  Buying 
	them is no fun either.  It's either hunt for one already lefty,
	custom order one (usually at +10%), or buy a righthanded one
	and convert it (not usually an easy task).  

	Currently I own the following instruments :


	Guild D-25 Acoustic  	Ordered lefty from the factory at +10%

	Madeira A20 Acoustic    Converted to lefty

	Ibanez Strat		Found in a music store a factory lefty

	Regal Dobro (1930s)	Converted to lefty

	Fender lap steel	Converted to lefty

	Kentucky Mandolin	Converted to lefty

	As you can see, it definately has it's drawbacks.  Most time if
	I want to buy an instrument and buy the righthanded model, it
	takes a good deal of work to get it to play right as a lefty.
	I've had to have bridges customized and nuts made special.
	It ought to be real interesting if and when I decide to finally
	go for a pedal steel guitar in a lefty model.

	-gary

	p.s.  There are a couple of stores around the country that specialize
	      in nothing but lefty guitars.  One is in Va. (Left Hand Guitar
	      Shop) and another in Tx. (Southpaw guitars).  You can order by
	      mail, but what a hassle....

	

    If you want to hear something really strange, I have a friend in
    Minneapolis who is left-handed. She plays guitar "right-handed",
    but plays bass left-handed "upside-down" (ie. without reversing
    the strings). The reasoning behind this is that she only plays
    rhythm guitar --- simple strums and chords --- and figured it was
    easier to learn to play it the standard way. But since bass is
    mostly a run of single notes, she figured it didn't matter which
    way it was played and learned it leftie.
    
    --- jerry

   > plays bass left-handed "upside-down" (ie. without reversing
   > the strings). 

One of the world's premier R & B bass players does it this way. I'm speaking
of Gerry Jemott, (I'm not sure of the spelling) who has done lots of studio
work, and been on tour with (among others) B. B. King and Steve Miller. I'm
not sure what he's up to lately.

Albert King plays lead guitar this way.  

Don.

    
    	During my very first guitar lesson, I picked up the guitar to
    play lefty, but the teacher switched me to the "normal" way.  Since,
    when you first start to play, fingering on either hand is very
    uncoordinated (well, it was for me), I wonder if everybody really
    does have a "natural" tendency towards left or right handed playing.
    If so, I wonder how many people actually learned their "natural"
    way.
    
    	For those people who play lefty guitars, try playing a righty
    mandolin upside down (the mandolin), since it is strung, lowest
    to highest, GDAE, like the lower four strings, highest to lowest,
    of a guitar.
					Dave

	re .10
    
>>>    	For those people who play lefty guitars, try playing a righty
    mandolin upside down (the mandolin), since it is strung, lowest
    to highest, GDAE, like the lower four strings, highest to lowest,
    of a guitar.


	I've done this many times.  I'm not sure what you are getting at.
	It's basically the same as playing a guitar upside backwards.
	I'm currently learning mandolin (lefty strung).


	-gary

    I play a Guild acoustic, left-handed from the factory (10% extra)
    The mandolin I play upside down, strung regularly.  If I was to
    pick up another stringed instrument I think I might learn it upside
    down, but don't ask me why...

    Hi,
    
    I'm probably a little late with this note but I just found this
    conference recently.  
    
    I'm a lefty and play guitars lefty.  I do it because when I picked
    up a guitar the first time around '67 I strummed with my left hand
    and fretted with my right hand, it just seemed natural to me to
    do it that way.  
    
    Regarding which hand makes the music my opinion on this keeps changing,
    while it is true that the fretting hand will change the notes the
    guitar, I remember someone once saying is a percussive instrument.
    That would say that the strumming or picking hand has a lot to do
    with the sound quality.
    
    
    
    			Joe(ZR)

    
    Dave Blickstein, I'm with you! I am VERY left handed, but playing
    a guitar or bass left handed is inconceivable to me. And it's not
    that I haven't tried. Many moons ago when I took my very first guitar
    lessons, my teacher insisted that I play left because he knew I
    was left handed. Impossible!!!!
    It would almost seem to me that us lefties that play right, and
    those righties that play left are the ones that are doing it right.
    Right?  Sorry....bad pun!! But then again, I guess I can't argue
    with whatever style feels correct (right) for the individual.
    
    Barry  (also know as Buzz, and that is not from fret rattle!)

    Forgive the lateness, but some of us are new workers. I started
    as a right-handed bassist, but after four years became frustrated
    at the difficulty of advancing. Being left-handed in many other
    areas, I decided to switch my bass around. Within two months, I
    was playing better than ever. It seems to me that the important
    thing is for the individual to try both. For example, one of my
    brothers is right-handed, yet plays guitar left-handed (fortunately
    for me, when I visit!). This has convinced me that the "correct"
    way of playing is the most comfortable for you. Of course, the big
    problem is finding a left-handed instrument to try. I have been
    fortunate to find used guitars of decent quality when I've needed
    them. My first guitar was a Gibson SG, lefty! Also, last year I
    found a Guild CA-100 arch-top left-hand. Since this was the first
    left-hand arch-top I had ever seen (and still the only one) I snapped
    it up. Definitely, playing right-hand is worth it for availability
    of instruments. For me, I only regret being a lefty when I drool
    over all the 'unplayable' guitars in the world.

    Well, this is a REALLY late reply, but I just started in Jan 88,
    a co-op...I'm mostly left-handed, and as a kid, I played 'air guitar'
    that way.  My sister, a guitar player, told me that it was *wrong*,
    so when I picked up a guitar finally, I tried righty.  Progressed
    quite slowly, too, so I switched the strings, and 'voila! I'm still
    an amateur, but I feel there was no other way but to switch.  Anyway,
    I was wondering if some of you with REAL lefty guitars would like
    to jam?...I have a lefty Ibanez acoustic (and a Markley pickup).
    Put it this way: I'm a poor college student who'd like to play a
    Gibson, for example  (i've only seen one lefty Gibson and it was
    a piece of junk for some reason), and I've never played with another
    of our cursed species.
    (Ever notice how the world discriminates?  Like those stupid desks
    in lecture halls.  Take note, however, that most urinals flush 
    from the LEFT...)
    
    I guess that's coz the right hand is already occupied....
    
    -geo

    Funny that you noticed that. I started building guitars for Lefty's
    because no one else seemed to want to. I'm right handed, but my
    nephew & one of my daughters is lefthanded. Many left handed guitars
    are total junk. I don't know why, but, for some reason music shops
    are baffled at how to set one up, and many companies do a slip shod
    job of putting them together. I guess the 10 to 50% premium that
    they get makes it ok.
    								Jens 

	There is an article about this same subject in this month's
	issue (June?...With David Grisman on the cover) of FRETS 
	magazine.

	-gary_who_got_his_name_mentioned_in_the_article

    
    I withdrew the original .18 reply 'cause I really didn't have anything
    much to say. I was cranky that night and did a cold-blooded flame.
    My apoligies !!
    
    	Anyway, Hi ! I'm a lefty that plays lefty. I've always played
    lefty - I just NEVER felt comfortable holding the guitar anyother
    way. (The teachers tried putting the pencil in my Right hand too..).
    
    	I have a LH Strat, A LH Rick and a LH Jazz. I currently use
    a Roland GM-70/GK-1 on my strat with all B (.09)'s to interface
    to MIDI. Lot's of fun.
    
    	Glad to be here. 
    
    Anybody got a LH ES-175 for sale ??
    
    Jim
    

    
    	Much to my chagrin, I am an otherwise left-handed person, who
    	plays drums and guitars right-handed. I dunno why, but I do.
    	When I first began learning guitar, I tried lefty, with a
    	left-handed Ibanez Firebird (fab axe!). I struggled for about
    	three weeks, and, just out of curiosity, tried a rigthy model.
    	It worked better for me, so I traded sides!
    
    	I have a friend, Mike, who is lefty and plays lefty 
    	(upside-down AND backwards!) on a right-handed, regularly-strung
    	guitar. There are two problems with this; 1) When he uses my
    	Strat, he inadvertantly turns it down alot, and 2) I have a
    	B***H of a time following him!
    
    	By the way, it is my opinion after watching Mike, that, very
    	possibly, Paul McCartney could play some of those wierd, demented 
    	chords in some of the Beatles songs (you know, the ones that
    	righties have to tie their fingers in knots to make) BECAUSE
    	he was playing backwards and upside down.......
    
    	Anyway,
    	Bill

    Bill,
    
    I have every reason to believe that this is a common (but NOT
    "universal") experience.  You just don't hear about it too often
    because it never comes up.
    
    But, I am also a natural left-hander who floundered on left-handed
    guitars, switched to a right-handed guitar, and ended up doing 
    much better (OK... I still stink.  But it feels more comfortable.)
    
    As a matter of fact, the "best overall guitarist" in the world for the
    past 5 years straight ("best" according to the Guitar Player poll)
    is also a natural left-hander playing a "right handed" guitar.
    
    I am speaking of Steve Morse.
    
    	db
    
    p.s.  I'd like to point out that it's hard to draw any conclusions
    	  (and certainly no "recommendations") as to what all this implies.
    
    	  One might easily be tempted to make the inference that "lefties 
    	  should play rightie" and "righties should play leftie", but I 
    	  think that would be a non sequitur.
    
    	  If you approach it more cautiously, about all you can conclude
    	  is that your dominant side ("leftie" or "rightie") may *NOT* 
    	  be the strongest factor in determining which way you'd play 
    	  better.

RE < Note 51.19 by COMET::MESSAGE "I'm only sleeping..." >
    
>    	I have a friend, Mike, who is lefty and plays lefty 
>    	(upside-down AND backwards!) on a right-handed, regularly-strung
>    	guitar. 
    
	That wouldn't happen to be Mike Mongeon, would it?

	Dan (a friend of the above named Mike)

   I'm another lefty who play's righty.

   Looking back, it was easier to learn the first few Mel Bay tunes,
   but harder to *progress*.  My left hand is capable of learning
   fingerings and chords pretty easily, but control of the right hand
   (for accurate picking) has always been tough.

   Or maybe I just don't practice enough. :-)

   There's a similar problem in golf.  Playing left handed with righty
   clubs puts the 'power' arm in front.  I can cruch a drive, but it's
   apt to fade off into the woods.

   Dave

    
    I just got a new student in June who's a lefty.  I have to think
    backwards to write stuff down and to show him fingerings.  It's
    weird, but its a lesson for both of us.
    
    I think if playing left handed is your orientation, then you
    shouldn't fight it despite hard-to-find guitars n instructors.
    Why make life any harder?
    
    Buck

    Bill,
    
    I think it'd be in the best interests of your student if wrote things
    out in "right handed" form and let him reverse it.   All the tab
    he's ever gonna read in guitar literature is gonna be in right
    handed form.  He might as well get used to it.
    
    Plus, it's just really not that hard a thing to learn to do.  Most of
    the lefties I've known do it without thinking about it.
    
    Actually, is it really any easier for him to understand it in reversed
    form?  It's not immediately clear to me how any of the standard forms
    of tab are biased towards either way.
    
    	db

    db,
    
    yeah, I mean for chord and scale patterns, he wasn';t to see it
    `as is' on paper...which sopunds easier than it is., when determining
    the string placement and where the nut is, etc etc. Its more difficult
    than just a `mirror image' type thing.  it really is backwards.

    
    	Re.: .21 -
    
    	Nope, sorry; This is Mike Begeske, out in CXO. But, I'll
    	bet that you're friend Mike is just as tough to follow as
    	my friend Mike...
    
    	Bill 

    Went to a Steve Morse clinic at a Boston music store last night.
    
    He touched on this subject (remember he's a leftie playing "rightie")
    and mentioned that he became convinced when he met an excellent
    guitar player who played "right handed" despite the fact that due
    to a war injury he DID NOT HAVE a right hand.
    
    ;-)
    
    	db

    Anyway...
    
    I went to high school with a guy that had a deformed right arm that
    was about 6 inches shorter than his left.  His right hand terminated
    in a hand that was very small, with the middle finger being the
    only discernable appendage.
    
    He just stuck a finger pick around his middle finger, taped it on
    with a band aid, and wailed.
    
    And every lefty I've known has played guitar righty.  I tried playing
    guitar lefty, but it just didn't work.
    
    Ashley

    
    	There was a guy, named Hoppe Nile, who played in several
    	Chi.-suburb bands. Hoppe always amazed me, because he had
    	no right hand, just a metal hook on the end of his right arm.
    
    	He played rhythm guitar with what I'll call a "pumping" 
    	motion of his arm. When he played leads, he only moved his arm
    	fractions of an inch. And when he hit harmonics with his 
    	pick "hand", they would cut right thru your ears! 
    
    	Since I've been away from the area about 10 years, I don't
    	know what happened to ol' Hoppe, but I'll never forget him.
    
    	Bill Message

	A guy at Minor Chord in Acton (George) plays electric and accoustic
as a lefty, but with a righty guitar.  Has the highest string on the top.

    Hello, Im new to DEC, and I found this page/note thingy really
    interesting, as I am a leftie guitar player.
    I am also a beginner and have found that many cheap lefties are
    so appalling to play,and so much more expensive than the right 
    versions. IE my hondo (dont laugh, i am a beginner) from the shop
    is virtually useless, poorly setup by shop, ect. Although my right
    friends are well catered for with well set up guitars from same
    shop! My guitar was 20% more than the right version.
    
    still, its just "natural " to play the way I do!
    
    juju
    xxxx
    

    Thought you lefties would like to know about this excerpt from the
    Takamine catalog:
    
    "Takamine's left-handed guitar (EF-360SLH) is constructed with the
    same attention to detail as our right-handed models.  It is not
    simply a right-handed guitar turned around.  The Takamine left-handed
    Dreadnoughts feature modified internal bracing pattern and bridge
    and fingerboard radius for perfect left-hand playing."
    
    Mike

    Hi all, just entered this in my note book today,I play lefthanded also,
    and I have an Uncle that plays the same way.For me it was eisier
    because my right hand has more dextrety than my left...so..
    I have a univox hollow-body electric setup lefty it had a long whammy
    bar that I "costomized" had fret dots and pick guard flipped....
    also am a RFA...Rank ------ Amatuer..been thretening to learn about 12+
    years started about 3 mos ago...
    
    
    also the dominant hand is controled by the oppisite side of the brain
    so....lefty are the only ones in there 'right' mind...; )
    
    
    
                           Kevin

    left handed Strat for sale........9 months old . maple neck,
    
    Hardshell case,  Paid $550.00  will sell for $350.00
    
    Send mail  USADEC::BAZILLION
    
    
    
    butchaka

This Steve Morse person mentioned several times in this topic -- is he the
same Steve Morse that writes music reviews for the Boston Globe?

Excuse my ignorance.
Thanks.

    No, Steve Morse the guitar player is not the same person who writes
    reviews for the Globe.

Hi,

A bunch of things.  First off, I just started learning to play.  I will be
playing left-handed ... I recently purchased a used right-handed acoustic
guitar and re-strung it for lefty.  It seems to sound ok and it works fine,
then again, I'm not expert at this stage.

Ronnie Earl, an excellent local blues guitarist, is probably my fave blues
guitar player; I've seen him live lots of times.  Jerry Garcia is another
one of my favorites also.

I've read all the replies in this topic and I'm wondering if it is worth
learning how to play a right-handed guitar turned upside down (mostly for
instrument availability) for lefty use?  Opinions?

Also, I'd like to buy a chord book that illustrates chord patterns for
lefties.  I checked the Minor Chord in Acton, MA and they only carry righty
chord books.  Anyone know a store that has a good stock of lefty books
and supplies in the Maynard area?  I will travel to Nashua, NH or Boston if
need be.

I'm also interested in taking lessons from a left-handed guitar player.  I
would entertain offers from folks in this notes file (send mail).  If no one
volunteers, where is a good place to start looking?  Music stores?

Appreciate the help.  I'm looking forward to being able to play with
others.

JC Ferguson

    JMO, but I think that if you want to learn stuff out of tab and chord
    books, then you should probably learn to use the "righty" notated ones,
    because even if any "lefty" ones exist, there can't be many of them. 
    If you become accustomed to looking at the righty version and turning
    it around in your mind now, then using other righty books in the future
    won't be difficult for you.
    
    Greg

    My vote is to get a left-handed guitar...over the years I've seen lefty
    versions of most of the popular axes.  
    
    String it in the conventional manner for *you*, so that I, a righty, 
    couldn't play it.  
    
    Learn to mentally rearrange tab and chord diagrams, because as -.1 said, 
    there's ton's o' stuff for righties.
    
    You just need a teacher, not a left-handed teacher.
    
    Just another stinkin' $0.002's worth...and welcome to the world of
    guitar-ing!

    THIS MAY BE OLD BUT I'M GOING TO BE IN TEXAS FOR A WEEK AND WOULD LIKE
    TO KNOW WHERE THIS SOUTHPAW GUITAR STORE IS.I'D LIKE TO CHECK IT OUT.
    HOW ARE THERE PRICES?IS IT NEW AND USED OR JUST USED?
    
    
           THANKS IN ADVANCE
    
    
              RICHIE
    
    

    Where in TX are you going.  The Guitar Center's in the major cities
    are very cool stores!!

    i'm going to dallas for a week on sunday 3/8 and hope to find a decent
    lefty there. where is southpaw giutar i say mentioned in here .9 i
    think?
    

    Lefty guitars are available, but just try and find a left handed case! 
    I'm STILL trying to find a case for my air guitar.....
    
    8^)
    

    the ones i've found always came with cases.i'm looking for an
    inexpensive (aren't we all) lefty bass. i quit a while ago and
    just want something to have around the house when the urge hits
    me.i still have an old bass amp (traynor).in the basement.
    i'ts small but still works used it for small clubs in the past.
    
    
               any help?
    
             richie
    

    This is pretty old, but I just found it laying around my directory and
    thought some of you might find it interesting.  The current inventory
    is probably a bit different after a couple of months, but I'm sure he
    still has a good stock of left-handed instruments available if you're
    needing something like this.
    
    Greg
    
    
Article 10417 of rec.music.makers.marketplace:
Path: nntpd.lkg.dec.com!crl.dec.com!crl.dec.com!decwrl!ames!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!uunet!newstf01.cr1.aol.com!newsbf01.news.aol.com!not-for-mail
From: [email protected] (LeftyGtr)
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.marketplace
Subject: Route 66 Guitars LEFTY USED & VINTAGE stocklist!
Date: 9 Oct 1994 18:44:05 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
Lines: 205
Sender: [email protected]
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: newsbf01.news.aol.com

Route 66 Guitars
21 N. Altadena Drive
Pasadena, California  91107
Tel: 213 GUI TARS * fax: 818 683 8693
eMail: [email protected] * [email protected] * [email protected]

Here is a partial list of our lefty stock. We do everything from $200
acoustics to vintage Les Pauls worth over $70,000.00. All new gear is
published at list price at the request of the manufacturers. Discounts
quoted on an individual basis. Call, Fax, Write or eMail me with what you
are looking for, and I'll find it if it exists.

Left handed inventory as of 10/7/94

Late 60's Ampeg  Fretted Bass * $2,000.00
Black to Red sunburst finish. Scroll headstock. Thru-body 'f' holes. The
only lefty I've even heard about! Piezo bridge pickup. Sounds like a
double bass. Near Mint condition with original paperwork, wrenches & gig
bag. 

1959 Fender Esquire * $9,000.00
NEAR MINT. Slab rosewood fingerboard. As clean and rare as it could
possibly be. The price says it all.

1964 Fender Stratocaster * $3,500.00
Sunburst finish. Pre-CBS. Tortoise-shell pickguard. 'Clay' dot inlay. Good
condition. A lot of wear to the finish on the back of the body - think
Stevie Ray. Amazing player. Back of the neck refinished, otherwise
completely original. Original hard shell case.

1992 Fender Stratocaster * $1,600.00
Custom Shop 1957 Reissue. Two tone sunburst finish. Near mint condition.
Exceptional handmade quality and tone. With all accessories & Certificate
of Authenticity. Unusual 'Center Pocket' reissue tweed case.

1992 Fender Stratocaster * $495.00
Japanese '60's reissue. Black finish. Rosewood fingerboard. Near mint
condition. With moulded hard shell case. An exceptional playing and
sounding instrument.

1960 Fender Jazz Bass * $4,500.00
Nitro-Refinished 2 Tone Sunburst. Tortoise Shell Pickguard. EX+ Condition.
The neck is dated 8/60, which makes this the earliest Lefty Jazz Bass
known to man. Stack knob model. Later hardshell case.

1972 Fender Jazz Bass * $1,250.00
Black finish. EX+ condition. Rosewood fingerboard. Very nice player in
perfect condition. 4 bolt neck. Original hard shell case.

1973 Fender Precision Bass * $1,150.00
Mint condition with warranty card. Sunburst finish. Maple neck. Black
pickguard. Original hard shell case.

1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard * $74,000.00
Sunburst finish. The best of the four known to exist, it's cleaner & the
top is nicer than McCartney's. EX+++ condition with original brown case,
strap & bill of sale. THE '60 neck profile. It breaks my heart that I
can't keep this...

1957 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top * $38,000.00
Near Mint condition. So frighteningly clean it looks like a reissue to the
untrained eye. 'Patent Applied For' pickups. Original narrow-waist brown
hardshell case. The best lefty Gold top in the world, it has been in the
hands of collectors for the last 22 years.

1976 Gibson Les Paul Standard * $2,400.00
Sunburst finish. Retopped & headstock reshaped to look like a 1959
'Burst'. Very flamey top. Original hardshell case.

1959 Gibson ETS-225T * $1,450.00
Sunburst finish. Excellent Plus Condition Plus. Yes friends, an ES-225 for
tenor banjo players. 2 P-90 pickups.. A Rare Bird indeed.

1967 Hagstrom Hollowbody * $675.00
Cherry red finish. Very similar to Guild Starfire IV. Double cutaway. The
'Elvis Comeback Special' model. Near Mint. Original(?) softshell case.
Very cool!

New Hamer Special * Retail w/Case $1,240.00
Gibson TV (Limed Mahogany) finish. Hamers most popular model. Similar to a
1960 Les Paul Special. 2 Duncan P-90's. With hardshell case.

New Hamer Special * Retail w/Case $1,240.00
Vintage cherry red finish. Hamers most popular model. Similar to a 1960
Les Paul Special. 2 Duncan P-90's. With hardshell case.

New Hamer Violin Bass * Retail $2,780.00
Blue Sunburst. Solidbody model based on Hofner's  'Beatle' Bass. Full
Scale neck. EMG pickups. 

80's Hamer Miller Beer 12 String * $650.00
Black finish. Excellent Condition. Yes, this one has the Miller Genuine
Draft Label as a body!. Single OBL pickup. One-of-a-kind instrument made
by Hamer for a Miller sponsored band

New Jerry Jones Longhorn Bass * Retail w/Case $845.00
Copper Sunburst. 2 lipstick pickups. A very faithful replica of the old
Danelectro model.

1991 Klein Electric * $3,000.00
Serial Number 'L001'. This is the first and only lefty Klein. Based on a
Steinberger model 4 with Trans-Trem, it has an 'ergonomically correct'
body design. Built for the '91 NAMM show, it is new with warranty and the
strangest looking gig bag I've ever seen. 

1973 Martin D-18L * $1,450.00
Mahogany sides & back dreadnought acoustic. Natural finish. Excellent
condition. With original Martin moulded case.

1992 'Max Guitars' Flying V Replica * $5,500.00
THIS IS NOT A GIBSON, but a faithful replica of a 1958 model. Natural
finished Korina/Limba body & neck. Duncan Pickups. 

1967 Rickenbacker 360/12 * $3,250.00
MapleGlo (natural) finish. Very rare. VG++ condition. Plays like a dream.
Original silver hardshell case.

1988 Rickenbacker 370/12RME:1 * $2,400.00
Roger McGuinn Limited Edition. FireGlo finish. One of 4 lefties made. Mint
Condition with certificate. Original hardshell case.

New Rickenbacker 325JL:LH Retail $1,824.00
JetGlo finish. Faithful replica of Lennon's 1963 model 325. Price includes
reissue silver hard shell case. Numbered Certificate. These instruments
are now out of production - see below.

New  Rickenbacker 355/12JL:LH $2,000.00
The LAST John Lennon Limited Edition. #2,000 of 2,000. JetGlo finish. Full
scale 12 string version. 21 frets. Price includes reissue silver hard
shell case and that all important certificate.

1988 Robin Ranger Custom $750.00
3 Tone Sunburst finish. Tele Bridge/Tele Neck/Humbucker pickup
arrangement. Very nice instrument. Unsold Condition with warranty card
still in case.

New Robin Raider II $475.00
Black finish. Humbucking pickups. Reverse Moserite body style. Strat style
tremolo bridge.

We are a major dealer for new Rickenbacker instruments. Left handed
standard models are either in stock or on order at all times. RIC are now
accepting custom orders. Call with your dream guitar in mind, and we'll
price it out for you. All instruments are inspected at and picked up from
the RIC factory by yours truly.

All items above shipped with 24 approval period. 
Customer is responsible for all shipping and insurance costs.
No sales tax on orders shipped outside California.


The remaining items on this list are from the Elliot Easton Collection.
All instruments are factory left handed and come with
a signed letter of authenticity from Mr. Easton and a discography. 
Our standard approval policy does not apply to this collection.

1982 Dean Prototype * $2,400.00
Headstock reads, "Protoype E-1, by Dean and Elliot". Cream finish. Custom
body shape somewhere between a Ventures Moserite and an Ibanez Iceman.
Bridge position humbucker  & angled Strat pickup at the neck. Rosewood
fingerboard, glued in neck. Strat Tremolo. Near Mint Condition with
original hard shell case.

1982 Fender 'Lead 1 1/2' * $1,800.00
Cream/Yellow finish. EX++ Condition. Strat body with Lead I pickup in
bridge position and slanted Strat pickup at the neck. Kahler Trem. One of
Elliot's main axes, it was used extensively in the recording of several
Cars albums. With hard shell case. 

1989 Gibson ES-335 CUSTOM * $3,500.00
Built in the Gibson Custom Shop. Translucent Cherry Red finish. Mint
Condition. No 'f' holes. Mono and Stereo output jacks on rim. Crown
headstock inlay. Rosewood fingerboard with LEFT HANDED Trini Lopez 'Split
Diamond' inlay. Flat/Wide 1960-62 neck profile. Truly a spectacular
one-of-a-kind instrument. With original brown hard shell case.

1981 Greco 'Boogie' * $695.00
Lake Placid Blue finish. Near Mint Condition. Somewhere between a
non-reverse Firebird III and a Strat, you'll find this guitar. Large 'V'
shaped neck. Custom built for Elliot by Greco (Ibanez in Japan). With
original hard shell case.

1983 Hamer Teardrop * $1,500.00
Based on the Vox Mark VI. White finish. Kahler Tremolo. Used on 'Saturday
Night Live' and other live appearances. 

1984 Roland GR-700 Guitar Synth/G-707 Synth Guitar * $1,000.00
Used at Live Aid & on recordings. With programmer, pedals, cables, etc.
Guitar is in near mint condition, with original case.

1990 Steinberger XL-2L Bass * $1,400.00
Black 'finish'. According to Elliot this was one of Steinbergers early
crash test dummies, converted to lefty and sold to him in 1990. EX-
Condition with gig bag.

1990 Steinberger GM-2TL * $1,800.00
Red finish. Strat style body with bridge position humbucking and
single-coil neck position EMG pickups. Transposing Tremolo. Near Mint
Condition with gig bag.

1983 Strings & Things Bluesmaster * $1,350.00
Elliot calls this his 'Lesquire'. Translucent Cherry finish. Double Bound
modified Tele/Les Paul body shape. Bolt on maple neck. Single humbucker in
bridge position. Serial# 00001. This was used for the solo on 'You Might
Think', as well as other recordings. Near Mint and very cool.

    
    	So somebody wires up a bunch of musical instruments backwards
    	and they're worth 10 times as much as they should be?
    
    	8^)
    
    							GTI
    

    Check the dates on 'em, dude.  The ones that are priced real high are
    (more or less) vintage instruments.  The fact that they're left handed
    (yeah, more then just the strings...) makes them that much more rare. 
    
    Greg

    
    	Yeah, I noticed that, but it still sounds steep to me.
    
    	Now, the Elliot Easton stuff, on the other hand, is probably
    	worth it.  Anything endorsed by a member of The Cars is good
    	enough for me.
    
    	8^)
    
    							GTI
    

>1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard * $74,000.00
>Sunburst finish. The best of the four known to exist, it's cleaner & the
>top is nicer than McCartney's. EX+++ condition with original brown case,
>strap & bill of sale. THE '60 neck profile. It breaks my heart that I
>can't keep this...

I don't think his heart will be too broken when he cashes that $74,000 check...

(I remember McCartney playing his Les Paul during his 1990 tour.  
Lullaby->Carry that Weight->The End = WOW!!)

adam