E-Lambo Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 I play a right-handed guitar flipped over. It works fine with some guitars, but with others it's a mess - the knobs are in the way and I can't reach the highest frets. I typically buy a left-handed guitar then flip the nut around and restring like a right-handed guitar. On a strat this is very easy, but I wonder how difficult it would be on a Les Paul (which I'm about to buy). I don't know if I'll need to replace the bridge and stop-tail or if I can just adjust what's there. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Thorne Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 You can absolutely do it with a LP without buying different parts, it's no more difficult than with a Strat. And if you change the nut and intonate it you're a step ahead of Hendrix, who never did either, which is why his tuning sounded like a Javanese funeral procession on crack sometimes... BTW, Otis Rush does what you do, plays a lefty guitar but with righty stringing (high E nearest your head). I feel your pain, I play lefty (with lefty stringing). I hate knobs under my arm so I usually buy lefties. The exception is my LP which was given to me, the only way I'll ever afford one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-Lambo Posted August 28, 2003 Author Share Posted August 28, 2003 Chad - you're the perfect person to ask this question: do you think it's too clumsy to play your "upside-down" Les Paul since the body of the guitar prevents you from reaching the upper frets. Also, did you place a new strap button somewhere, and if so, where? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Thorne Posted August 29, 2003 Share Posted August 29, 2003 I have no problem with "upper frets" since I so seldom play above the 16th, and the LP has 16 clear of the body. I can squeak up to 18 if I want to, but rarely do. Just not my thing. I did put a strap button on the butt end of the neck heel, it seems to balance the guitar better for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-Lambo Posted August 29, 2003 Author Share Posted August 29, 2003 I ended up buying a right-handed Les Paul. I played around with it and didn't have a problem getting to the upper frets. Like you, I don't really go up there much anyway. Also, I talked to a tech about flipping the lefty around into a righty and he pointed out that the bridge can't be correctly intonated after a switch. Looking closely at the angle of the bridge I see what he means - there's just no room to compensate for the highest and lowest strings without redrilling 2 holes and repositioning the bridge. This is part of the reason decided on a right-handed guitar. That and the fact that there's just not much to choose from in left-handed Les Pauls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Thorne Posted August 31, 2003 Share Posted August 31, 2003 I wonder if you could have bought the lefty, and bought a righty tune-o-matic bridge to retrofit to it. That might have enabled you to string the lefty as a righty? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-Lambo Posted August 31, 2003 Author Share Posted August 31, 2003 I'm pretty sure that would require two new holes drilled into the body - something I didn't want to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.