Archive for Guitars – Page 2

How Should Left Handed Guitarists Play Their Guitars?

I was recently thinking about left handed guitar players ( I know I need to get out more often) and wondered what effect their left handedness had on their playing style. Most of the very famous ones we’re familiar with but I’ll list some anyway:


Jimi Hendrix- yep he has to go first still – as you probably know he mostly played a restrung right handed guitar which he played upside down. (the guitar, not Jimi, though early on who knows). Gibson did however custom make him a left-handed Flying V in 1969 which he used at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970.


Kurt Cobain – played a mixture of left-handed guitars and upside-down restrung right handed guitars. Favoured Mustangs and Jaguars, though dabbled a bit with Strats and had some custom made for him.


Paul McCartney (free again!) I know he played bass in the Beatles but he also played and plays guitar. Trivia fact – the guitar he first learned to play on which belonged to a childhood friend sold for over 0,000 in 2006! If you know some aspiring young rock gods you should perhaps lend them some gear (as long as you get it back and they don’t trash it).


Dick Dale – It was good to see him getting some attention thanks to the inclusion of Miserlou in Pulp Fiction. Initially played an upside down right handed guitar but did not restring it so the strings were also ‘upside down’. Even when using a left handed guitar keeps strings upside down.


Albert King – influential blues guitarist who also favoured ‘upside down’ strings, whether on an upside down right handed guitar, or a left-handed version. Was a big fan of the Gibson Flying V, and thanks to down-tuning his guitar had a very expressive and individual sound.


From this we can see therefore that there’s 3 main options available to lefties :


1) Use a right handed guitar and simply turn it upside down leaving the strings as they are.


This will definitely have a large impact on your playing style and sound. Using ‘normal’ training materials and tabs will be difficult but you may be the next Dick Dale or Albert King.


2) Use an upside down right handed guitar and restring it.


Although some purists may scoff this is certainly fairly straightforward for electric guitars. It can be difficult sometimes using the volume and tone controls and some guitars may just not be comfortable to use this way.


3) Buy a purpose built left handed guitar.


This avoids having to restring your guitar and will mean that all the controls that you need will be in easy reach. Will also avoid difficulties in using an unusual arrangement of strings and will make more training materials available to you. Less likely that clumsy right-handed friends will want to borrow your guitar and return it after bouncing it off a concrete floor.


Your guitar should be pretty much plug n’ play out of the box (well perhaps tune it first). Aesthetically your guitar will probably look more balanced and like what it’s designers intended.


So overall if you’re just starting out learning to play guitar and are left-handed then I’d recommend finding a left handed guitar that you like. It will make your learning curve (to use an overused phrase) a bit smoother. Later on once you’ve learned the basics feel free to experiment as that’s part of the fun in learning to play guitar, whether you’re a lefty or not.

Bob James is left-handed and plays guitar. Though not terribly interesting these facts means that he’s interested in left handed guitars.

If you’re interested in finding a left-handed guitar then you might want to check out http://findlefthandedguitars.com


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Where to go for lefty guitars & basses? Part Four ? left handed Randy Rhoads V guitar

These days, with more and more major guitar manufacturers ceasing to make their products in left hand, one might well ask the question “where do I go for left-handed guitars and left-handed bass guitars these days?”

In actual fact, there are guitar and bass models that are popular with guitarists that you cannot get left handed at all. Some have never been available in left hand.

Fortunately there is one guitar brand in the world that makes high quality left handed guitars and left-handed bass guitars only: Gaskell Guitars.

Gaskell Guitars was started in 2006 by New Zealand-born left-handed guitarist Kevin Gaskell. Since then the brand has become international renowned for “lefty guitars and basses, designed by a lefty, for lefties only.”

Gaskell makes guitars and basses that are otherwise not available in left hand option by original manufacturers. Here is another one in our series of articles on this subject:

Randy Rhoads V guitar.

Before the plane crash that ended his life in 1982, Randy Rhoads had been working with Grover Jackson, from Charvel Guitars, an American guitar repairer that also had a line of guitars, to design a new type of V guitar. It became the guitar that apparently inspired Grover Jackson to start up his own company and brand, and was the first ever Jackson model!

When Jackson Guitars was bought out by Fender in 2002, a number of their endorsed artists who played Randy Rhoads V guitars defected to ESP Guitars who also made the same style Randy Rhoads V model.

Both companies are still making Randy Rhoads V guitars today.

Jackson do offer theirs in left hand, but only in their USA made series which go for around the 00 mark, per the Jackson Guitars 2010 Price List.

The lefty models are not available at Australian and New Zealand guitar stores.

ESP Guitars do not make their Randy Rhoads V in left hand at all, so they are not currently a resource for lefty guitarists for this model.

This was the reason I designed the Gaskell KORU. The Gaskell Koru is a left handed Randy Rhoads style V guitar, primarily for the Australian and New Zealand market.

“Koru” is a native New Zealand fern. A stylized picture of it is the symbol for Air New Zealand. The shape of this Koru resembles the V shape of the Randy Rhoads guitar.

The Koru is based on Randy’s original specs, when it was still being called the “Concord.” The body shape of ours is slightly different to the Jackson, as is the ESP version. It is like the ESP version, slightly longer in the points. The headstock is our own.

Aussie and Kiwi lefty guitarists, now you can get that guitar you never ever could before.

I suggest you look at the website for more info. It is worth it! You will be surprised!

Left-handed guitars and left-handed basses only. Designed by a lefty, for lefties. How much more better than that can you get it? http://www.gaskellguitars.com/models

Kevin Gaskell is the business owner and designer of Gaskell Guitars which is a manufacturer of left handed guitars and basses, located in Sydney Australia. Gaskell guitars are available world wide. http://www.gaskellguitars.com


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Guitars lessons

Guitars lessons

I Want To Do That!

Have you ever been to a rock concert or a country concert – or a concert or performance from most any music genre? Did you wonder what the lead singer would really sound like without that music playing behind him/her? Most people would not be able to pull off an entire performance with no music playing – I would forget the words without music! At some point during that performance, the lead singer probably stepped aside and gave the floor to the band – each musician performing a solo. Drum solos are exciting, sure – but, when that guitar player starts making his/her fingers walk and talk across those strings, there is nothing in the world like it! You and your buddies are standing there thinking, “I wish I could play a guitar like that!” – and, so as easily as you can type the words “guitar lessons”, you can be on your way to learning to play like that!

Online Guitar Lessons

While everyone would probably prefer sitting down with a teacher who has been playing the guitar and learning everything they know, not all of us can afford to do that. With that in mind, we will cover the pros of online guitar lessons. One of the best things about free guitar lessons online is that you choose your schedule – when and how long you can practice. When you take lessons in the real world, you are on someone else’s schedule – and not being able to arrange your schedule to allow lessons on that person’s time may prevent you from being able to learn. But, when you are taking guitar lessons online, you determine when you can practice and for how long at a time – giving you the freedom to keep your schedule as it was before.

One thing to think about if you are taking guitar lessons is the noise – because guitars a musical instrument and do make noise! If you must take your lessons in the evening or late at night – free acoustic guitar lessons may be what you need. Many people begin with the acoustic guitar. There are a couple of reasons for this: beginners can purchase an inexpensive guitar so that if they decide later that playing the guitar is not for them, they have not spent a fortune on an electric guitar and the accessories that go along with it – and the noise level is much lower than when you are using an amplifier with an electric guitar, because the amplifier does just what its name states – amplifies! So, if you are true beginner, you may want to purchase an acoustic guitar and after you see how things are going and decide you are serious about learning to play, you can move up to an electric guitar. No matter how you decide to approach your guitar lessons, there is one thing to keep in mind – Slash was not born playing the guitar like he does, there was a point in time where he, too, had to take guitar lessons, whether do-it-yourself or with a music teacher. So, do not expect to plug in that electric guitar and be transformed into Slash – it just will not happen!

The Guitar – Strung Out

The guitar is a member of the string family of instruments. Most guitars have six strings, while more complex ones have 12 strings. A guitar is made of a long neck separated by frets (sections marked with metal bars) and a hollow body with a wide hole. The strings extend from the top of the neck, over the hole, to the bottom. Guitars are usually made of wood and metal. The strings are usually made out of nylon or steel. Nylon strings are recommended for beginners because they’re a little easier on the fingers. Frets or sections are marked off on the neck of the guitar to help players identify chords. By pressing your fingers against the strings in different ways, different chords are produced. When you hold a chord while strumming the strings you produce sounds and notes. These sounds are amplified by the hollow body.

The Guitar – Learning To Play

Some schools offer guitar lessons as part of their music program. If you’re interested in learning to play and lessons aren’t available at school, you can also sign-up for private lessons. If this isn’t an option for you, you could also try teaching yourself by using a beginner instructional books or DVDs. In fact, many of the world’s best guitarists learned to play by teaching themselves.

Guitar Lessons Are Expensive

Yeah – if you pay someone to sit down with you and give you one on one attention. But, in a world where “do-it-yourself” has become a way of life; you can learn to play the guitar on your own – without the expense of guitar lessons. Free guitar lessons are right at your fingertips!

If you have never touched a guitar and have no idea where to even begin, there are websites that offer free guitar lessons for beginners. Check out several before you choose one to work with because some people have different ideas about beginner guitar lessons – some assume that the guitar student may know what the notes are and how to read them and others assume that the guitar player is an absolute beginner and will teach you about music as well as how to play your guitar. No matter what learning stage you have reached, you can find free online guitars lessons to suit your needs. If you are an absolute beginner, be sure to find a website that caters to beginners who know nothing, but want to learn everything!
If you want to know more about this articles, You can go and them at

guitar5day and then guitars lessons


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GUITAR TAB Get free tab for this song excerpt when you sign up for a preview of the book Fretboard Theory at: guitar-music-theory.com SONGS This song demonstrates some of the licks, phrases and styles that can be played with the pentatonic scale. This footage is ONLY available online. DVD To learn about scale patterns, technique and theory, see the DVD video program entitled GETTING STARTED WITH THE PENTATONIC SCALE. Learn about: • Five pentatonic scale patterns • Major, minor and blues tonalities • Hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides and bends • Alternate picking • Playing over chords and progressions Go directly to guitar-music-theory.com to sign up for a FREE DVD preview. Play Until Yer Fingers Bleed! Mr. Desi Serna (Google me!) www.Guitar-Music-Theory.com Scales, Chords, Progressions, and More

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Left Handed Guitars for Left Handed Persons

Learning to play musical instruments is always a pleasure. Generally, the musical instruments are designed and sold for the majority of people. As most of the people use their right hands to do their work, guitars are designed exclusively for those right handed personalities. This does not mean that left hand persons don’t deserve their own musical instrument. If you love to play guitar, but the normal guitar is very difficult for you, then you should search for left handed electric guitars or left handed acoustic guitars according to your choice.

Left handed persons normally settle down for the ordinary guitars thinking that they can’t find left handed electric guitars easily. Now, these people will find it difficult to hold the guitar in right hand and pluck the strings because the strings will also be reversed. Music is not something that should come out of a learning process alone. Music should come from the bottom of the heart and this becomes impossible if you are not comfortable with your guitar. Left handed acoustic guitars are not difficult to find as the internet has several online shops that sell guitars designed exclusively for left handed persons.

When you have left handed acoustic guitars in your hands, you don’t have to worry about reversal of strings or any other corrections as you can just use the guitar comfortably. Moreover, you can find odd shaped left handed electric guitars as well so that you can make an impression among the other guitarists. Even if you are using a normal guitar right now, you will definitely feel the difference if you start using left handed guitars designed exclusively for left handed persons just like you. You can customize the guitar in your own way and start playing the music you like.

Some people may suggest you not to look for left handed acoustic guitars and settle down for normal guitars with manual string reversal. This will cost you extra money to be done by a professional or otherwise, you will end up with an instrument that is not finely tuned. Moreover, certain guitar shapes can’t be held comfortably if you are a left handed person. The options for choosing a guitar of your choice are reduced if you don’t go for left handed electric guitars. While there are shops that sell goods for minority left handed persons, why settle down for normal and annoying pieces?

You will find that the price of left handed electric guitars is much higher than normal guitars in your nearby musical store. Some stores don’t even have left handed instruments as the left handed pieces sell much less. There is no need to spend several hundreds extra just because you are left handed. You can find several websites on the internet that sell musical instruments for left handed persons. While shopping on the internet for left handed acoustics guitars, make sure that you search for websites that sell guitars especially for left handed persons. This way, you can get a guitar of your choice paying the normal price.

Larry Green understands why left handed electric guitars are required. He introduces an online store that sells left handed acoustic guitars that can be customized for left handed persons.


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In this video from January 2001, internationally acclaimed classic guitartist, Alice Artzt explains and demonstrates the legendary Ida Presti’s right hand technique for playing the guitar. Part 1 of 4. Copyright © 2009 – Alice Artzt. For more information or to contact Alice Artzt, she can be reached at: guitartzt@aol.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

All You Need to Know About Left Handed Guitars

The first statement on the topic would be that, the left handed guitar is a mirror image of the right handed one. This type is held with a freeboard in the right and the picking work is done with the left hand but the phrase that the left handed guitar being the mirror image of the right handed guitar comes from the fact that the strings are also reversed. The only more difficult thing than learning it is that it is hard to get even now when many laws against biased practices have been sanctioned. Though if you have your house in some major city than you can get your hands on a real art piece which could even be modified according to your preferences.

If you are a beginner in this field, than you should first socialize and get to know some of the other players. They could share with you their experience which counts their mistakes that they learnt from and the achievements afterwards. This can be a very helpful step as you will get the first chart of do’s and don’ts framed out and you can work accordingly.

There are some guitar manufacturers in the world like Martin, Gibson, Norman, Faith, Seagull and Simon who can provide you with your own customized guitar. These are the big names when it comes to the musical instrument such as guitar and they are not biased towards only a single hand, they offer an equal chance to all the players to shine. They provide a left handed player all the facilities that you can otherwise get. Facilities like a new range of left handed acoustic guitars and providing many customizable options or user specific guitars. However, the more you get, the more you pay, i.e. the prices may be far above the ground.

While playing the left handed guitar, there is no need of follow any rules. Design your own way to play the guitar. Hold the guitar in the position in which you feel comfortable. If you are playing the right handed guitar with left hand, you should adjust the guitar and the strings settings as well. People love to play the guitar not only in romance but also to get the self satisfaction and peace. These aspects of guitar playing have existed for years and the next generations of left handed guitar player are sure to carry it on their shoulders much higher than it actually was.

If you are looking for a large selection of Left Handed Guitars to choose from be sure to visit: http://www.lefthandedguitarstore.net


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