Left-Handed Electric Guitars

About three years ago, I was searching for a great guitar at a reasonable price, (which is nearly impossible nowadays) and I heard of a guitar store in downtown portland oregon called apple music row. I went inside and looked around for about two hours or so. I repeated this pattern about five or six times and eventually I had had about 650 dollars saved up and had a list of guitars I really liked. One of these was a gibson SG in a really cool brown color, I wasn't sure of it's model or anything like that because I was not as keen on the world of guitars as I am now. But i eventually bought it for a fairly reasonable amount of 600 dollars, and with some bickering, i got some strap locks as well. I really like this guitar because of the look and feel when you play it. You look and feel like a tough dude with a tough guitar. The body shape is really cool looking and adds a lot of character to live performance especially if you play harder music like rock, metal, or punk. I purchased the faded brown finish (but you can also get the faded cherry). It sounds kind of hokey because brown isn't color normally used to project beauty or greatness, but it REALLY works well for this guitar. As a matter of fact, it has kind of a redish tint to it that adds more of a "high price finish" look.The really great thing that I like about the finish on this guitar is the fact that it DOES NOT get fingerprint smudges. The sound has a nice vintage sound to it that is perfect for the player that is into classic rock,(you can get away with blues and jazz) or rock that isn't super heavy because of the output levels of the pick-ups. As hard as it is to believe. This guitar is the absolute cheapest solidbody with the gibson name on it. With this cheap price, there are things that don't quite live up to it's more expensive brothers and sisters. I really wasn't a fan of the gibson deluxe tuners, they were like a greyish green and put off a nice vintage look, but thats not what I was after. The finish doesn't protect the wood on the guitar very well either, it is VERY easy to scratch it because the finish isn't very protective. The pick ups do not put out enough power for my tastes (which is metal output levels). I think my biggest problem with it was probably the fact that the pickups were screwed to the pickgaurd, when I pulled off the pickguard, i was stunned, All i wanted to do was clean it and i ended up doing all of the work to take the pickups out and put them back in. this is a very high quality guitar, especially for the tiny price.it feels very solid. My particular guitar has been tested. One night I played a show at a park and i went to swing my guitar around my hsoulder when my strap broke at the button and sent the guitar flying into a street and tumbling all over the place. the result: only two broken tuners and a "scab" on the body. no intonation problems, no funky sounding pickups, nothing wrong with it.with this level of quality construction, it is a great choice for the working musician. There weren't any real flaws about this guitar when i walked out of the store with it. mahogany body rounded mahogany neck rosewood fretboard dot inlay (pearloid) chrome hardware tune-o-matic bridge stopbar tailpiece black knobs (2 volume, 2 tone. 3 way switch) green key gibson deluxe tuners 490R alnico pickup(neck) 490T alnico pickup(bridge) came with gigbag very much a great guitar. If you don't want to spend a great deal of cash on a standard or custom SG, i recommend buying this one and upgrading it over time. thats what I am doing, (for less money you can make it contour to your style, and have better quality than the expensive ones). Lets be honest though don't buy this guitar expecting it to be the most incredible thing you have ever played, it is NOT a 100,000 dollar '57 les paul. it's a big bang for your buck deal, buy it if you don't like anything else better.. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Purchased for $650 (Canadian including 15% tax) at a local music store. Had been looking for another guitar for about a year but didn't find anything that fit my budget. The way this guitar played was almost effortless. I would have been very sad if I didn't buy it. Once I picked up the guitar I couldn't put it down. I've had guitars around most of my life but its been years since the last time I couldn't put down a guitar. Guitars at much higher prices did not feel or sound as good as this guitar. The appearance of the guitar is also quite nice and not overly flashy. I dislike the placement of the pickup switch as I'm used to my old Fender strat and have a tendency to hit the switch by accident. Also the volume and tone knobs may look good without any markings on them, I can't just look at them and figure out which way I want to move them. Well built. No glaring flaws. If you are looking for a great value then this is the guitar. Good features, nice sound and appearance and at a price that is very reasonable. I would recommend this guitar to serious beginners as well as long time players who are stuck on a budget. Even those who could afford more ... I'd suggest trying out this guitar. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this 1962 reissue mustang off of Musicians Friend in 2002. It was brand new for $489, a good deal in my mind. I like the mustang because it has such low action and the fretboard is narrow and short for people who like to play fast. It sounds great with all of my amps and was a great investment. P.S. it looks great also, sparkling candy apple red with the two great racing stripes. This guitar is very authentic, which has some disadvantages. The 2 single coil pick ups are a little noisy, but they do sound like they should. I replaced mine with two hot rod seymour duncan mini humbuckers and it is my favorite guitar now. The guitar is built incredibly sturdy, nothing has happened to it. I love it This is a great guitar for any players, especailly if you are into Nirvana. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this new, from Guitar Center a little over a year ago, for about $300. With a fast-playing neck, 24 jumbo frets, and Duncan Designed pick-ups. Perfect for shreddin. This guitar was worth the price, and handles so smoothly, in any style of playing...really awsome for soloing...shred-metal style. The only dislike, is the weight distribution..its a little heavy, but its typical for this type of guitar. Overall excellent craftmanship, really extrenuish work, definently shown in the finishes and the sound. If you are considering a more heavier approach to your playing, then consider this guitar, or any Jackson in general. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Bought from Percy Priors music in U.K. Paid about £345 for it. After reading and hearing from other people who have the guitar, i understand this is at the top end of the model's pricing, but its definately worth it. it came with gibson pickups already so this may have upped the price. When i first picked up the guitar it just felt right. the neck is smooth and feels better than the thinner strat necks i've played. the tuning pegs are a joy to use, they rarely go out of tune even when i'm really hammering in with some halen. i've found it responds very well to detuning, even to drop b (and thats with regular slinkys). the model has great playability and tone and a great sustain, making it easy to pull off tapping tricks and extended hammer ons. the pickups are actual gibsons and this makes all the difference. changing the strings is a piece of cake so no faults there. a good amp will bring this guitar to life. the neck is a little heavy but you only notice when you aren't playing and you're just standing without holding it. sitting down is fine also the construction is great, the neck joint is really solid and of course the double cut lets you get to the highest frets without hinderance. the gibson pickups are great so if its standard (i think it is) for them to come with epiphone ones, i'd recommend changing them. mines a cherry red colour, and really looks good. the finish is nice, though keep it out of harms way, nocks can occur if it's bashed about, but even these are in the form of a tiny one that you have to know its there to see. the pickup selector is good quality and never pings back from treble and rhythm to both as some cheaper copies have been known to. this is truly a fine instrument. i have compared it to gibsons and in light of its quality it could be easy to mistake it for its more expensive brother, and its price is a bonus. in my eyes its a gibson that is at a bargain price, but again i would advise to change the pickups if they come as epiphones to gibsons or others of your preference. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I purchased this Tele at Musician's Friend. I paid $649.00 site unseen. The price was $150-$200.00 less than any music store in my area. It was worth the chance and I must admit that Musician's Friend was 1st Class. I received exactly what I ordered with not so much as a scratch. This Tele is the Hot Rod Red w/Rosewood Fretboard. It came out of the box set up just right. Came with .009"-.042" light super bullets and action and string height are well within tolerances. Plays very smooth and produces that Tele sound just fine. It is very well built, well balanced, and All the hardware is tight, smooth, and functions properly. All the components fit nicely, built and assembled with attention to detail. The finish is superb. It is absolutely flawless. A+ to Fender for this one. It is so easy to play. Frets are dressed, neck is fast, and runs are clean. The electronics are simple but sound great. No noise through my Marshall. No noise through anything. The two things I like the most about this Tele is the Feel and the Sound. It fits, it just fits. Other than the basic, simple, homely look of a Tele, I really have no dislikes with this one. The construction is fine. It was built to last. The workmanship on this particular one is outstanding. Everything fits nicely. The cuts and router opennings are clean and tight. The hardware is tight and smooth. Nothing is sloppy. The volume pod has a little vertical play, but other than that everything seems to operate correctly. Bottom line... If you really like a Telecaster, then in my humble opinion, this is a good choice. It was close to perfect right out of the box. The workmanship is excellent, and the hardshell molded Fender case and accessories that come with it are a great perk. Also, I would not hesitate to order anything from Musician's Friend. The condition of my Tele out of the box (shipped accross many states) was better than any I picked up off the walls at my local music stores. They go out of their way to satisfy their customers. No one was able to beat their price on this Telecaster. NO ONE ! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

After 12 years of playing my Strat and abandoning my tremolo because it simply would not stay in tune, I decided I wanted something with a locking system. I'm 41 years old and have been playing since age 5. At the age of 15 I started regularly playing out in the local clubs and have done this ever since. In all this time, this will only be my fourth electric guitar. I wanted something that I could get a little crazy with and the Ibanez jumped out. Finding anything left-handed is a real challenge and Ibanez had one that suited my needs. I really like the Wizard neck. I read reviews about this guitar and most said it was very fast. I agree 100% I spent about 10 hours on it this past weekend (for the first time) and I adapted very quickly. After twelve years on my Strat I thought I may experience some cramping but not the case. I would have played longer but the neighbors have to sleep once in a while. I like the oversized cutaway. I can reach all the way up the neck with ease. The pickups seem to be twice as loud as my Strat (which has a Hot Rails II at the bridge). I like the weight, it's very light. I can pretty much make it sound the way I want, from metal to mild. I play though a RedBear MK120 full stack which is a Russian 120 watt tube head with 2-4X12 cabs, and it sounds very punchy. The feedback seems good with no unpleasant squeals... What I really like is, no matter what I do with the trem, it stays in tune!!! The volume and tone pots are a little too stiff. I can't do that "reach down with the pinky and adjust the volume thing...". I can't get the trem arm to swing freely. I'm not sure if that's just the nature of the beast or not. I've adjusted the torque screw and it made no difference. I plan to call and find out if this should be or if I have a problem. I don't like the fact that us south paws can only get this guitar in Black. But Ibanez is not alone here, come on folks we left handers are people too and we also like "Colors". Ibanez only offers 3 models for lefties and that just sucks. But once again they're not alone on this one... The guitar feels solid, the tuners seem okay. The finish is deep and the smoked looking hardware goes well with the "BLACK" paint. As far as durability goes... we'll see after a few gigs. I've heard all the horror stories about "Locking Trems" and how hard it is to change the strings, keep it in tune, yada yada yada. My first impression is that's all bull&$%^... Here's why I think so. I play left handed but I string it like a right hander. (Yup, the big string is on the bottom) There's a few of us out there. So when I brought my new axe home I had to remove the strings (one at a time) and string it my way. I had to set the intonation for each string, which I have never done before. I had to make sure the bridge was aligned properly and go through the delicate process of tuning. I've never worked with a locking trem before and this all took me about one hour. I consider myself mechanically inclined so it didn't seem to be rocket science to me. Will I be able to change a string between songs on stage? NO! but between sets? Sure... I'll take my Strat just in case... This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Carvin is a music equipment maker out of California that makes just about everything you need to put on the live gig. They are mostly known for their built to order semi-custom guitars. They have a line of guitars and you can pick out all the different options you want on the instrument. This is their lefty 7 string model. This model is one of the few reasonaly priced left handed 7 string guitars on the market today. With lefty guitars they are either super low end or unbelievably expensive. These Carvin guitars are right in the reasonable range and you can get all the specs and pieces you like. The example I tested out was not too exotic. It came with a maple neck through body with mahogany wings. The pickups were in an HH configuration with Carvin 7 string pickups. The fretboard was ebony with a nice flat radius and jumbo stainless steel frets. The whole guitar was finished in a satin black that gave it a nice smooth finish. The hardware was black as well with a Fender style hardtail bridge. Controls were basic with a volume and tone with a 3 way switch. UTILIZATION The playability on these models is great. Carvin uses something called rapid play technology. These guitars come from the factory with a super low action. This combined with the jumbo stainless steel frets means you get a super smooth feel when you are playing. The ebony fretboard contributes to this. I am not the biggest fan of the Fender style bridge. I wish you could get a 7 string tune-o-matic bridge for the 7 strings. This is all just personal preference. Since the guitar has neck through construction that means there is very little neck joint heel to get in the way. The satin finish on this example covers the entire guitar and gives it a super smooth feel and on the back of the neck this is great for playability. SOUNDS The pickups in these Carvins is usually the weakest part. They make their own pickups as well as everything else so they are not up to par with specialized pickup makers. The pickups in this guitar were the stock Carvin units and they were pretty decent. If you are looking for good overall tone and versatility you could very well keep them. The bridge is a bit tighter than you would expect out of a Carvin pickup. This is probably due to it being a 7 string pickup. The neck pickup is smooth with a bit of bite. It sounds very modern like the other Carvin pickups I have heard. The output on either pickup isnt very extreme as these seem to be for all around tone and general styles. Like all Carvin pickups these units have a ton of pole pieces so you do not get any dead zones between strings. OVERALL OPINION If you are left handed and are looking for a good solid 7 string your options are pretty limited. With Carvin you can get a 7 string the way you want it with all the stuff you like on a guitar. If you like rosewood instead of ebony you can get either or even maple. You have your choice of bodywoods as well. The type of bridge is your choice as well as the frets and radius. With Carvin all the little details are up to you and if you buy a Carvin new and you dont like it that is most likely your fault.

The Fender Standard Tele is made in their Mexico plant to offer an alternative to the Fender American line, which is pricey for some people. This guitar has been in production for several years and many players use them as great country or rock guitars, or as modding platforms to replace the parts to make it as good as some of the higher end Teles that exist. This guitar comes stock with an alder body, a maple neck with 21 frets, Fender tuners and bridge with six saddles, and the typical Tele layout of two pickups with a single volume and tone control set, along with a 3 way selector switch. Here's the full list of specs: Body: Alder Body Shape: Telecaster Neck Neck Shape:Modern "C" Shape Number of Frets:21 Fret Size:Medium Jumbo Position Inlays:Black Dot Position Inlays Fretboard Radius:9.5" (24.1 cm) Fretboard:Maple Neck Material:Maple Neck Finish:Tinted Satin Urethane Nut Width:1.650 (42 mm) Scale Length:25.5" (64.8 cm) Neck Plate:Standard 4 Bolt Truss Rod Nut:3/16" Adjustable Hex Nut Electronics Pickup Configuration:S/S Bridge Pickup:Standard Single Coil Tele Bridge Pickup Neck Pickup:Standard Single Coil Tele Neck Pickup Pickup Switching:3-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup Controls:Master Volume, Master Tone Hardware Hardware:Chrome Bridge:6-Saddle Strings-Thru-Body Tele Bridge Tuning Machines:Standard Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines String Nut:Synthetic Bone Switch Tip:"Barrel" Style Switch Tip Tools Truss Rod Wrench:0.1875" Miscellaneous Strings:Fender USA Super 250L's, NPS (.009-.042 Gauges) Unique Features:Vintage Styling, Fender Transition Logo, Parchment Plastic Parts Accessories Case/Gig Bag:Standard Gig Bag Pickguard:3-Ply Parchment Included Accessories:Standard Gig Bag Control Knobs:Knurled Chrome UTILIZATION The design of a Tele isn't quite as ergonomic as the Strat, as it lacks much of the contouring and is usually a bit heavier in weight when compared to the streamlined and light Stratocaster. However, to my ears this contributes to a thicker and punchier tone that generally leads me to prefer Tele tones over Strat in a wider variety of settings. The upper fret access on the Tele is decent, but limited somewhat by the fact that it is a single cutaway design. Getting a good sound out of this and any other Tele is quite simple. They are a very user friendly and responsive guitar (IE: you get out of it what you put in). If you're a light touch player, it'll respond that way. If you dig in, it'll bite right back. This responsiveness is apparent in the Mexican made Teles despite their low price and it contributes to getting a great tone very easily. SOUNDS I've tried many of these guitars through a myriad of different amps that were designed for both clean and high gain. I tended to prefer this guitar with cleaner amps such as Fenders for that classic country pickin' tone, or perhaps that really unique bassy jazz tone that the Tele offers as well. However, it also works very well with mid and higher gain due in part to the thicker mass of the body as well as the bright bridge pickup and maple neck. These factors lead to the creation of a rock tone that will cut through any mix with ease! Watch that tone knob... as things may get TOO bright in some cases, but you can work around it especially if you're using a darker amp. It works very well for rock rhythms and blends quite nicely in a setting with a Les Paul or other similar humbucker equipped guitar too. OVERALL OPINION All in all I feel that the Fender Standard Tele is a great guitar for someone who wants that rippin' Tele vibe for not a lot of cash. They come in a variety of cheerful colours and for the $500 new that they cost you really can't go wrong. Again, as with the Strats, I will say that the electronics aren't the best in this guitar (I prefer the ones used in the USA Strats and Teles) but with a pickup/electronics swap you're set to rock!

For a long time the best mid-range Ibanez RG you could buy was the RG470. They were made in Japan and reasonably priced. They made these models lefty too which is pretty rare. most guitar companies either only make their super low end guitars and super high end guitars in lefty, leaving a gap in the middle where they do not have any mid-ranged lefty guitars. Now that the 470 is discontinued all you can get now is the 370 left handed. The guitar is your basic RG. It has the basswood body in the superstrat RG style. 24 frets on a super flat Ibanez Wizard 2 neck. This guitar has the Wizard 2 neck which is slightly thicker than the normal Wizard neck. The neck has a rosewood fretboard with 24 jumbo frets on a super flat radius. It has the Edge 3 tremolo which is not the best Ibanez tremolo but it is better than most cheap Floyd Rose knock off's. The fretboard on this model has sharkfin inlays. It has the HSH pickup configuration with Ibanez pickups in all positions. There is a 5 way blade switch to switch between them in a strat style arrangement. UTILIZATION With the deep cutaways on the RG body it is very easy to reach all the frets on the neck. The fretboard is nice and flat with jumbo frets so it is easy to get a good action and the jumbo frets let you play easily. The neck is super thin so it is easy to handle if you have smaller hands. Like on all RG's the tuners are close together if you are use to a 6-6 style headstock configuration. Your fingers may hit the other tuners while you are tuning. The tremolo will stay in tune once it is setup or you can block it like any other tremolo. If you change tunings a lot you should block the tremolo and leave the nut unlocked. Changing tunings with a full floating locking tremolo setup takes a long time and can be frustrating. SOUNDS As always with a lower end Ibanez the pickups are the weak point. The tone from the stock pick ups are not great. The bridge position is pretty fuzzy and muddy and the neck position is not as smooth as I would like. The neck position is useable for smooth lead tones and blues and jazz but the bridge pickup is too weak for anything that uses a moderate amount of gain or more. It is a shame that most RG play so good but come with such bad pickups from the factory. OVERALL OPINION This is a pretty mediocre guitar but being lefty there are not many options. Guitar companies seem to forget the fact that there are intermediate lefty players too who want guitars better than beginner junk and cant afford custom priced pieces. The 470L model that Ibanez made before this was a lot better. Those were still made in Japan and the quality on them is a lot better than this guitar. I would recommend looking for a Japan made 470L before getting a 370L.

(Originally written by hugodzilla/translated from Audiofanzine FR) Asian-made guitar (which doesn't necessarily mean it's shitty) 22 frets, pickups = 1 humbucker and 2 single coils Standard bridge (no comments) Nice price, good craftsmanship UTILIZATION The neck is comfortable I'm used to playing solos and I don't have any problems getting to the upper frets The instrument is well-balanced Regarding the sound, I changed the original bridge pickup for a Di-Marzio Super Distortion and it makes a huge difference. I also replaced the machine heads with some Grovers and I now have a killer guitar. I'm using it with a RANDALL amp and a 4x12" cabinet. I play heavy metal and this guitar sounds great. I don't have anything to criticize about Stagg. SOUNDS Yes, for heavy metal and similar styles (hard rock, heavy, thrash), the sound is pretty heavy with my RANDALL. It's perfect for this kind of music. OVERALL OPINION After 3 years its value for money is more than ok. Yes, I would buy it again without a doubt. Yes, I recommend this guitar without hesitation.