Grateful Dead Music Forum

Fellow lefties, if you have the chance to get down to Houston, as I did last week, you need to get out to Southpaw Guitars and experience complete sensory overload. Fender, Gibson, Hamer, Rickenbacker, Martin, Taylor, Takamine, Ovation, Alvarez-Yairi, Larrivee, Heritage ... mandolins, banjos, dobros ... basses, acoustic basses, mariachi guitars ... and (almost) every damn one of them is lefty. They welcome you in with a smile, and turn you loose all day if you want.

That's all I have to say!

Almost makes me wish I were a lefty... till I saw the price tags.

Vic did you leave emty handed or did you get yourself a tasty little treat?

Vic,
you need to get down to Jerry's in Sarasota. Lots of highend, off the beaten path stuff. I spent 4+ hours playing my fill of Huss+dalton, collings, Santa Cruz, Heritage, Bourgois, suhr,eastmans last spring. It was sick. Lefty santa cruz tony rice? not a problem. Arlen Roth h-13, here you go. Brazilian D-28, knock yourself out. It was crazy. And Jerry is one of the best. He couldn't have been more a better host, literally handing you another guitar as you finished w/ one. Good times.

I was at Jerry's about 15 months ago ... remarkable stuff. I really loved one of the Santa Cruz OMs he had but didn't buy it. I wished I had my D-41S with me at the time so I could compare it to other guitars.

The only disappointing guitar he handed me was that brazilian HD-28, I thought it was as dead as a doornail.

Santa Cruz makes awesome acoustics; if you're not aware, Scott Walker started out carving necks for Santa Cruz, and eventually became the shop foreman there before striking out on his own.

What was interesting about Southpaw was being able to actually play more than one model of the same guitar, and be able to judge which was better. Also cool being able to play the same guitar but in maple, rosewood, mahogany, etc ... this is all common stuff for the righty players, but almost never happens for lefties, we either cross our fingers and special order or buy whatever we happen to come across. And, Southpaw had a new D-42 on hand, so I got some idea how other instruments would compare to my own Martin tonally.

Just as an aside, Southpaw had a used lefty Bob Weir model Alvarez-Yairi WY1, in black, for $1200. Since I own that same guitar in koa, I took it into the little room and compared it to a lot of other guitars, and it's a great little guitar. It wasn't in pristine condition, although since it's solid black it could probably be polished out to look beautiful. I'd be tempted to offer them $1000 for it if you're a lefty and want a nice instrument that's great for playing live. I was talking to Larry, the shop manager, and mentioned that I had the koa guitar, and he said that's one he's planning to order for himself, and that's someone who can play any lefty guitar in the shop anytime, so that's a pretty good endorsement of how good it sounds.

I did not walk out with a guitar, but I have my eye on an acoustic Gibson there that really spoke to me.

playingdead wrote:
The only disappointing guitar he handed me was that brazilian HD-28, I thought it was as dead as a doornail.

.

Yeah, i felt pretty much the same way. I've not played a ton of brazilian guitars obviously, but the few I have all left me a little underwhelmed. I don't get the hype.
My point was more to the idea that at least he was in a position to let me play a brazilian and see for myself.

I was looking for a mahogany 000, om or dread, but the guitars that apealled to me most were a collings bubinga aud w/ a cutaway (which is kinda close to mahogany) , the arlen roth h-13 and that Santa Cruz Rice, both east indain rosewood, go figure.

Not to mention the $4-6k price tags on some of those guitars. But a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sample them, for most lefties. I loved his maple Goodall, and played a real nice Collings dreadnought. Some of the Bourgeious guitars were awesome, too.

My favorites at Southpaw were a couple of the small bodied Gibsons, and I really loved a new Martin 00-18 Vintage he had, that was reasonably priced (for a Martin; I think it was $2800, he will usually knock a couple hundred bucks off for you). It had a great sound to it, and I would have taken it over the Gibson except I already have a really nice Martin and want something a bit different. That 00-18V sounded much better than the pair of Clapton signatures he had there. I would highly recommend that guitar if that body size appeals to you. He'll send it to you on a 3-day trial, but be careful, because it's a credit-only return policy.

playingdead wrote:I really loved a new Martin 00-18 Vintage he had, that was reasonably priced (for a Martin; I think it was $2800, he will usually knock a couple hundred bucks off for you). It had a great sound to it, and I would have taken it over the Gibson except I already have a really nice Martin and want something a bit different. That 00-18V sounded much better than the pair of Clapton signatures he had there. I would highly recommend that guitar if that body size appeals to you. He'll send it to you on a 3-day trial, but be careful, because it's a credit-only return policy.

Yes, I'm dreaming of a 000/om -18vs type guitar. A 12 fret slothead mahogany w/ volume. Yes please.

You mean like THIS one? LOL

I love my WY-1. My lead guitarist loves it too. He was almost willing to trade me his special DY-98 for mine. That would of been a hard decision. The 600 system pickup sounds great in any amp.

Being a lefty really does suck. I have had my guitar since the early 80's. Its a custom 335. It was made in 79. I guess I was about 14-15 when I got it. I went to mannys on 48th street in NYC. I asked for a black, left-handed, 335. The dude, who looked like a ramone goes, "uh, I think we have a walnut one that looks black. I played it for a few minutes and said sold. 800 bucks with case. Had I been fairly savvy and a little less intimidated by the whole going to NYC to buy a guitar thing, I probably could have gotten it for about six.
I love that guitar, but wish I could experiment a bit more. Its mostly stock, but with sparzel tuners. The stock tuners just would not stay in tune.
I am very intimately attached to this guitar. It is so much a part of me, I would be very mournful if it were to go away some how. My next guitar, I suppose would be a custom luthier job.

I want that caution lefty sign in the last pic!!!!

I asked my guitar shop guy why he only had a few lefty's and he said, " I never sell them. Most people are right handed. I SELL 200 guitars before I sell a lefty." Here's a guy that capitalized on the rarity, plus he must be a PROUD lefty. And too, He's in a big city. I am glad there is an oasis for y'all.

I'm a natural lefty myself but i was given the advice from my first guitar teacher it would be smart to try and learn to play right handed first, telling me in the future i would thank him. He was right. Did you guys ever try learning to play right handed or was it lefty right off the bat?

ugh. It was lefty right off the bat for me, and I totally regret it. I hate it. I need MY guitar to play anywhere. No sit ins for me... I have learned to play upside down fairly well, but no where near what I can do lefty