I know, the term Southpaw is usually used in a sports context, and not so much with respect to playing musical instruments. However, I’ve been intending to pick up a new instrument, and while searching for it, I’ve stumbled upon a whole host of guitars made specifically for left-handed people.
Gone are the days when Paul McCartney or Jimi Hendrix had to play right handed guitars upside down, and now all major music instrument-makers have lefty guitars. I don’t know when this came about, but I think it is a pretty cool thing by itself. I am quite sure Kurt Cobain never had to face such issues.
It does look quite awkward for a left-handed person playing a right-handed guitar or vice-versa, considering all the strings have to be removed and strung back in reverse order, not to mention the tuning pegs also being placed inconveniently and out of reach in these circumstances.
Here’s hoping I pick up a good instrument soon.
I don’t believe Hendrix ever played a right-handed guitar upside down, at least not beyond his very early days. Left handed guitars came by the late 60′s.
McCartney of course, played a rightie guitar upside down.
Monkee
and you have people like knopfler – natural leftys who play the guitar right-handed. though i’m not sure if it was the lack of good lefthanded guitars that affected his decision
I’ve been to a place where they’ve dislpayed the actual guitar that Hendrix played with in Woodstock, and it was a right handed guitar. Check out http://www.empsfm.org for more info.