Lack of Lefty's?

throwoff · **Joined:** Wed May 27, 2009 6:06 pm **Posts:** 8

Im putting this here as hopefully someone within Fender can reply and try to explain the huge lack of left handed instruments on the current range.

Im a bass player primarily who owns several high end instruments (Warwick, Musicman etc) and gigs/records often. Recently i decided to look into getting a Fender Jazz as its something i felt i was missing and could be a useful recording tool offering a new tone to play with.

Im frankly shocked at the current left handed Fender range, being left handed im used to hearing the same old excuses about difficulty manufacturing instruments designed right handed as left handed models (something i personally dont understand as most companies now use CNC machines to do most of the work and i know from experience flipping a CNC design takes about 2 mouse clicks). However the current Fender range takes the biscuit!

Only one Mexican standard bass (the jazz) and only in two colors with no fretboard options? Im sorry but how hard is it to add more paint options?!?! People dont just want black or sunburst! Also why offer such a huge range on the right handed models as well as the choice of maple or rosewood fretboards? This infuriates left handers like myself, if you are only going to make one bass out of the dozens you manufacture left handed at least let people pick a color or fretboard material!

Companies like Sandberg, Warwick and Musicman (in fact even Fender Japan!) manufacture almost there entire ranges in left handed models, and dont offer a smaller color range or options list, why cant Fender, one of the most renowned musical instrument companies do the same?

Dont get me wrong im not here to simply insult the company or their methods, i own a Fender P bass and love it, but thats why im so angry about this, i would love more choice without being expected to go down the route of custom shop instruments which i frankly cant justify the price of at this moment just to get a color thats available on the factory built cheaper right handed version.

Im so used to the issue as are most lefties we are even prepared to pay a slight surcharge for a left handed instrument but when a company seems this determined to ignore us and simply offer a tiny range of instruments with next to no options its hard to keep the faith.

schnepf13 · **Posted:** Wed May 27, 2009 11:29 pm

I, too, wish Fender and some of the other companies would expand their selection of left-handed instruments. I understand the concept of supply and demand -- probably fewer than one in twenty guitarists play southpaw, but the choices out there right now are REALLY limited.

It would be nice, for example, if Fender made just ONE guitar with humbucking pickups!

SG_Lefty · **Joined:** Sat Jul 26, 2008 6:42 am **Posts:** 198

I too don't understand the issues with building left handed guitars... I am an automation engineer, I design automated systems, we typically build in retooling capabilities. In this day and age retooling should not be an issue, especially on production made guitars.

Although I have to admit... Fender is much better then Gibson when it comes to lefties... Try finding a new Gibson Left Handed Bass..

:twisted:

mthorn00 · **Posted:** Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am

It's a "right mans" world.

I agree with you though. You'd think offering up more "lefty" choices would increase market share.

throwoff · **Joined:** Wed May 27, 2009 6:06 pm **Posts:** 8

SG_Lefty wrote:

Although I have to admit... Fender is much better then Gibson when it comes to lefties... Try finding a new Gibson Left Handed Bass..

:twisted:

Good point!

Thankfully i haver never been that into Gibson instruments although for a short period i had a fantasy of a big hollow body Gibson bass but that quickly went down the toilet when i realised they simply dont make leftys!

Also i agree with the humbucker point, thats a big gap and im pretty sure that the Mexican left handed Strats at least used to come with with the bridge pickup slot routed to humbucker size, cant be that hard to put on in!

The one that always got me was the Jagstang when it was reissued a few years back, Cobain was left handed but they didnt even offer a limited run of lefty's! Thats a bit mad, most left handed 'rock' guitarists i know saw Cobain as the first left handed guitarist they looked up to (me included) i would love a Jagstang but it wasnt to be.

SG_Lefty · **Joined:** Sat Jul 26, 2008 6:42 am **Posts:** 198

We need more lefty's to chime in on this...

Maybe a show of power would help them see the light!!! (Yeah Right)!!!

:twisted:

CAFeathers · **Posted:** Thu May 28, 2009 9:24 am

Feel lucky you have the choices you do. When I started playing guitar/bass in the 60's the Lefty options were even less.

A-A Ziggs · **Posted:** Thu May 28, 2009 12:14 pm

If only there were more

.

schnepf13 · **Posted:** Thu May 28, 2009 3:10 pm

CAFeathers wrote:

Feel lucky you have the choices you do. When I started playing guitar/bass in the 60's the Lefty options were even less.

I admit it could be worse. There ARE currently left-handed versions of most of the most popular solidbody guitar types out there right now. And at least Fender, unlike some companies, does not tack a surcharge onto their lefty instruments.

Still, I can't help but feel the major guitar companies are underserving a fairly significant portion of their customer base with the dirth of left-handed options. It's frustrating when you walk into a music store with dozens of guitars on the wall, and only about two or three are ones that you can actually play. And those always seem to be the same old instruments -- it's always like two MIM Strats (one black, one white) and an Epi Les Paul!

SG_Lefty · **Joined:** Sat Jul 26, 2008 6:42 am **Posts:** 198

CAFeathers wrote:

Feel lucky you have the choices you do. When I started playing guitar/bass in the 60's the Lefty options were even less.

I do feel lucky with Fender. It just sucks like mentioned above when they come out with a cool new guitar and there is no lefty option. You can always get them through the custom shop but the will cost you thousands!!!

It's just not fair.

:twisted:

JimiVanPage · **Joined:** Sun Nov 30, 2008 3:57 pm **Posts:** 247

schnepf13 wrote:

CAFeathers wrote:

Feel lucky you have the choices you do. When I started playing guitar/bass in the 60's the Lefty options were even less.

I admit it could be worse. There ARE currently left-handed versions of most of the most popular solidbody guitar types out there right now. And at least Fender, unlike some companies, does not tack a surcharge onto their lefty instruments.

Still, I can't help but feel the major guitar companies are underserving a fairly significant portion of their customer base with the dirth of left-handed options. It's frustrating when you walk into a music store with dozens of guitars on the wall, and only about two or three are ones that you can actually play. And those always seem to be the same old instruments -- it's always like two MIM Strats (one black, one white) and an Epi Les Paul!

Wow thats crazy i was at a store called alpha music this past Sun. in Va Beach they had atleast 100 guitars and 2 were lefty strats and 1 was a lefty epi les paul.

Im happy to say I went home with the Les Paul

By the way Alpha music gives free setups for life

orvilleowner · **Posted:** Thu May 28, 2009 6:01 pm

Seems to me that Fender offers plenty of Left Handed models.

Have you lefties ever checked out Southpaw Guitars?

CAFeathers · **Posted:** Thu May 28, 2009 6:07 pm

orvilleowner wrote:

Seems to me that Fender offers plenty of Left Handed models.

Have you lefties ever checked out Southpaw Guitars?

I check them often, and have bought from them in the past.

SG_Lefty · **Joined:** Sat Jul 26, 2008 6:42 am **Posts:** 198

CAFeathers wrote:

orvilleowner wrote:

Seems to me that Fender offers plenty of Left Handed models.

Have you lefties ever checked out Southpaw Guitars?

I check them often, and have bought from them in the past.

Then you know what I mean when I say "THOUSANDS" most of there's are the high dollar stuff...

Why can't I buy a lefty Jim Root tele for $900 vs. getting one from the custom shop for $2,000...

:twisted:

bowlfreshener · **Posted:** Fri May 29, 2009 4:50 am

Jimi Hendrix never had any issues with the lack of left handed guitars... :roll:

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