I don't think anyone's missing the point. Fender want to sell thousands of guitars not hundreds. I agree, but how many lefties would buy it anyway. The only way around it is to custom order the guitar. They charge more for the disruption of the assembly line. Sad but true.

Count me among those lefties who made the conscious decision to learn to play right-handed. When I looked at the cost and availability of left-handed equipment and the fact that almost all instructional materials are designed for right-handers, I decided to swallow my pride and give up my sinister nature for this one aspect of my life. It's also easier to jam with friends, sharing their guitars or mine as needed.

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I really like all them "Aster" guitars. You know, like the Stratoc, Telec and Jazzm.

I have to agree with fman here the guy was a lefty so why should the lefty players be punished. Fender is a HUGE factory and I would believe they have the night shift .Most of the basics are done by machine so you have a piece of machinery that cuts the other way, after that to assemble there is no difference and if they offer a lefty model they have the machinery already for it.The bottom line is who cares Fender never made a good acoustic anyway. In fact they have made some of the worst of all time. Remeber those classics the TELECOUSTIC and STRATACOUSTIC those were barn burners.

Hi fman600: feeling better?

I'm yet another left-hander who plays guitar right-handed. Luck rather than cleverness on my part.

I think it's a shuck how left-handed players are treated by the guitar industry. I hear everything bbrodie says about production and take it seriously, because he knows.

BUT. Fender are by some distance the largest guitar manufacturer. If only five percent of the guitars they sell are left-handed then that is still a bigger number than many other companies' entire output. So they'd have to devote a whole production line to left-handers? Fine - it's plenty of sales!

Interestingly, many (most?) small scale luthiers manage to offer left-handed models at no extra premium. If they can do it, why can't a big company with all its resources?

The guitar industry treats left-handers badly because it is accustomed to doing so.

Cheers - C

I know a guy that is left-handed but learned to play on right-handed instruments, upside down. Just flips 'em over and frets with his right hand. He now has a custom left handed bass, but still strings it high to low from top string to bottom. Bizarre to watch.

I had the opportunity to jam with him a few months ago. As I am primarily a rhythm guitarist, I am accustomed to glancing at the bass player on unfamiliar chord progressions to find the positions. Crash and burn!

It seems to me that leftys should play right handed. That is, doesn't it make sense that you would want the hand with all the coordination to be on the fretboard??

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Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

That's what I tell myself, but I'm not entirely convinced it's true. Whenever I'm driving in my car and listening to the radio, I tend to tap out the rhythm on my steering wheel using my left hand. So I think I probably would be a better guitarist if I played left-handed. But playing right-handed still makes sense to me for the reasons I mentioned above.

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I really like all them "Aster" guitars. You know, like the Stratoc, Telec and Jazzm.

Sorry did not want to steal your topic but wanted to comment that it is weird and wanderful to hear so many lefties that play right handed guitars.

In my case I am lefty too and learned on lefty guitar but I did not progress much until my teacher then told me to try right handed one. It was totaly akward to change but I got it going and discovered that my left hand had developed muscle memory quite faster than right hand and I progressed as a player about 10 times faster. Where I was stumbilng and stiil am is finger picking technique. I still have to resort to comfortable banjo claw for everything.

Another interesting thing even nowdays when I take mu right handed guitar if feels natural but as "russianhorse" mentioned in the car if I am palying air guitar I go automaticaly leftty.

Back to topic: lefty "air guitars" cost the same a righty.

Ha! Me too.

And another one is Mark Knopfler. I'm sure that is what his finger and thumb picking style is all about. Strange thing: I only thought of having a go at the guitar when I heard Knopfler's playing. I didn't know about his technique at the time but something in the music it produced must have subconsciously said to me: "this is the sound of a left-handed person playing a right-handed guitar. Give it a try!"

Before that I was a drummer (and still am). I play the drums left-handed - and it's been a life-long pain! You don't get invited to sit in very often when it means everyone has to stop while the drumkit is pulled apart and put back together...

Cheers - C

Yes i feel better today Ceri.