WTB: Left-Handed Flamenco Guitar!

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phoenix_rising

Posts: 3
Joined: Sep. 9 2011

WTB: Left-Handed Flamenco Guitar!

Hey guys this is my first post so hello to you all! I was just wondering whether anyone in the EU (preferably UK!) Had a cheap but nice condition left handed flamenco guitar for sale... nothing fancy as im just making the transition over to Flamenco from other styles... If no ones got any for sale then a few recommendations of brands\models etc would be great... Looking for something smallish if possible as well?

Any info would be great....

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 9 2011 15:07:57

XXX

Posts: 4400
Joined: Apr. 14 2005

RE: WTB: Left-Handed Flamenco Guitar! (in reply to phoenix_rising)

There is no lefthanded guitar unless you let yourself build one. I play lefthanded since 9 years now and have never experienced any problem in taking a right handed guitar and switching the strings. Only thing you have to watch out for is you probably are gonna need a new bridge and saddle bone, or you adjust the old ones. Especially the thick g string will not fit into the hole for the D string.

Welcome btw!

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Фламенко

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 9 2011 17:57:29

phoenix_rising

Posts: 3
Joined: Sep. 9 2011

RE: WTB: Left-Handed Flamenco Guitar! (in reply to phoenix_rising)

Thanks for the info... I just assumed that left handed flamenco guitars existed... All my other guitars i bought left handed and thought i should be able to find a left handed flamenco guitar?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 12 2011 9:31:27

phoenix_rising

Posts: 3
Joined: Sep. 9 2011

RE: WTB: Left-Handed Flamenco Guitar! (in reply to phoenix_rising)

So the general consensus is to buy a right handed flamenco guitar and change the saddle and bridge to left?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 15 2011 9:40:04

Mark2

Posts: 1872
Joined: Jul. 12 2004
From: San Francisco

RE: WTB: Left-Handed Flamenco Guitar! (in reply to phoenix_rising)

Or work with a builder...........I'm a lefty too. I've never had one built but wish I had. Lester Devoe offered to make me one many years ago. I asked what he'd do different and he said there were a few little things. I should have taken him up on it.
It really depends on how serious you are. A good right hander is fine. If you go over the deep end, get one built.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 15 2011 16:40:32

rombsix

Posts: 7813
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: WTB: Left-Handed Flamenco Guitar! (in reply to phoenix_rising)

quote:

left handed flamenco guitar for sale

http://www.classical-guitars-plus.co.uk/productfamily.php/family__3427__Alhambra+10Fc+Flamenco+Guitar

http://www.flamencoexport.com/all-flamenco/guitars/flamenco-guitars-for-left-handed-persons.html

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 15 2011 17:13:42

kudo

Posts: 2064
Joined: Sep. 3 2009

RE: WTB: Left-Handed Flamenco Guitar! (in reply to phoenix_rising)

you know, my teacher (Bob Sutherby- look him up) IS left handed and he was a rock n roll guitarist for 20 years before he became a flamenco. he plays right handed on a right handed guitar. (I never knew he was left handed until recently)
if you are still new to flamenco, you might as well switch hands, because even if you were right handed, flamenco is a whole different story and you will learn the right hand techniques from scratch anyways, so you might as well switch hands, just a suggestion.

you would actually have an advantage (just like my teacher) that you can do nice stuff with your left hand because you are a lefty, thats only if you get the right hand techniques to work (which will happen down the road)

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 15 2011 19:14:35

keith

Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston

RE: WTB: Left-Handed Flamenco Guitar! (in reply to phoenix_rising)

one advantage of using one's non-dominant hand as the picado/arpeggio/rasqueo/tremelo hand is that in non-guitar activities one has the advantage of having fingers without nails. for fine motor tasks nails can be a hinderance. for gross motor tasks one is not putting their nails at risk for breakage as one would if using the dominant hand that has nails.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 15 2011 23:40:30

hhmusic

Posts: 164
Joined: May 13 2006

RE: WTB: Left-Handed Flamenco Guitar! (in reply to phoenix_rising)

Just saw this on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-Flamenco-CG171SF-Customized-Left-Handed-/150662845354?pt=Guitar&hash=item23143493aa

I was actually going to recommend you find a Yahama 171, customize it, and play it for a year. Then, if you decide to stick with flamenco, email Salvador Castillo and have him build you a custom left-handed guitar with Mexican cypress for about $2000USD. That's a guitar you would be happy with for many years, I think.

In a factory guitar, like the Yamaha, there probably aren't too many differences in left handed and right handed construction. However, when a luthier builds an instrument, they often compensate, in the length and weight of the bracing on the treble side vs the bass side, even in the pattern and design of the bracing itself, since treble strings are better amplified by (usually) shorter bracing - see photo. In some designs, Rodriguez classicals being most famous for this, you'll see a diagonal crossbar, actually making the treble side of the soundboard smaller. Google "diagonal tone bar" and you can see more pictures of what I'm talking about.

Anyway, I have no affiliation with that ebay seller, but that looks like exactly what you're looking for at a reasonable price. They've said they'll only ship in the continental US, but you could ask that, if you bought it at their Buy It Now price, they'd agree to ship to the UK.

I would not recommend, by the way, switching hands just to find a guitar. Flamenco is all about rhythm, and micro-timing in fast picado and rasgueados - and your dominant hand naturally has better rhythm. It's difficult enough to get really good rhythm in any style, but especially flamenco. Why set yourself at a disadvantage from the beginning?

Good luck!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 16 2011 2:04:14

hhmusic

Posts: 164
Joined: May 13 2006

RE: WTB: Left-Handed Flamenco Guitar! (in reply to phoenix_rising)

one other small thing that's left/right hand specific is the golpeador. it usually extends farther out from the strings on the treble than bass side - though in some guitars the tap plate is symmetrical. of course, if you eventually order a guitar, you can specify it any way you want it! meantime, you might want to put an additional piece of golpeador plastic below the shorter side - or just leave it and don't worry about a few scratches.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 16 2011 2:08:43