For just over 15 years I’ve played the guitar on and off, I’m not very good, I’m certainly never going to be anywhere near as good as Joe Satriani or Steve Vai, I just don’t have the talent, but I do enjoy it.
It’s also very frustrating though, as guitars vary and you need to find one that your comfortable with, which as yet I haven’t. Why? Because it’s near impossible to find ANY left handed guitars let alone the perfect left handed guitar.
A couple of weeks ago I took my wife to a music shop to buy her an electronic piano. While she was choosing I took my son for a wander around the shop to keep him amused. While doing so we had a look at everything else they had in stock and hidden away at the back of the shop I found a lone, dusty left handed electro acoustic guitar and there were a couple of cheap left handed electrics in amongst 50+ right handed guitars.
Why? Around 10% of the population is left handed yet guitar shops never stock that many and far too many guitar manufacturers don’t make ANY of their guitars in left handed models. The ones that do generally only offer a very limited choice of models and those only come with a limited choice of colours (black).
When I asked several manufacturers and shops they told me there was NO demand, well that’s clearly not true, as I’ve got money to spend on them and I know there are others as including quite a number of famous guitarists; Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Kurt Cobain, Tony Iommi, Bob Geldof and Iggy Pop to name just a few.
Personally I think there appears to be no demand, because us lefties can’t find anything to buy. So there’s probably a good business opportunity here for a specialist left handed guitar manufacturer and a specialist left handed guitar shop. Neither actually have to do lefties exclusively, but if you specialise at least part of the business targeting lefties I’m sure there’s a chance to do well out of this niche.
Please note that I’m aware that a quick Google will show several left handed guitar shops but in reality they carry a limited range and tend to focus on the cheap “beginner models”. The ideal perhaps is for this to be part of a bigger business specialising in products for left handed people. After all according to the book Right-Hand, Left-Hand by Chris manus of University College London:
Left-handed people as a group have historically produced an above-average quota of high achievers.
So we’re an under-severed 10% of the population who might well have a higher than average level of disposable income.
Are you a leftie? If So what’s your experience of finding left handed products? Please let me know in the comments below.
This blog is about business opportunities and ideas that I spot, think of or hear about and think are useful and interesting. It is intended to provide ideas and inspriation for you to help you find the right business idea for you to then grow it into a successful business.
Hey that’s me…
I’ve got my left hand up, and it’s a pain, after barely surviving attempts by school teachers to change me I now find check books, reading books (except from Japan, but I have a little trouble with the Kangi) cameras and all sorts of stuff are a pain
I hate cheque books too, I’ve never had a problem with reading books though?
You’ll have to copy Jimi and play with your teeth instead.
The problem is…
My teeth are left handed as well:)
Its even worse for me I am ambidextrous (just try spelling it!!) I write with my left hand, kick a football left footed.
Play golf right handed, hold a racket in my right hand, and dont even start on what way I go down the slop on a snowboard I am still not even sure how I made it down myself.
After finding I can play the guitar both right and left handed. I setled on left handed playing being more comfortable, I have also been looking for a left handed guitar and yes you are right there does seem to be a lack of them. So far Tanglewood seem to have the largest range.
I think I’d switch back to right handed ASAP if I were you.
Unfortunately I crushed my number 1 finger as a kid on my right hand so I cant bend it at the tip. So I cant push down on the string properly.
I have found a guitar which gets rave reviews on all sights. Its an Ibanez AEL10LE. Then unfortunate bit is I can only order it from America.
To you all, there is a site called anythingleft-handed.co.uk Which does everthing you can think of left handed. Even note pads!
I thoroughly reccomened checking it out.
I just received in the post from them a £1.50 thumb pick.
I cannot belive it but I have just doubled my playing ability wearing it. I have only been playing a few months and had problems missing strings every now and then. I have not missed or plucked the wrong string since!
YaP.
Thats true buddy, I m also a left-handed guitarist from Pakistan. And you will be surprised to listen that there not a single piece of left-handed acoustic or semi-acoustic guitar in any of the guitar store in PAKISTAN!
Definitely a business opportunity there then!
I hate being left handed, its the worst,the two guitars I have I wasnt given the chance to play before I bought as they had to be bought online or ordered in especially and had to pay for when it was ordered. Im currently looking for a semi-acoustic and they are impossible to find in shops so again im resorting to interenet shops but im planning to spend around £400 so dont want to gamble it. :-@
Yaa definitely.
Everyone’s born right-handed. But the smart ones outgrow that
Hi, im a lefty… as a massive Metallica fan i always wanted a black Explorer with the Lawsuit headstock.. Gibson dont do a lefty and ESP wanted 6k. I eventually found one made by Agile (a small company from new jersey) on Ebay for 200 quid!!BOnus.a change of pickups and i have my perfect guitar! it was only available in USA but was imported to UK a couple of years ago. it plays amazingly well for a cheap guitar and sounds great. Now all i need is a ESP KH 202 Lefty and somehow to get a Gibson Zakk Wylde lefty…if anyone can do that…GIBSON>>>>>DONT BE TIGHT!!