Guitar
Where to go for left handed guitars and left-handed bass guitars. Part One: left-handed Explorers
These days, with more and more major guitar manufacturers ceasing to make their products in left hand as well, one might well ask the question “where do I go for left handed guitars and left-handed bass guitars these days?”
In actual fact, there are definite guitar models that are popular with guitarists that you cannot get left handed at all. Some have never been available in left hand.
Fortunately there is one guitar brand in the world that makes left handed guitars and left-handed bass guitars only: Gaskell Guitars.
Gaskell Guitars (http://www.gaskellguitars.com) is from Australia, and was started by New Zealand-born left-handed guitarist Kevin Gaskell.
Gaskell Guitars has been going strong formally since 2006 and has become international renowned for left handed guitars, designed by a lefty, for lefties only.
Gaskell makes left handed guitars and basses that are otherwise not available in left hand option by original manufacturers. Here are some examples:
If you are a left-handed guitarist and you want to play, for example, an Explorer style guitar you will be confronted with the following list of facts to contend with:
a) Gibson, the original maker of Explorer guitars does not make left handed Explorer guitars.
b) Gibson no longer makes left handed guitars at all and you will not even get a left handed Explorer through their Custom Shop.
c) Hamer who also make Explorer guitars do not make left handed Explorers.
d) Dean Guitars make an Explorer as well, with their unique V-shaped Headstock. From time to time they do a few lefties. Limited colours though. Still, kudos to Dean for doing that!
e) Peavey make an Explore-esque guitar not the same as an Explorer but similar, but they do not make left-handed ones.
f) ESP no longer make Explorer guitars based on the original Gibson style ones, but make a more pointy version. It is possible they make their variant in left hand through their Custom Shop. No production left-handed versions are made.
g) At the beginners, entry level of the market, we have Rondo Music in the USA who brings in a Chinese-made Explorer style guitar which they do in 3 colours in left hand. It’s not the same shape as Gibson Explorer but is very definitely Explorer-derived. People in forums, generally rave about how “good” they are but what they mean by “good” really means “cheap price.” And cheap price equals “good.” Any guitarist who says one of Rondo Music’s Agile, SX, or Douglas guitars are “good” does not know what a “good” guitar is. For the price you pay (US $300-700) you could say the guitar was “good” only if you meant the price. Still, people seem to buy these and then replace all the cheap hardware and electronics for good stuff. But by the time you have done that you could have just bought a better quality guitar! Getting back on the subject, you can buy a cheap Explorer style guitar from Rondo Music. Their customer service appears to be excellent, and good on them anyway for offering a lot of cheap lefty guitars as well as right handed guitars. Hat’s off to you guys!
h) If you live in the UK, there is Gordon Smith Guitars, the UK’s equivalent of USA’s Gibson. You can get a left handed Explorer guitar from them. It looks exactly like a Gisbon. However the wait time can be up to 12 months, per reports. They are about double the price of a Gaskell.
Gaskell Guitars makes left handed Explorer style guitars. Their production models, the Classic and Classic II ( http://www.gaskellguitars.com/models) are similar to the original Gibson Explorers but with slight smaller, more rounded bodies and with a Gaskell original headstock, different from Gibson. No legal violations there!
For the left-handed guitarist wanting a more pro level guitar there are two choices: the Gaskell Classic PRO or the Gaskell Huntsman.
The Classic PRO is customizable and available by pre order. The Huntsman is a matt black gothic style Explorer with all the work to make it done in Australia, and fitted with EMGs.
Left-handed guitarists wanting a quality, gig ready, Explorer style guitar, there is really one place to get one from: Gaskell Guitars.
No matter where you live in the world you can get a Gaskell guitar or bass without too much hassle.
I suggest you look at their website for more info. It is worth it! You will be surprised!
Left-handed guitars and left-handed basses only. Designed by a lefty, for lefties. How much more better than that can you get it? Go to http://www.gaskellguitars.com
About the Author
Kevin Gaskell is the business owner and designer of Gaskell Guitars which is a manufacturer of left handed guitars and basses, located in Sydney Australia. Gaskell guitars are available world wide and in models not otherwise available in left hand.
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February 10, 2010 4:40 am 
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