Left Hand Mandolin Choices

[junglejem]

I know Collings, Weber, Breedlove and Eastman make lefty mandolins. Does Gibson? They do lefty guitars (I've owned several), but I have never seen a left hand Gibson mandolin. Who else makes lefty mandolins?

I have an Eastman MD805 at the moment, and its fine. But at some point in the foreseeable future I'm going to want to upgrade, and so far it seems like Collings is where I will need to go.

Where else can I look?

[bart mcneil]

"... so far it seems like Collings is where I will need to go."

Not really. Any mando without a carved strap hanger can easily converted to a left handed instrument. The only things needing modification are the nut and the bridge. And of course the string positions. If I recall parts suppliers sell left handed compensated adjustable bridges. But it would be simple to install a straight, un-compensated bridge and cut the string slots for left handed playing.

I think you are making your problem more complicated than it really is. Just buy a mando and have a luthier install nut and bridge adjusted for left handed playing. In fact the seller should have someone capable of doing this. It is simply not a big deal.

[djeffcoat]

I know Collings, Weber, Breedlove and Eastman make lefty mandolins. Does Gibson? They do lefty guitars (I've owned several), but I have never seen a left hand Gibson mandolin. Who else makes lefty mandolins?

I have an Eastman MD805 at the moment, and its fine. But at some point in the foreseeable future I'm going to want to upgrade, and so far it seems like Collings is where I will need to go.

Where else can I look?

Go for the Collings MT. I found a lefty near mint used one for less than $1600. Sounds great.

[JeffD]

"... so far it seems like Collings is where I will need to go."

Not really. Any mando without a carved strap hanger can easily converted to a left handed instrument. The only things needing modification are the nut and the bridge. And of course the string positions. If I recall parts suppliers sell left handed compensated adjustable bridges. But it would be simple to install a straight, un-compensated bridge and cut the string slots for left handed playing.

I think you are making your problem more complicated than it really is. Just buy a mando and have a luthier install nut and bridge adjusted for left handed playing. In fact the seller should have someone capable of doing this. It is simply not a big deal.

When this comes up I always wonder, are all A style mandolins symmetrically braced? Or, more properly, are there A style mandolins whose internal bracing is not symmetrical, for which such a switch would not be sustainable.

[Jim Garber]

Siure, iof you stay with the A models then it is relatively easy to convert but if you want an F, in addition to those mentioned above, you prob can check with many of the quality smaller shops and ask if they would make you a lefty.

[danmills]

Pava charges an extra $200 for a lefty a Pro. That's an A style, FYI.

Also, when converting to lefty, many people like another set of dots on the edge of the finger board.
Dan

[G7MOF]

I've never found a problem turning an A style over. A nut is easy to cut, and the bridge can be slightly sloped the other way to adjust intonation. (I never look at the dots anyway).

[bart mcneil]

Since roughly one out of ten are left handed, no mandolin company is willing to give up on ten percent of his potential customers. So they build them to be either, or, with a simple change of bridge and nut.

The strap hanger models are a different story as in that case the production of a left handed mando is a pretty big deal.

[JeffD]

Since roughly one out of ten are left handed, no mandolin company is willing to give up on ten percent of his potential customers. So they build them to be either, or, with a simple change of bridge and nut. .

I am not sure of that.

But it probably works fine in most cases.

I just don't know enough about the building to say with any confidence that the carving or the bracing is always symmetrical, so that there wouldn't be any sacrifice in tone, or worse yet, structural integrity.

[Steve VandeWater]

A builder friend of mine has an awesome lefty F style for sale..the guy he made it for changed his mind. If you're interested, please pm me. No financial interest

[bart mcneil]

Is your instrument labeled "This instrument is to be played only by right handed people." or "... by left handed people."?

Nuts, bridges and strings are meant to be replaced and changed. So change them. I think mando builders are aware that there are righties and lefties, but they normally don't put out special models for lefties, 'cause they don't need to. In fact it would be economically foolish to do so.

[Willie Poole]

Audie Ratliff is a lefty player and I suppose he would build you left handed F model for about the same cost as a right handed one since he has more than likely built some for himself, he builds a great mandolin so it would worth the time to check him out on the internet, he will do you right...He also plays a right handed mandolin left handed so maybe won`t build one...It`s worth the time to see though....

Willie

[rubydubyr]

I am left handed, I played right handed...... in fact it seems the sensible thing to do to me. My left hand is more agile, I need the agility for the fingering. In fact, if you ask me, the mandolins they are selling were MADE for lefties, and all you righties are having to LEARN to play left handed... just my 2 cents worth.

[Astro]

rubyD--

Interesting point. But I have a feeling the rate limiting step of stringed instruments for most players is actually the picking hand rather than the fretting hand. I think anyone can learn either way by convention. But I think keeping the picking hand as the dominant hand helps more when playing faster more accurately than visa versa. That concept seems weird at first because we all concentrate so hard on the fretting hand to learn and make chords and notes. But golly, think what the other hand has to do automatically--especially on arpeggios or finger style guitar and it becomes evident thats actually often the more difficult role.

In the end, both are important and both are difficult so whatever gets you through the night.

[rubydubyr]

Well, I also bowl like a right hander. Bowling left handed just never felt comfy. And there's probably other things I do right handed also, as it is a right handers world, and you learn to adapt and cope as a left hander.

[junglejem]

Interesting comments, and I appreciate everyone's input. I'm relatively new to mandolin, but I've played guitar left handed for almost 50 years...not inclined to switch to playing right handed. In my original post, I wasn't lamenting the lack of quality mandolins for left handers...I personally see no need whatsoever to convert a right handed instrument. Collings, Breedlove, Weber, Eastman all make nice mandolins for lefties. I was really asking about Gibson...I'd love to own a Gibson F style mandolin, but I've never seen a lefty. And I just asked if I was missing some other builder who makes quality left hand mandolins. The comment about ending up with a Collings was not intended to be a pity party...I could do a whole lot worse than to own a lefty Collings MF.

[G7MOF]

Gibson lefties are out there somewhere. I had a genuine 1920 A4 Lefty for a while. It was stunning and sooooo rare, I can't understand what possessed me to sell it. I now turn all my mando's round. I have a Gibson A and a Fylde both righties but turned round to lefties.

[bobsault]

I talked to Heiden and Prucha a while back, they will build a lefty f model,, I also contacted Gibson around the same time and they said no lefty custom order mandolins at that time frame but did not rule out the future. I own a lefty Collings MF and the lefty Hester that was on this forum and they are both great instruments.