looking for lefty-mando for new player

[Jslayter]

Hello!

I’m looking to pick up the mandolin after 8-10 years experience playing guitar. I have one hangup however in that I’m left-handed. I have a few questions, do I buy a right handed instrument and convert it into a lefty? Or do I buy a lefty mando?

I honestly would like to buy a right handed mandolin and convert, but I’d like to know what kinds of problems I would run into (this would be an A-style).

Next, if I go left-handed mando, I am basically restricted to a gold tone gm-50, unless I can special order from companies?

What are my options here.

Cheers!

[colorado_al]

I'd check out Eastman MD305 or MD505 lefty.
https://themandolinstore.com/product...left-handed-2/

[Zach Wilson]

Im not a luthier by any means and I am not a builder either... but it seems that an A shape mandolin would be somewhat simple to convert.

Flip the bridge around. Flip the nut around... possibly replace it.

I know some tail pieces have the strings set at different lengths???... this might be the tricky part.

[MikeEdgerton]

You can convert an A style mandolin. You will need a new nut and a new bridge. You can't just turn the bridge around as the intonation won't be right. The other problem will be the dots on the side of the fretboard will be on the bottom and not the top. You can add those dots if you need them. You'll probably find that an affordable used A style and conversion will probably cost less than buying a new left handed model. There is a slight difference in the tone bars inside that you'll never be able to hear. Good luck and welcome to the Cafe.

[Eric Platt]

If you are willing to look at used instruments, there are left handed mandolins out there. Found this one a little while ago. NFI or any other interest - https://www.musicgoround.com/p/84529...mandolin-lefty

[Jslayter]

You can convert an A style mandolin. You will need a new nut and a new bridge. You can't just turn the bridge around as the intonation won't be right. The other problem will be the dots on the side of the fretboard will be on the bottom and not the top. You can add those dots if you need them. You'll probably find that an affordable used A style and conversion will probably cost less than buying a new left handed model. There is a slight difference in the tone bars inside that you'll never be able to hear. Good luck and welcome to the Cafe.

Thanks for the informative post! I’m not too concerned about the fretdots, I’ve contacted a local builder to see if he might be able to cut a new bridge and nut if I were to get a righty.

[MikeEdgerton]

Steve at Cumberland Acoustic can probably supply a left handed bridge.

http://cumberlandacoustic.com/

Any decent luthier should be able to fit the bridge and cut a new nut.

[Folkmusician.com]

Mike is correct, You need a new nut and Bridge (or at least a saddle that matches your post spacing).

Some of the poorly setup, brand new mandolins may come with the nut high enough that you can file the top off and recut the string grooves. This only works if the string height at the nut is significantly higher than it should be. Otherwise you will make a new nut.

You may be able to buy a left handed saddle that matches your bridge foot. If the bridge is already fit, this makes the swap easier. If the current bridge foot is not fit well, just replace the entire bridge. If you have a saw, files, and drill, you can actually make your own saddle fairly easy.

Costs to have it done will be all over the place. Even though this is just a nut and bridge replacement, it is extremely labor intensive. I used to do conversions for $150, but it just wasn't profitable to do a good job at that price. I decided that I really needed quite a bit more and that was too much to charge someone, so I phased out of it.

[Zach Wilson]

Doh! I guess I was way off. Sorry 😶

[dadsaster]

I'm a lefty player. I bought an A-style mandolin, a lefty bridge from Cumberland and had it setup lefty (cut new nut). Minor annoyances were fret dots which I added myself using a sharpy and nailpolish and the holes left after removing the pick guard. A-style mandolins have symetrical bracing so there should be no loss in tone doing this. The different lengths of the tailpiece hasn't been a problem strung backward.

I'm particularly left-handed and am glad I did it. I would have quit playing if I had tried to learn righty. There are makers who make lefties too and there are used lefties on the market. I'm sure the "just play righty" crew will be along any moment...

[MikeEdgerton]

Frank Ford has a great tutorial on dots on his www.frets.com website. It is here. One of the many cast tailpieces out there might resolve your string issue.