Any suggestions for an inexpensive left-handed guitar?

[Sweet Freedom]

I've always wanted to learn to play guitar (for fun, not as a career :) ). I have a right-handed acoustic guitar that I can't play because, long-story-short, I permanently injured my left hand, so I thought I'd take a stab at playing left-handed. I'm guessing I can switch my brain to play that way, but who knows, I could totally suck, so I don't want to make a big financial investment up-front. (And if I turn out to be great, well I can upgrade later.)

Any suggestions?

[johnnie]

1. Switch the strings around on your guitar

:shrug:

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. Your right handed acoustic becomes a left-handed merely by switching strings.

Unless it has one of those funky shapes that doesn't allow that.

[Sweet Freedom]

3. I already tried, and it doesn't work.

Thanks though!

[CBGLuthier]

4. Another option

If you can hold a slide in your left hand you can try learning to play slide either traditionally, like a guitar is normally played or dobro/lapsteel style where you play the guitar overhand.

As for the reversing the string thing you would need a new nut to do it properly. May be able to find a shop to do it for you cheap. Nut blanks themselves only cost a few bucks.

The nut is the part on the neck where the strings rest and there is a rounded slot cut to hold the string. They could remove yours and reverse it. Of course the pick guard will still be on the wrong side but that's OK.

[Sweet Freedom]

8. I did contact a guitar shop to make the change for me, but

they said no (I can't remember the reason why)

[CBGLuthier]

9. That's Odd

It really isn't that hard to do, wonder why they refused.

I would look for another shop or maybe even a private luthier. I had a luthier set mine up, including replacing the nut to lower the action and it was less than $40.00.

[Orsino]

5. Cool! Good luck.

I took guitar in college from a switch-hitter. He grew out the nails of his left hand for playing flamenco, and had his right-handed guitars' necks grooved to fit the nails. He performed classical pieces with his right fingertips.

Why?

[HERVEPA]

6. Find a lousy left-handed guitar player (nt)

[ordinaryaveragegirl]

7. Do a Hendrix...

And flip the strings. Worked great for him! ;-)

[EnviroBat]

10. Fender makes some nice lefty guitars.

The MIM, (made in Mexico) are really good quality for the price...

[Sweet Freedom]

12. Thank you -- I'll check it out. /nt

[BrotherBuzz]

11. Elizabeth Cotton played left-handed on a righ-handed guitar...

study her fingering and just mimic what she does. :shrug:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMSYzFdloqY