Left-handed ukes?

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Right, I may be showing a bit of naivety here but I was on some e-bay shop or something the other day and saw a catagory for lefty ukes. I was curious so I opened it up and they were just your usual soprano ukes that you'd get anywhere, but at a bit more of a cost, as they were lefty. So I thought "What a rip-off", as to my reckoning, a uke is both left and right handed, am I right? I mean the top and bottom string are the same gauge, and the two middle strings are the same? Obviously you can't just flip all ukes, like if you have a cut-away, or control knobs or something but I mean, am I right in thinking that somebody was just enterprising on other people's lack of knowledge when starting out in the uke?
 
-Looks at Ukes-

...I think my string gauges are different for each string. But I don't know. And maybe the headstock is different for left and right-handed ukes? Maybe.
 
On some VERY CHEAP ukes the 1st & 4th strings are the same gauge, and the 2nd & 3rd are the same. Anyone using strings like that should change them, immediately!

Ukantor.
 
OK, I'm a lefty so...

for less expensive ukes . if a uke is symmetrical inside, i.e. the binding on the wood internally is the same, it can be converted by changing the nut and the bridge. the nut is tooled to fit the strings. and sometimes a bridge is slightly offset to help intonation. on a cheap uke this makes no difference. so for lets say somethng like a lanikai LT20s, just change the nut and the bridge and voila.

but if the uke is asymmetrical is any way the conversion will dramatically affect the sound quality. e.g., with a cutaway, of course the cutaway is also useless on the other side isn't it. of course for something like a fender or an ovation it also requires cosmetic changes.

for a more expensive uke, buying left handed is the only way as real luthiers work by producing tone for the wood in their hands not from a generic design. quid ergo sum, you get a better uke.

is it a rip off well, for big companies they lose some economy of scale by doing short runs of lefty instruments. so the production costs are higher, should the manufacturers suck it up...well...yes... but what business doesn't pass on increased cost to the consumer?
 
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Left handed people don't HAVE to play the uke the other way round. I know it varies from one person to another, and it might present special problems to a very small minority of people, but many lefties play standard "right-handed" ukes. Both your hands have something intricate to do. There is no rule that says left-handed folk have to fret with the right, and strum with the left.

Look at any orchestra playing classical music. Do you see any left handed violinists clashing bows with the person to their right? Have you ever seen a left-handed piano?

John Colter.
 
I'm left handed and play righty. Do youself a favor and learn to play righty.
You limit yourself by playing lefty. You can only play left handed instruments.
I think it would be a little more complicated learning lefty.
 
I'm left-handed, play with my ukuleles strung right-handed, but holding them flipped/upside-down.
The only place I wind up caring about something being left-handed or right handed is in amplification. The jacks and knobs on many instruments are placed inconveniently for playing this way.
 
Hey Sambient I have a friend who is left handed and plays right handed strung ukes upside down. I thought he was unique! Obviously not the case.
His theory is that he can still play other peoples ukes without having to restring.
I must admit I struggle somewhat with trying to work out his upside down chords.
 
I've asked this question before with no results, here it goes again. Why are there left handed guitars and ukes. I dont think any other instruments are played lefty and righty. I've never seen a lefty violin, cello, or upright bass.
No left handed trumpets, clarinets, oboes. Does anyone know the answer?
Why do leftys think they have to play left handed? I'm a lefty and play righty and it is hard enough without turning chord formations upside down.
I've tried playing lefty and it is very confusing. IMHO
 
I'd say it basically boils down to shape and electrics. Voilins, Cellos, Double Bass are all genrally symetrical, where as guitars (other than a standard acoustic) are generally not. i.e. cutaways would be on the wrong side, electric controls, tremelo arm etc would be in the way if played upside down
 
"Why would anyone want to play lefty"
Im a lefty. Sure I wish I would have forced myself to play righty. I started years ago and put a guitar in my hands. It fit naturally lefty so I went with it. Years later my lefty HD 28 Martin works fine for me.
For me playing lefty is a very little inconvenience.
Dan
 
"Why would anyone want to play lefty"
Im a lefty. Sure I wish I would have forced myself to play righty. I started years ago and put a guitar in my hands. It fit naturally lefty so I went with it. Years later my lefty HD 28 Martin works fine for me.
For me playing lefty is a very little inconvenience.
Dan

My Dad and Son are both Leftys, my Dad plays right handed, my Son plays lefty, also don't be so sure there aren't left handed other instruments... Google it, there are :) I think it all has to do with how the guitar or any instrument feels in your hands...
 
you can get left handed violin, cello, and double bass, for sure , search ebay. and you do get pro violin players who are lefty.

people who play guitar, elec bass, uke etc, right handed who are lefties often have trouble with their rhythm somewhere down the line but tend to be better at fingering. personally i am happy to be a lefty these days but if i could start again i would go right handed, just so i can play other peoples instruments easily.
 
the string height is higher on the bass strings, so you would have to flip your saddle.
 
I am suprised to read that there are left handed violin players.I don't think I've ever seen one. I've always wondered because I'm left handed and play guitar and uke right handed. I've always wondered if I would have been a better player if I played lefty. Then again ,thinking back, I always loved getting to play different guitars.Each time I bought a new guitar I played alot more than usual. It would have been very limiting not being able to try different guitars if I had been a lefty. I know that the number of guitars i've owned had alot to do with how much I practiced.
 
Why would anyone want to play left handed??

That sounds like a very narrow minded question. I play lefty because I am left handed and playing left handed is what feels right to me. I have tried to play righty and I just can't do it-just doesn't feel natural. When I was in grade school, I played the violin for a short time. I played that like I play my uke. I made the chords with my right hand and held the bow with my left hand.

My first uke was ordered off of ebay and was billed as a teacher friendly left handed soprano. It was a piece of junk but nothing was different about it other than the strings were flipped. I have significantly upgraded since those days. I have a custom left handed Moore Bettah which has a left handed cutaway and is strung up for a lefty. When I play with other people and we are talking about chords, I play the same chord formations as they do, I just play them in a mirror image as a right handed player. My teacher is a right handed player, and there is never any miscommunication about what I am supposed to do.
True, learning to play right handed opens things up to be able to play others peoples ukes, but I have never been in a situation where I felt bad about that-namely cuz I always have a uke with me. So I say, to each his own. Play how it is the most comfortable for you. Learning lefty is not complicated in the least. It is only as hard as you make it for yourself. Just my opinion.
 
I don't think that was a narrow minded question. That question was posed to get some feedback.
 
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