Guitar Timing

Where to go for left handed guitars and left handed bass guitars? Part Three – lefty Explorer Bass

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 and bass 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 and basses, 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 bassist and you want to play, for example, an EXPLORER BASS style bass you will be faced with these hard truths first up:

 

a) Gibson, the original maker of the Explorer guitar and Explorer bass only ever made their Explorer bass once, in 1981. They never made it again.

b) When the made the Explorer bass, it was only a right-handed model and there were only 500 or so made in total.

c) Epiphone Guitars which is Gibson’s non-USA, cheaper brand make the same guitars as USA made Gibsons but in the Gibson factory in China. Using cheaper materials and mass production methods they can make very good versions of the Gibson originals, and they are made under the Epiphone brand. Since the factory started in 2002, Epiphone have been turning out better and better instruments all the time. Today’s Epiphones are very good guitars, and excellent value for their price point. Epiphone have made some Explorer bass guitars but are not making them now.

d) Epiphone have also never produced left handed Explorer bass guitars.

e) The very cheap and nasty instrument makers whose guitars sell from about $200 to $500 also don’t make this guitar, in either right hand or left hand. The many thousands of instrument making factories in China, don’t seem to know how or want to do this model.

f)  This is a bass guitar that is pretty much impossible to get – period. If one was really keen, one would have to go to a boutique builder and then be prepared to spend $3000 and upwards for one.

Gaskell Guitars makes a left handed Explorer style BASS guitar!

Gaskell’s version of the Explorer bass is called the “X-bass.” (http://www.gaskellguitars.com/models)

With the shorter 32″ scale length and a basswood body, the Gaskell Xbass is an awesome, warm and alive sounding bass guitar for left handed bass players only. It shares the same body size as the Gaskell 6 string Explorer style guitar which is not only slightly smaller than the Gibson inspiration but is also more rounded. Hence the shape is not quite the same as a Gibson Explorer guitar.

The Gaskell headstock is a Gaskell design and is the same design as most of the guitars in the Gaskell range. Copyright infringement is thus totally avoided.

Left-handed guitarists wanting a quality, gig ready, Explorer bass style guitar can get one from one place: 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?

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. http://;www.gaskellguitars.com

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