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Author Topic:  Who makes leftie steels?
Mike Perlowin


From:
Los Angeles CA
Post  Posted 24 Feb 2020 1:49 pm    
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Somebody asked me.
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Stu Schulman


From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
Post  Posted 24 Feb 2020 2:01 pm    
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Fred Justice does,I have a friend who plays left handed Dobro,Fred is a southpaw's best friend!!
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Richard Sinkler


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aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
Post  Posted 24 Feb 2020 3:11 pm    
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Justice, Mullen, William's for sure.
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Bruce Bjork


From:
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Post  Posted 24 Feb 2020 3:11 pm    
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Fred Justice.
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 24 Feb 2020 4:34 pm    
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I would have thought that everyone would if asked.

Do only certain manufacturers make leftie golf clubs?
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James Holland


From:
Alabama, USA
Post  Posted 25 Feb 2020 5:26 am    
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Bob Simmons, who's a member here. Just pulled mine out after several years, still in tune and still in adjustment! Very quiet, smooth, I can half-pedal reliably, etc. Its pretty light weight too. I'd put it in the same class with the other *price* entry level new guitars. I intended to upgrade mine to a double neck, but I'm having enough fun with E9, and a C6 lap steel.
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Stu Schulman


From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
Post  Posted 25 Feb 2020 6:37 am    
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Yes,Simmons was the other one that I tried to recall.
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Tom Dillon


From:
La Mesa, California, USA
Post  Posted 25 Feb 2020 6:48 am    
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An On-Trak steel can be disassembled and put back together as a lefty with no mods, new parts, or parts left over.
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 25 Feb 2020 8:04 am    
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Impressive!
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Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 25 Feb 2020 5:14 pm    
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Ian Rae wrote:
I would have thought that everyone would if asked.

Do only certain manufacturers make leftie golf clubs?


Used to be that way, but most all now make them. The golf courses, on the other hand, are still (mostly) laid out for right-handed players.

In the world of pedal steel, left-hand steels can require different tooling fixtures or machine programs, and that's one reason not all brands might make them.
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Tiny Olson

 

From:
Mohawk River Valley, Upstate NY
Post  Posted 25 Feb 2020 5:18 pm    
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Jerry Fessenden has made left-handed, pedal steels too.
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Paddy Long


From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
Post  Posted 25 Feb 2020 7:36 pm    
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My Aussie mate Tomi Grasso has a Leftie Emmons LeGrande III D10 which he has had for a few years now - no chance of them building another of course hehe ... !
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 26 Feb 2020 1:32 am    
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Thanks Donny, for both explanations. I am now slightly less ignorant about golf than before. Also I see that if you are going to build left-handed steels you should build your right-handed ones in a way that helps.
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Steve Leal


From:
Orange CA, USA
Post  Posted 26 Feb 2020 11:37 am    
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Here are ones that I own or have owned:

Mullen
Williams
BMI

Pedalmaster
Shobud
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Brett Day


From:
Pickens, SC
Post  Posted 26 Feb 2020 2:38 pm    
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Back in the 1990s, I saw Monte Good play a left handed Derby with John Michael Montgomery. That steel can be seen in John Michael's videos, "Cowboy Love", which was released in 1995 and "Hello L-O-V-E which was released in 1999. Monte played a left handed Emmons in John Michael's 1994 video, "Be My Baby Tonight"
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David Mitchell

 

From:
Tyler, Texas
Post  Posted 27 Feb 2020 5:26 pm    
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Not trying to derail the intent of the post but may I contribute something for thought. Lloyd Green, myself and many other pedal steel players are left handed but play everything right handed. My excuse is because I couldn't find an electric guitar in 1962 in 3 major cities that was left handed. Didn't take but a month of playing and I wouldn't have it any other way. Besides that a left handed player has reduced his potential purchases of pedal steels severely. My theory is if you never played it left handed why start? I promise it won't make one bit of difference.
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2020 2:18 am    
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Bear in mind that lefthandedness is not absolute and some people are more ambidextrous than others. I think that about 10% are regarded as lefties, but I would like to know what percentage of MLB players can switch-hit. We have cricketers who regularly bowl right-handed and bat left-handed.

It could be that Lloyd and David are not strongly biased to the left.
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James Holland


From:
Alabama, USA
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2020 5:01 am    
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David Mitchell wrote:
Not trying to derail the intent of the post ..


I know that is a popular theory, but since you've opened it up, and "promised" it won't make a difference, I have to disagree.

I know a national champion picker, that was struggling at first, playing a righthanded instrument. His instructor, sensed that he was processing way more music, theory, and intuitive learning, but just couldn't develop the faculty to keep up with his mental progress. On a whim, he found a lefthanded instrument for this young student. He was winning area contests in six months. That's as close to blind study as we will ever get.

The other obvious point to be made, is that 90% of us are right handed. Right handed folks are the ones that pickup up bows, picks, horns, and evolved exactly what goes in the *dominant* hand. If a pick, bow, or valve was supposed to go in the non-dominant hand, all the righties would be bowing, picking and actuating their instruments with the "other" hand. But they didn't, so we don't. The dominant hand has a preferred operation as evolution has determined, (same with tools by the way), and that's the most natural way to become proficient at that skill.

Finally, several of us decided to collect data on lefthanded musicians that had actually achieved a high level of performance. Its not great. If it didn't matter, then 10% of your virtuosos would be left-handed, regardless of which instrument, or instrument orientation. What you find, is that is less than half of that. That data also suggests, a left-dominant person is working with an impediment namely being the wrong choice of instrument orientation (thanks to this odd theory), and more of them will not achieve a personal best, reside to being mediocre, or give up.

More lefthanded instruments are available now, so its not the liability it once was. I look every day on various forums for professional grade instruments. And I've got great instruments, actually envious by many righthanded players.

With all of that said, I and others still recommend attempting to play right handed at first to see if it will work for you: its certainly preferable from a gear standpoint. If a person just wants to participate, be a strummer, or a recreational player, try it and see. But if a person is clearly more intuitive with a lefthanded instrument, obviously they will benefit by the reduced learning curve. I sure wouldn't trade my ability and potential, just due to a 20% cost penalty. I doubt anyone would, if they understood the risk of an avoidable impediment.

PS - I forgot to also add, that the US is distinguished in this theory of handiness doesn't matter, and it may be unique to the last century. Other countries have for centuries accommodated lefthanded instruments. The first banjo was actually lefthanded and built in the US - I think its in the Smithsonian. Yet it was never described, or otherwise noted as being "lefthanded" till much later. Apparently, nobody cared about the difference before the industrial revolution - afterwhich, US manufacturers didn't want to manage two sets of interchangeable tooling, and decided we will all only get right handed instruments, lol. That's my theory as to why the US adopted this odd theory of handiness doesn't matter.
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David Mitchell

 

From:
Tyler, Texas
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2020 5:33 am    
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James Holland wrote:
David Mitchell wrote:
Not trying to derail the intent of the post ..


I know that is a popular theory, but since you've opened it up, and "promised" it won't make a difference, I have to disagree.

I know a national champion picker, that was struggling at first, playing a righthanded instrument. His instructor, sensed that he was processing way more music, theory, and intuitive learning, but just couldn't develop the faculty to keep up with his mental progress. On a whim, he found a lefthanded instrument for this young student. He was winning area contests in six months. That's as close to blind study as we will ever get.

The other obvious point to be made, is that 90% of us are right handed. Right handed folks are the ones that pickup up bows, picks, horns, and evolved exactly what goes in the *dominant* hand. If a pick, bow, or valve was supposed to go in the non-dominant hand, all the righties would be bowing, picking and actuating their instruments with the "other" hand. But they didn't, so we don't. The dominant hand has a preferred operation as evolution has determined, (same with tools by the way), and that's the most natural way to become proficient at that skill.

Finally, several of us decided to collect data on lefthanded musicians that had actually achieved a high level of performance. Its not great. If it didn't matter, then 10% of your virtuosos would be left-handed, regardless of which instrument, or instrument orientation. What you find, is that is less than half of that. That data also suggests, a left-dominant person is working with an impediment namely being the wrong choice of instrument orientation (thanks to this odd theory), and more of them will not achieve a personal best, reside to being mediocre, or give up.

More lefthanded instruments are available now, so its not the liability it once was. I look every day on various forums for professional grade instruments. And I've got great instruments, actually envious by many righthanded players.

With all of that said, I and others still recommend attempting to play right handed at first to see if it will work for you: its certainly preferable from a gear standpoint. If a person just wants to participate, be a strummer, or a recreational player, try it and see. But if a person is clearly more intuitive with a lefthanded instrument, obviously they will benefit by the reduced learning curve. I sure wouldn't trade my ability and potential, just due to a 20% cost penalty. I doubt anyone would, if they understood the risk of an avoidable impediment.

PS - I forgot to also add, that the US is distinguished in this theory of handiness doesn't matter, and it may be unique to the last century. Other countries have for centuries accommodated lefthanded instruments. The first banjo was actually lefthanded and built in the US - I think its in the Smithsonian. Yet it was never described, or otherwise noted as being "lefthanded" till much later. Apparently, nobody cared about the difference before the industrial revolution - afterwhich, US manufacturers didn't want to manage two sets of interchangeable tooling, and decided we will all only get right handed instruments, lol. That's my theory as to why the US adopted this odd theory of handiness doesn't matter.


James I know without a doubt everyone is unique so what works for me and players may not work for others. I totally get it. I'm just saying a left handed player is placed at a disadvantage right off the bat by limiting the choice of instruments available. I know this to be a fact running large music stores my entire life. When I wasn't playing professionally I was selling musical instruments during the day. Yes someone can always build you a left handed instrument and sometimes you get lucky and find they came stock from the factory. When I started they were rare as hen's teeth. Let's face it, it's a right handed world. I know because I'm left handed. One other thing, which hand is the dominant hand? I find it takes the precision of both hands to sound like a pro. Just sayin'.

I can play a right handed steel and made a good living pickin' it. Here's an example. Lloyd and I can make our right hands pick faster than greased lighting. I got videos of that to prove it. When I play I have full control of both hands. I never have felt one was dominant myself. It just never affected me that way

https://youtu.be/OyuGQbOoi7c[/url]
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2020 7:03 am    
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I'm still wondering whether lefthandedness is on a spectrum which goes through right-handed and ambidextrous to slightly and completely left.

I watch a lot of football (soccer) and I notice that players vary enormously in their willingness to use their "wrong" foot.
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Dave Hopping


From:
Aurora, Colorado
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2020 10:06 am    
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LH instruments are much more common than they used to be,and I might have gone that way if they were available when I started playing..... One instrument that I've never seen in a LH version is keyboard.Do left-handed pianos even exist?
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2020 12:35 pm    
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The two hands are equally important and do similar things, so hardly worth it.
It would be weird because you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at it.
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b0b


From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2020 9:25 pm    
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https://simmonscustom.com/pedal-steel-models/


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Stu Schulman


From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
Post  Posted 29 Feb 2020 5:01 am    
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Dave Hopping,I went to a Kurzweil clinic a million years ago and the guy tweaked something and the piano became left handed.completely reversed,Then he proceeded to play left handed piano stuff,I found it facinating,and gave him the same look my dog used to give me.
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Michael Brebes

 

From:
Northridge CA
Post  Posted 29 Feb 2020 7:21 am    
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Ian Rae wrote:
I'm still wondering whether lefthandedness is on a spectrum which goes through right-handed and ambidextrous to slightly and completely left.

I watch a lot of football (soccer) and I notice that players vary enormously in their willingness to use their "wrong" foot.


I am left handed and not ambidextrous at all. Yes, I play right handed guitar and pedal steel. My right hand picking is SLOW. I will never win a speed picking contest but, if I forget about the pedals, I can move the bar very fast and do some pretty fast single note lines using lots of slurs/slides. On regular guitar I do have some advantages like being able to finger C, D, and G chords over a bar. On classical guitar I couldn't do fast arpeggios or tremolos but I was able to play Bach pieces because they were left hand intensive.
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