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Smurph View Drop Down
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Points: 3167 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Backwards Guitar
    Posted: March 14 2012 at 17:27
So, I play guitar backwards. Right handed guitars are just flipped upsidedown by me, and they are not restrung. It allows me to play "weird" chords that other guitarists can't play. It also puts me at a disadvantage when learning other people's music, but I have well over 120 compositions between myself and my band so that is not a problem either.
 
One thing though, WHAT OTHER GUITARISTS PLAY THIS WAY?
 
I am having trouble searching for anyone. I try googling different things but no one is going to use the same terminology.
 

Also, sorry if this is in the wrong thread, I wasn't sure which thread to put it in.
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Dayvenkirq View Drop Down
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Points: 10970 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2012 at 17:29
I believe Jimi himself did something like that ... along with Paul McCartney. Correct me if I'm wrong.
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Points: 8037 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2012 at 17:34
Albert King comes to mind.
Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour)
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Points: 23108 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2012 at 17:48
When I saw the thread title here, I thought it was about guitars played backwards as in flipped over like Syd Barret did on his first solo album. Somehow he could pan out how it would end up sounding, which I find pretty interesting. It certainly had Gilmour a bit bamboozled...
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Dayvenkirq View Drop Down
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Points: 10970 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2012 at 17:55
Originally posted by Guldbamsen Guldbamsen wrote:

When I saw the thread title here, I thought it was about guitars played backwards as in flipped over like Syd Barret did on his first solo album. Somehow he could pan out how it would end up sounding, which I find pretty interesting. It certainly had Gilmour a bit bamboozled...

LOL . Albert King, huh? I know Jimi was influenced by King.
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colorofmoney91 View Drop Down
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Points: 22774 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2012 at 17:59
Doyle Bramhall II plays guitar like that.
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Points: 23108 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2012 at 18:02
What about upright guitar?
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Points: 925 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2012 at 18:17
Originally posted by colorofmoney91 colorofmoney91 wrote:

Doyle Bramhall II plays guitar like that.

+1
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PabstRibbon View Drop Down
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Points: 925 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2012 at 18:18
Originally posted by Dayvenkirq Dayvenkirq wrote:

I believe Jimi himself did something like that ... along with Paul McCartney. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Hendrix was playing with a right handed guitar but he changed the strings to make an "home made" left-handed guitar
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Dean View Drop Down
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Points: 37575 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2012 at 18:28
*sigh* why don't people read the OP - Jimi Hendrix did not just flip a right-handed guitar over, he also restrung it for left-hand playing, as did Paul McCartney for both bass and 6-string guitars, as shown in this pic:
 
also Tony Iommi, Kurt Cobain and most other left-handed players.
 
 
Whereas, as Alan correctly asserts, Doyle Bramhall II plays a normally strung right-handed guitar upside down:
 
 
Other backwards guitar players include Dick Dale and Dan Swano (Edge of Sanity, Katatonia etc)


Edited by Dean - March 14 2012 at 18:29
What?
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Points: 29630 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2012 at 18:35
Why the hell should the bassier strings be at the top anyway? Tongue

I've actually never tried it with opposite hands before, just did, didn't work for me.

But anyway, backwards isn't the right word I think.  It's opposite-handed.  When you change the string order I think it should be called opposite handed mirrored stringed or something.


Edited by Slartibartfast - March 14 2012 at 18:40
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Dean View Drop Down
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Points: 37575 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2012 at 18:47
Originally posted by Slartibartfast Slartibartfast wrote:

Why the hell should the bassier strings be at the top anyway? Tongue

I've actually never tried it with opposite hands before, just did, didn't work for me.

But anyway, backwards isn't the right word I think.  It's opposite-handed.  When you change the string order I think it should be called opposite handed mirrored stringed or something.
Some left-handers play a right-hand guitar right-handed, some right-handed Hendrix tribute acts play a left-handed guitar flipped over and restrung for right-handed playing to get the same poor intonation that Hendrix's guitars had, and some right-handed players play left-handed. Bob Geldof is right-handed but plays right-handed guitar, flipped over and not restrung (ie backwards or opposite handed mirrored stringed if you insist).
What?
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PabstRibbon View Drop Down
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Points: 925 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2012 at 19:24
Jimmy Haslip play backward too 




Edited by PabstRibbon - March 14 2012 at 20:33
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Points: 22774 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 14 2012 at 21:13
Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

...

Whereas, as Alan correctly asserts, Doyle Bramhall II plays a normally strung right-handed guitar upside down:
 
 
Other backwards guitar players include Dick Dale and Dan Swano (Edge of Sanity, Katatonia etc)

Cool

I had no idea Dan Swano played that way. That's neat to know.
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Smurph View Drop Down
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Points: 3167 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 15 2012 at 00:55
Dan Swano? Really? Seems like I have a bunch of guitar parts to learn. Crimson by Edge of Sanity doesn't seem that difficult.
 
Thanks for all the help guys.
 
http://vimeo.com/21261733
In case anyone cares, this is me playing backwards. Kinda crap recording but whatever, also the band is called Pseudo/Sentai now.


Edited by Smurph - March 15 2012 at 01:11
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Points: 4160 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2012 at 12:47
I'm left handed. I can play right-handed guitar upside-down when necessary. However, I can strum it -but there's no way I will play arpeggio.

Also, it's really easy to hurt yourself; top string is thin and sharp.

The chords are fun. They're actually easier most of the time.
Percussion, sir!
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Negoba View Drop Down
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Points: 5210 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2012 at 14:13

I'm left handed but just play a right handed guitar the normal way.

I've always thought it was an advantage to have my dominant hand doing the fretting.

You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
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Smurph View Drop Down
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Points: 3167 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2012 at 15:56
Originally posted by Negoba Negoba wrote:

I'm left handed but just play a right handed guitar the normal way.

I've always thought it was an advantage to have my dominant hand doing the fretting.

That's how my old guitar player was. He actually thought he was playing left handed by doing that when he first started. And he told me it isnt easier. You will probably have to practice string skipping alternate picking styles a lot more to gain better control of your right hand.
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Points: 4659 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2012 at 19:17

I'm left-handed and tried playing a right-handed guitar normally and inverted, although I never tried restringing it.  I ended up buying a left-handed guitar and never looked back...


"Peace is the only battle worth waging."

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Negoba View Drop Down
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Points: 5210 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2012 at 19:24
Originally posted by Smurph Smurph wrote:

Originally posted by Negoba Negoba wrote:

I'm left handed but just play a right handed guitar the normal way.

I've always thought it was an advantage to have my dominant hand doing the fretting.

That's how my old guitar player was. He actually thought he was playing left handed by doing that when he first started. And he told me it isnt easier. You will probably have to practice string skipping alternate picking styles a lot more to gain better control of your right hand.

I've been playing for 25 years now, and at this point it's hard to know. I think it helped at first. It's a different set of skills than writing and you have to have coordination no matter which way you play.

Left handed people have to do so many things both ways anyway...



No comments from the peanut gallery.


Edited by Negoba - April 12 2012 at 19:25
You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
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