Attention lefties:

['90s Pacifica]

Do you left-handed guitarists arrange your pedalboards from left to right?

 

[TommyBaltimore]

I do most things left handed except play guitar. It would be a disaster to set up the board left to right. Pedals are just not made to do that. Being left footed I want my wah on the left. Being as wahs should be early in the chain even that's a pain.

 

[Junco Partner]

I don’t

 

[kidmandude]

I'm a lefty but play righty.

Wah starts on my right.

 

[8len8]

I do most things left handed except play guitar. It would be a disaster to set up the board left to right. Pedals are just not made to do that. Being left footed I want my wah on the left. Being as wahs should be early in the chain even that's a pain.

Same here.

 

[offthiscentury]

No...

Although, I play right handed despite being a lefty.

 

[cosmic_ape]

No.

 

[daveS]

I don’t

 

[prowlinacage]

Nope.

 

[JoePerkinsMusic]

No. Pedals are not 'handed' - the signal flow is right to left for them all (mostly...some vintage Tonebenders being an exception!) so it'd make no sense having big loops of wire crossing over each other everywhere on the board.

 

[Reyybarra]

Yup, I’m ambidextrous, but wire for left foot...
Lots of cable but I’ve done it the same way since 05’. I play righty, and actually I’ve thought as an educator for the past 15 years where we have guitar as a course in the district... we all agreed to not allow left handed players. In the long run we as educators decided it was best for them long term to go right. It’s also much easier in classroom setting.


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[dirtytony]

Im lefty but I play right as when I started I only found info for right handed players and accustomed myself to that: big mistake as Im one of the most huge heavy hitters of the planet so all the marvellous "shaping" the picking hand does on myself is almost zero.

Pedalboard is like the one of a right handed player (from right to left) BUT, I dont know why, I could not accustom myself to larger pedals with 2 footswitches that have the On/Off one on the left.. despite a ton of tape and indicators, if I do not put my mind on it, I always hit the other one (usually tap tempo).

 

[p.j.]

Do you left-handed guitarists arrange your pedalboards from left to right?

I don't know how you would do this unless you put the pedals facing backwards since the input on most pedals is on the right and output is left?

 

[Gila_Crisis]

Nope, "normal" input on the right out on the left.

 

[Slevin]

Yup, I’m ambidextrous, but wire for left foot...
Lots of cable but I’ve done it the same way since 05’. I play righty, and actually I’ve thought as an educator for the past 15 years where we have guitar as a course in the district... we all agreed to not allow left handed players. In the long run we as educators decided it was best for them long term to go right. It’s also much easier in classroom setting.


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It adds a looooooot of extra unnecessary length to your signal chain that way. But I’m sure you know that. If it works for you thoug that’s great

as a lefty, I’ve always wondered if I’d be faster and more flexible, more coordinated if I played lefty, but I’ve always figured for the minor parts I’d be lacking, not having to buy lefty guitars is a fair trade off lol

 

[dirtytony]

Yup, I’m ambidextrous, but wire for left foot...
Lots of cable but I’ve done it the same way since 05’. I play righty, and actually I’ve thought as an educator for the past 15 years where we have guitar as a course in the district... we all agreed to not allow left handed players. In the long run we as educators decided it was best for them long term to go right. It’s also much easier in classroom setting.


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your decision of course, but that is the reason for a lot of disgrace and failed attempts by left handed on guitar, I hope you will change your mind. Thanks anyway for being honest

 

['90s Pacifica]

Ha! I love it when a stupid question is proved...well, let's not say smart, but not-so-stupid? Thanks @Reyybarra Of course, the pedal design of input on right to output on left is pretty determinative. @p.j. I reckon it's be fun to have a novelty upside down pedalboard.

FWIW, I'm right-handed and footed, but I use my left foot for my wah pedal. Feels weird on under my right. Maybe because my left was always my clutch foot. I was also thinking of how annoying it would be to have the lead come out at your left left hip then cross over to the right-hand side of your pedalboard.

Anyway, just some light-hearted iso-fun

 

[CEFlint]

My brother is a bassist for over 40 years who is left handed, has left-handed basses, but strings them right-handed and plays the fret board upside down. His pedals have never been an issue.

Now folks' have confused him and he doesn't know what to do ....

 

[Reyybarra]

A few thoughts for everyone...

you can’t reorient a trumpet, or a French horn, or a trombone or even a piano, it is what it is, if a student wants to learn, they have to play the the rules. Wanna sing in a choir? You’re holding your music with your left hand. String player? You’re playing righty, end of story.

to say we (as a district, where all directors have (at least one) degree in guitar) discourage kids and ruin them by forcing them to play righty is a bit ridiculous. If that’s all it took to discourage someone, well, maybe guitar wasn’t for them. My teacher did the same thing to me and l never even knew it until I was much older. Today I thank him because screw trying to find a left handed instrument.

think of all the helix, headrush, delays with tap tempo’s, whammy’s and pedals with expression, the tap, or included rocker pedal is on the right. So pedals do come oriented towards a right foot dominant musician.

I know it’s a bit more cable, but I also play lap steel. Think of the movement of the guitar while sitting down and resting it on your right leg while trying to use your volume pedal. Up and down and up and down. Same reason we teach guitarist to rest their instrument on their left leg, most are righty and want to keep tempo with their right footy, if you are lefty, suck it up because you are going to have tons of issues keeping tempo and adjusting to the movement of your guitar.

all this to say, as an educator, we see things long term, as a kid, you don’t. So making adjustments when they start is just like fixing a golf players swing, it’s awkward, and hard but for the best. Not to mention my classes are anywhere from 10-20 players, one lefty really causes an issue when explaining, a single concept. We just force them into righty at the get go.

I’ve made the necessary adjustments for pedals to work for me, and a few extra feet of cable is compensated by multiple buffers so I’m personally ok with it.

hope this gives some insight

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

No. Pedals are not 'handed' - the signal flow is right to left for them all (mostly...some vintage Tonebenders being an exception!) so it'd make no sense having big loops of wire crossing over each other everywhere on the board.

The signal flow from right to left is so the cable stays out of the way of a right handed player. It's a conspiracy.