The Short Answer:
Due to economies of scale left-handed guitars are more expensive to manufacture than right-handed guitars. As only 10% of the population is left-handed, and a number of left-handers play guitar right-handed there are far fewer left-handed guitars being produced. Manufacturers can produce guitars at a lower cost per unit when manufacturing in greater volume as costs are distributed across a larger number of products, not to mention the cost savings involved in buying bulk right-handed components such as nuts, and bridges compared to left-handed components.
For a more detailed explanation continue reading.
Should Manufacturers Charge More For Left-Handed Guitars?
Unless this is your first guitar, you probably already know the feeling. You’re interested in buying a new guitar, but, your local music store (despite having hundreds of guitars on display) stocks just 1-2 left-handed guitars at any one time.
Adding to this they’re often not available in the color or finish you want (frustrating) and are also more expensive, in some cases by 10% or more! So what gives? why should we lefties have to pay more?
As a left-handed guitarist, I sympathize, but having seen the other side of the equation, it’s purely a business decision. The reason left-handed guitars cost more isn’t simply a case of guitar manufacturers discriminating against us left-handers. No, the simple fact is the production of left-handed guitars more or less mirrors that of the percentage of left-handed people currently in the world (approx. 10%).
As a result, due to lower demand, the production costs are much harder to recoup, especially for smaller companies that can simply continue to produce right-handed instruments in greater volume without the inconvenience of adjusting their processes to include left-handed production. As explained in the introduction greater volume means lower production costs, for the following reasons.
CNC Manufacturing
If you are just getting into guitars, you may not be aware that the majority of the work (cutting out the shape of the body and neck at the least) involved in producing electric guitars is for the most part now carried out by CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines.
This has ushered in a lot of advantages in terms of efficiency, consistency, accuracy, and even safety along with the fact that a machine doesn’t suffer fatigue or require breaks. This is one of the reasons entry-level guitars nowadays are so much better.
However, CNC machines can be expensive and it takes time to learn the ropes. It also takes time if you need to retool (to replace or rearrange the tools and machinery used) the machine e.g. set it up for left-handed production and also reprogram the machine to produce a left-handed instrument.
This process carries a cost that companies have more difficulty absorbing, resulting in fewer left-handed guitars being produced, or the guitars being produced at a higher price-point, to recoup the additional costs involved.
In my previous role managing an electric guitar manufacturing business, we sold left and right-handed guitars for the same price, meaning we made less on left-handed guitars and the workers in the factory who made our guitars actively disliked setting up for left-handed production due mostly to the inconvenience of retooling.
Components
As already touched on, making products in greater volume is more cost-effective for companies and these savings are then passed onto the consumer, allowing the company to offer competitive pricing.
This also has an impact on the pricing of left-handed components e.g. the bridge, nut, and saddle. Usually, these components are outsourced and when purchased in bulk, as you might expect for right-handed components, there are cost benefits when compared to ordering smaller runs of left-handed components.
For example, a left-handed Wilkinson telecaster bridge might usually cost $30 – $40 per unit when paying retail. You can usually source the same component in a right-handed configuration for approx. $20 – $25.
Labor Costs
While CNC machines are used extensively today for manufacturing guitars, there’s still a lot of work completed by hand. This means there’s still a large amount of labour going into the production of every guitar being built and this introduces the potential for problems as there’s an element of unfamiliarity about producing left-handed guitars if the majority of work being done is for right-handed guitarists.
This also introduces an increased risk for mistakes being made, which also carry costs, in some cases considerable costs. I can’t tell you the number of times we had quality control issues with our left-handed models or one of the workers would make a mistake and fit a right-handed nut on a left-handed guitar.
There’s also the additional cost of storing left-handed guitars, which due to lower demand takes longer to sell and takes up room in the factory.
Final Thoughts – Getting It Right For Lefty’s
As you can see, left-handed guitars cost more to produce and as a result are more expensive to buy, either new or second-hand. There are also opportunity costs to consider e.g. time spent making left-handed guitars, due to the reasons listed above, would be far better spent making right-handed guitars if the bottom line was the only consideration.
Keep in mind though, that while you may still pay approx. 10% more, things are much better than they were. Most manufacturers nowadays produce their most popular right-handed models also in left-handed orientation, although options will usually be limited. And, thanks to the wonders of online shopping, and the ability to see reviews and hear how the guitar sounds courtesy of YouTube you are not simply limited to the 3 or left-handed guitars your local music store has in stock.
