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nickfox

Active member
Joined
Apr 17, 2017
Messages
28
Location
St Julien, France
Hey Guys

I'm a left handed guitar playing living in southern France. I might as well be living on the dark side of the moon. Things are not easy to get here...

And I think I have FALLEN IN LOVE.

With a blue super sport! I am almost an intermediate player and I really love playing in the "thumb over" jimi hendrix style. Right now I'm working on learning how to play single notes while strumming all six strings. It's been quite a struggle to get to this point and by doing so I have discovered a new problem.

The wide neck on my les paul copy is just not helping me move forward.

So does anyone here in Europe have a left handed blue super sport they want to sell me?

thanks
Nick
 

xjbebop

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Jan 8, 2013
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2,792
Location
AZ High Country
Can't help with the gittar, but it sounds like you've been studying some of Paul Gilbert's techniques... talk about jedi training!!
 

nickfox

Active member
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Apr 17, 2017
Messages
28
Location
St Julien, France
Can't help with the gittar, but it sounds like you've been studying some of Paul Gilbert's techniques... talk about jedi training!!

How did you know I watched a 2 hour interview with Paul Gilbert yesterday??? He's got the best guitar face in ALL of rock and roll history. :)

I actually found a video on youtube that is the BEST I have ever seen to explain what I want to do. No other teacher on youtube has made a video like this. Check it out.


I will NEVER be satisfied with my guitar playing until I learn this. I don't want to be too dramatic, but this is the most important thing in my life right now...

n
 
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agt

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The grand Ball room (CA)
If I understand you correctly, an EBMM with a narrower neck in a left handed configuration is what you seek ... in blue.

All EBMMs have necks that are legendary for their comfort and playability. If you can find one, the EVH models from the early 90s had the narrowest necks. Of the current production models, the Axis/Axis Super Sport and Luke models have the narrowest (side-to-side) necks IMHO with the Luke being the most petite with less overall mass due to the V-shape. The Silhouette/Silhouette Special/Reflex/25th models are almost as narrow. Same with the Albert Lee, at least mine, which dates from the 90s. I do not know how many of these are/were offered in left handed versions.

The necks on the Petrucci models are wider, but they are also thinner front-to-back. So the overall mass is roughly comparable. It is a tradeoff, but, again IMHO, equally comfortable.

I do not have large hands, and I own all the models I mentioned and I find them all to be sublime.

The only EBMM I would steer clear of is the Armada. I own one as well. I love it for many reasons, but wrapping my thumb over the neck is not the easiest on that model.

Ideally, you should play any guitar you are considering, but perhaps these recommendations will help you identify some candidates.
 
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nickfox

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Apr 17, 2017
Messages
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Location
St Julien, France
Hey agt, thanks for your response. I have found that 50mm side to side at the 12th fret is about perfect for me and I spoke to someone who owns a super sport and his was that measurement. My current les paul copy is 53.0mm, and that is a slim profile 60s style les paul neck. I think that's probably about as small as they get, afaik, and when I try to do thumb over stuff at the 12th fret, it's just uncomfortable. The guitar I play most now is a Fernandez zo-3 travel guitar. It's my little baby and it's 50.4mm at the 12th fret. It's amazing how much 2 and 1/2 mm (~1/8") makes a difference in comfort and playability...

Out of curiosity, is the Luke a hard V or a soft V neck? And the super sport, are they all asymmetrical C?


DrKev, thanks, it's good to be here. I just posted what I'm looking for on that thread.
 

nickfox

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Apr 17, 2017
Messages
28
Location
St Julien, France
Guys, I might have a chance to buy a natural colored (no paint) left handed super sport for 1200 euros. I really would prefer to have a painted one but I don't know how hard these left handed ones are to get in Europe. What do you guys think? Should I try to get it or be patient and wait for one with color?

n
 
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Dead-Eye

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Jan 8, 2007
Messages
485
Location
Cologne, Germany
I'd suggest buying it if it's the model you want. You might be waiting quite a while to find the right color in a lefty - and you could always sell the other one if you do.
 

jones4tone

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Jun 24, 2016
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Texas

agt

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 1, 2007
Messages
1,544
Location
The grand Ball room (CA)
Hey agt, thanks for your response. I have found that 50mm side to side at the 12th fret is about perfect for me and I spoke to someone who owns a super sport and his was that measurement. My current les paul copy is 53.0mm, and that is a slim profile 60s style les paul neck. I think that's probably about as small as they get, afaik, and when I try to do thumb over stuff at the 12th fret, it's just uncomfortable. The guitar I play most now is a Fernandez zo-3 travel guitar. It's my little baby and it's 50.4mm at the 12th fret. It's amazing how much 2 and 1/2 mm (~1/8") makes a difference in comfort and playability...

Out of curiosity, is the Luke a hard V or a soft V neck? And the super sport, are they all asymmetrical C?


DrKev, thanks, it's good to be here. I just posted what I'm looking for on that thread.


Nick, I went to the EBMM website to check specifications and realized that currently the Luke models are not available left handed, so unless they were in the past, it is just the Axis or Super Sport. Sorry for bringing up the Luke. I measured my super sport BFR and one of my Luke IIs and across the fretboard at the 12th fret, they are the same and both approximately 50 mm, give or take a millimeter but this could be due to variations in how the necks were sanded by hand.

Good luck in your quest.
 

nickfox

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Joined
Apr 17, 2017
Messages
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Location
St Julien, France
Thanks agt. I am waiting to hear back from the person up north who has the super sport. He said there is one person ahead of me so...

n
 

Spudmurphy

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Aug 23, 2005
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12,034
Location
Cardiff, United Kingdom
Try phoning strings n things in the UK - they may be able to track a new one down for ya - get one before brexit makes it difficult - or maybe your French distributor can help track one down - loved that video clip too!
 

spychocyco

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Joined
Feb 16, 2008
Messages
800
Can't go wrong with an Axis or SS, as far as I'm concerned. I've got fairly small hands, and I've never found a more comfortable neck. I don't do a lot of thumb-over playing, but I would imagine with the width, it would be very easy. Sweetest neck ever.
 
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