Here's the problem -- I'm one of the minority: the left-handed guitarist. I'm also not rich, not famous and not the best guitarist out there. However, I do have money occasionally, and I sometimes get to feed the beast that is G.A.S. (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome). My biggest problem is the in-store selection.
When I go in, I have pretty good ideas about what I want. My choices, at least in my area (Dayton/Cinci Ohio), are exceedingly limited -- an Ibanez Gi0 and Fender Tele. I will say that for my last birthday, I hit all the local shops and threw down less my wife thought I would to get a Schecter Omen-6 Extreme Diamond Series rather than some of the lefties we had found at other stores. The point being, I did NOT spend the money at Guitar Center, even though that was the second stop on the trip. I've bought there before, but not this time. Part of that was I already HAVE one of the two models available in-store and wouldn't buy it again without serious persuasion – like someone would have to pay ME.
I guess that comes to my next point -- the in-store selection being dreadful is kind of be expected: we lefties are quite the minority. That said, would it kill you to have more than 2 models in store?! Even back in 1992 when I was looking for (and ultimately purchased) a new guitar at a LOCAL (to Norfolk, VA) shop, I had a choice from, basically, one lefty model per manufacturer, meaning I tested a lefty Fender Strat, Les Paul Custom, BC Rich Warlock, Jackson Stealth and PRS of some expensive persuasion, among probably 5 others. I walked out of there with the Stealth EX, but the point is that I had a choice. I, and other lefties out there, don't get that opportunity, in-store. Even *one* other model would be nice, but since you don't know which type of player you're going to get in there, predicting that a Schecter model or Jackson or Gretsch will the one someone's looking for, I know that makes it hard.
Just for the record, the quality on the Ibanez Gi0 is dreadfully cheap. The bridge is the stuff of nightmares and the hardware is...suspect and cheap. Just so you know. I bought one when I had my other guitar torn apart replacing pickups but still needed to record. Not a mistake I would make again. If you're really looking at a cheap (in price and not necessarily quality) guitar to feature, ESP has a number of inexpensive choices, as does Dean, Schecter and Epiphone. This is something you already know, since they're available online. I know there's the notion of inventory and keeping them on hand, taking up the space that one of the other righty guitars could use. But here's the thing -- when I walked in and saw my choices, I turned around, left and took my money elsewhere. I'm not buying a guitar unplayed and if there's no selection in-store, then I'm going somewhere that will have one.
At any rate, this was brought on by the email sent out highlighting lefty models and got me thinking about how it's well fine and good to have them online, but, again, I'm not buying without playing an instrument (buying a second instrument of the same make and model notwithstanding) and when I walk into a store and get the "poor guy" sympathetic apologies from the sales staff because there are only two guitars of limited appeal available in store, it just feels a little disingenuous. If I, in the future, should find myself able to walk in with two grand to spend on a lefty and my choices are a $229 Ibanez drekster and a $400 Fender/Squire Tele, I'm taking my $2K elsewhere, just like I did with my $500.
Thank you for your time.
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