Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/doco8/public_html/europetition.com/index.php:12) in /home/doco8/public_html/europetition.com/wp-includes/feed-rss2.php on line 8
Why I Love Guitars? » Handed http://www.europetition.com Online Guitar Lessons - Learn To Play Guitar The Right Way Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:38:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 en hourly 1 Left Hand Guitarists and Left Handed Guitars http://www.europetition.com/left-hand-guitarists-and-left-handed-guitars/ http://www.europetition.com/left-hand-guitarists-and-left-handed-guitars/#comments Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:34:35 +0000 admin http://www.europetition.com/left-hand-guitarists-and-left-handed-guitars/ Left Hand guitar players the world over have always had a problem with availability of left handed guitars. 

Many left handed people newly learning to play guitar end up learning to play right handed out of frustration. Many experienced left handed guitarists have simply become apathetic and given up looking for that which is abundant for right handed players. Not only is there a limited range of guitars, but the resources for learning are also pretty limited. This situation is the same in every country in the world. 

It is not hard to understand. Of the world's population, left handed people are a minority compared to right handed people. Within this minority there is a further minority of left handed people who play guitar left handed. Despite the small percentage of left handed guitarists, there have been a number of iconic left handed players who have made a huge impact on the music scene. These include Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Tony Iommi, and Kurt Cobain. 

Many of the big guitar manufacturers do not offer left hand versions of some of their popular guitars. to be fair, US guitar manufacturers, have been facing harder and harder times, year after year. We all know that ALL industry (that is trying to do the right thing and being honest) is suffering and this is proportional to the decline of education (kids can't learn, can't hold jobs), the rise of drugs (thank you psychiatrists for getting rich by doping a whole generation into a state of useless-ness while brainwashing parents into believing frying kids brains with drugs is good) and increase of social hardship due to the world economic crash that's going on (thanks Oil companies, banks, and government suppression) So it is tough for all.

Some guitar manufacturers offer left handed versions of their guitars through their Custom Shop. And although this is an attempt at service, the costs and waiting times can be quite painful. 

Well, not any more! GASKELL GUITARS is a small Australian guitar manufacturer that makes only left hand guitars. Gaskell guitars are high quality, yet affordable instruments, that can be gigged with as they are or further upgraded or modified and still come in well under the cost of a custom shop order for the same kind of instrument! 

Being situated at the “bottom of the world” and to some degree away from the noise of the collapse happening in other continents, we are able to operate intelligently and with focus on producing well-made, high quality left handed guitars that are not available as left hand models by original manufacturers. 

Go to : http://www.gaskellguitars.com 

You will find left handed guitars that you have not seen before in left hand and probably never thought you would! Some dreams do become reality.==========Gaskell Guitars (Australia) 

]]> http://www.europetition.com/left-hand-guitarists-and-left-handed-guitars/feed/ 0 January 2008 Interview With Kevin Gaskell of Gaskell Guitars http://www.europetition.com/january-2008-interview-with-kevin-gaskell-of-gaskell-guitars/ http://www.europetition.com/january-2008-interview-with-kevin-gaskell-of-gaskell-guitars/#comments Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:32:47 +0000 admin http://www.europetition.com/january-2008-interview-with-kevin-gaskell-of-gaskell-guitars/

This is an interview with Kevin Gaskell, designer and founder of GASKELL GUITARS from Australia. This is from January 2008.
Name of your company?
Gaskell Guitars
Your name?
Kevin Gaskell (I am the designer)
Your Location (city, etc)
Alexandria, Sydney. Australia
Please give us a short summary of your company?
Gaskell Guitars is the only guitar manufacturer in the world that makes ONLY left handed guitars. Based in Australia, Gaskell Guitars is attempting to provide popular guitars not otherwise available as left handed models to the LEFT HANDED GUITAR PLAYERS of this world. I started this 10 years ago. I got it fully together at the end of 2006. 
What inspired you to launch your own website?
To get the message out: Left hand guitarists need not feel left out in the dark, or penalized, or ignored for simply being a left handed guitar player. 
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
We have been in business since the beginning of 2007 but did not launch our website until mid 2007. There is still some work to be done but the most important thing is getting high quality guitars into the hands of left hand guitar players who have often given up ever finding the guitars we make!
How did you decide on a name for your website?
Brand name
What makes it different from other, similar offerings?
We are the only company in the world that provides left handed guitars exclusively despite it apparently being a small market. No one else is doing this because no one else really cares about left handed guitar players unless they have a lot of CASH to flash around and have something made in a Custom Shop.
What is your eventual goal? 
Corner the market. Internationally. Our brand name recognition is growing. People like our products and they ARE good. I am a left handed guitar player myself so I talk the talk and walk the walk.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
Still to make a profit! Heavily driven by passion, as any purpose that someone is dedicated to. 
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would things change?
We'd be able to make more guitars faster and satisfy even more left handed guitarists - e.g bass players. Demand is greater than supply at the moment. It costs money to take another step and then another step. 
If your business site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Already struggling with keeping up with product demand! Left Handed guitarists are a passionate lot. And they should be! They've been kicked in the teeth for many years. All lefty players know this. 
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
The first model is always the most expensive. All our guitars had to be redesigned from scratch and are largely hand made. Tooling (CNC Machines) in factories is designed for making right handed guitars. It's been "interesting" to set this up shall we say. It would never have been this tough to make right handed guitars and try and break into a saturated market there. It is much much cheaper to make right handed guitars.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Making the guitars affordable while still making a profit. We don't make a lot on our guitars. We could've charged ridiculous prices since no one else makes our models but then that's called "greed" and that's not where we are at. Left Handed guitarists have been betrayed bad enough as it is. The other thing we struggle with is shipping costs. This is beyond our control. Costs to USA and Europe from Australia are pretty ridiculous in the post-9/11 world. 
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Classified Ads
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
I'm not a website builder or hoster. Every little change or improvement costs money! Good news comes at a price!
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
Since about mid 2007. We intend to keep it going for as long as left hand guitarists want our guitars - hopefully forever!
Why are you doing this?
I was born in New Zealand. I have been playing guitar for 25 years. I always wanted to own a Gibson Explorer. In 25 years I never saw one and Gibson only ever made them at one time, in the 1980s when I didn't have the money to buy one. Many other guitars didn't come in left hand at that time. 25 years later NOT MUCH HAD CHANGED. I decided that if we are going to be essentially "overlooked" by the big guitar manufacturers then I will fill this void. I made my first guitar in 1992 and it's developed from there. Customers who have bought Gaskell guitars are routinely delighted and grateful for these instruments, not just because the price is good, but because they are EXCELLENT, high quality guitars which has always been and always will be our intention. We don't do "cheap" except in price. 
What is your website address?
Gaskell Guitars 

 

Gaskell Guitars is a guitar manufacturer in Sydney, Australia that makes only left handed guitars 

]]> http://www.europetition.com/january-2008-interview-with-kevin-gaskell-of-gaskell-guitars/feed/ 0