Guitar Hero controller modded for correct-handers (lefties)
by John Bardinelli 
{ May 1st 2007 at 1:21PM }
For centuries right-handed society has attempted to suppress genetically superior left-handers by creating a backwards world. Kevin McArdle is fighting back. Angry with sacrificing his beautiful left-handedness to play Guitar Hero the wrong way, Kevin sat down with a few stabby-type tools and some glue to flip the controller the way it was meant to be. His photo gallery shows you the steps but leaves out the pesky detailed instructions that only a right-hander would need.[Via Engadget]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Joshua @ May 1st 2007 1:29PM
ok as a lefthander my self i never have had any problems with the guitar and always have thought it was stupid to even flip it.
Quakeulf @ May 1st 2007 1:45PM
Imma rytehand it anyways! >:3
Charron @ May 1st 2007 1:47PM
It's what Hendrix would have wanted.
...Because he was a lefty and all.
csc @ May 1st 2007 2:11PM
Meh, they may be better at games, but we live on averge an extra 9 years........
Wanna trade? :D
Tyler @ May 1st 2007 2:15PM
And here i thought that the guitars were for both left and right.. I'm left handed and I do damn well with the current guitar I dont wanna have to relearn a new way
Patrick @ May 1st 2007 2:16PM
genetically superior?, do i detect a hint of racism there, you know the nazis were defeated back in WWII, know why they were left handed. makes ya think...
Arno @ May 1st 2007 2:29PM
No, left handers are wrong handed. :p
TravistyOJ @ May 1st 2007 2:30PM
While left handed people are often more artistic, they are also more apt to go insane.
karmaghost @ May 1st 2007 2:38PM
Wow! This thread hit Godwin's Law a lot faster than I thought it would.
Garble @ May 1st 2007 2:36PM
Considering Hendrix played a right handed guitar flipped, I'd say that the Guitar Hero fellas were going for authenticity...
Jack @ May 1st 2007 2:45PM
@ CSC...
NOPE.
@Garble
They were going to authenticity for the Hendrix peoples. BUT what about Kurt Cobain or Paul McCartney? They both played left handed guitars not right handed guitars flipped. Not that either of them were guitar badasses or anything. Dick Dale too I think...
Booxatron @ May 1st 2007 3:09PM
@1 and 5
Are you guys truly left-handed or are you ambidextrous? I'm completely lefty and I suck at trying to play GH holding it right-handed and always wished they'd just make a freakin' left-handed model. I play drums and I actually reverse the position of all my drums because I can't even play those righty.
On the other hand, it's certainly possible to adapt, especially when you're young. I use right-handed scissors because I never had lefty ones when I was little, and I use them just fine. Same with using a mouse; it seems akward to me now to use one in my left hand because I just started using it right-handed when I was young.
Eh...I wouldn't give up my left-handedness for anything. Not even nine more years of life or a decreased risk of insanity :D
Konchu @ May 1st 2007 3:24PM
I know that the 360 version has a left hand flip option I would imagine the PS2 version also has this. I tried this out even though Im right handed and I will say it works but could see where the wammy bar would get in the way it looks like that and the strap was the only reason they did this mod as they didnt change the button layout on the pictures so I assume they will set the lefty switch option.
andrew @ May 1st 2007 3:26PM
he really didn't wanna just use the left hand flip option in the settings? i did it just for fun.
Jack of No Trades @ May 1st 2007 3:44PM
Left Handed Greats:
Jimi Hendrix
Right Handed Greats:
E. Clapton
BB. King
Jimmy Page
David Gilmore
Slash
Brian May
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Randy Rhoads
Yngwie J. Malmsteen
The Edge
(Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge)-greatness
(Tom Morello of Rage and AudioS)-greatness
(Nuno Bettencourt of old school "Extreme")- my fav of all.
Jimi's out numbered. Righties Rule!
Aex @ May 1st 2007 4:13PM
@Jack
You forgot Paul Gilbert
bill pullman @ May 1st 2007 4:53PM
your usual "handedness" has nothing to do with how you are comfortable holding a guitar. there are many right-handed folks who play guitar "left-handed" and vice versa. it's silly to assume all people who are left-handed want the fretboard in their right hand.
Smashpro1 @ May 1st 2007 6:09PM
As a lefty, i have found that playing Guitar Hero the rightie way was easier, since my left arm moves a lot faster, due to certain activies, making it easier for me to hit those hard to reach frets
Booxatron @ May 1st 2007 6:21PM
@17
I think you're right, but there are a lot of people (obviously not the majority, but still a lot of people), both right- and left-handed, who do hold a guitar "lefty". And I think that most lefties do prefer to hold a guitar this way. Of course it's silly to assume that all the people belonging to a particular group want things the same way.
The point is, it'd be a nice to use an instrument/controller/whatever without having to flip it and hold it all retarded.
Quakeulf @ May 1st 2007 6:25PM
Smashpro1:
"... since my left arm moves a lot faster, due to certain activies, ..."
Are you implying masturbation here?
Dan K. @ May 1st 2007 7:20PM
That sounds like something a dirty rotten no-good left-hander would say!......
Dan K. @ May 1st 2007 7:26PM
Wasn't Dick Dale a lefty? He's the only lefty I respect next to the creator of FLCL
Grant @ May 1st 2007 7:43PM
I'm surprised no one did this earlier.
but on the other hand, i did play GH2 on 360 flipped to get the achievement and kept going beccause it was an interesting challenge. 10 songs later, i could do easy songs just as well as i could rightie.
i can't imagine it's that hard for lefties to acclimate.
Grant @ May 1st 2007 7:43PM
I'm surprised no one did this earlier.
but on the other hand, i did play GH2 on 360 flipped to get the achievement and kept going beccause it was an interesting challenge. 10 songs later, i could do easy songs just as well as i could rightie.
i can't imagine it's that hard for lefties to acclimate.
Thundernad @ May 2nd 2007 3:45AM
But what hand will you wipe your ass with now??! =P
Kevin Derby @ May 12th 2007 1:32PM
The left hand on the guitar hero controller does the most work anyway. The right hand just strumms. I think Lefties have an advantage with the normal controller.
As for real guitars. If you are left handed don't get a left handed guitar. Both hands do a lot of work on a real guitar. I would even argue that the left hand needs to have the most control on a right handed guitar. There are fewer options for buying a left handed guitar and they are more expensive. And most important, if you are at your friends house you can't just grab his guitar and play if you learned on a left handed guitar.