Left guitar player needs advice

Hi there. I have been looking for a new acoustic guitar and have fallen in love with the Larrive L-09. Now the story gets a little more complicated. This guitar is out of my price range new and it is hard to find used left handed. They go for about $X,XXX new. 

Recently I found a store selling a right handed L-09 used for $1,565. I talked to their technicians about the possibility of flipping the strings and doing the required work on the saddle, etc to accomadate string size. They say that the bracing is basically symmetrical and that there should not be a problem. However they also said that I should never use more than light strings otherwise the strings will stress the guitar because it was built to have the strings one way and not the other. This is not a problem because I play light strings anyway. However the fact that they mentioned it created some doubt in my mind.

I also discovered a two cracks on the body. One on the top and one on the bottom. Both have been fixed with cleats. I told the store that I was not going to buy a guitar with cracks for $1,565 and that I wanted a discount. They have lowered the price to $1,200. Now the whole thing gets really tempting but I have doubts so I need some answers:

- is there any risk from flipping the strings? Will it affect the guitar over time due to stresses that were not foreseen during design?
- the store told me that with cleats the guitar is stronger than it was without cleats. However I am worried. Why did it crack in the first place? Was it not looked after? Is there a dryness issue with the wood? Will flipping the strings stress it more?

Bottom line- would you buy it?

It sounds like your gut is telling you to not buy it.

So is mine.

i would not buy a guitar that had cracks in it.....

 
at the age of the guitar the OP is looking at, I agree. If it was anything vintage (old Martin, Gibson, etc...) ... that's a different story

Walk away, the right guitar will present itself to you sooner or later

As a lefty myself, I understand your struggle to find a quality acoustic. I'd walk from that guitar immediately. For that kind of money, you can find a nice Taylor, Laravee, Martin etc. that's a true lefty. It may not still be there, but there used to be a guitar shop in Toronto off of Yonge St. called the Millwheel that specialized in lefty guitars. If not, you can find out through the manufacturer how to find what you are looking for. Do a little more work and you'll find the guitar for you.

Randy

Monkey23


In my experience, Larrivee guitars crack more often than they should. Too bad really because they sound and look great. Not worth the risk if you ask me. Buy a Taylor GA3 or DN3. You'll get a similar guitar, but better quality at a similar price. And you can get it lefty at no extra charge!

They must not be properly aging their wood or they are cutting the tops too thin. I hear this happens a bit with 'quickened' aging.

I agree on the Taylor. I haven't picked up a bad one.