Looking for a left handed Gibson guitar but unsure which models are currently available as lefties? Take a quick read through this article and all shall be revealed!
It has always been quite a chore finding out which Gibson left handed guitars are available as the brand website contains absolutely no search function or filters for finding them. Good thing I made this guide for you then, right?
Gibson seems to have been thinning their southpaw stable recently in order to concentrate on the more popular models. However, if I was able to find now discontinued models still available for sale I have included them in the list.
For a list of in-stock lefty Gibson guitars that you can pick up right away, check out the links below to browse the full range.
- Sweetwater (USA)
- Thomann (Europe)
Disclosure: If you decide to purchase one of these left handed Gibson guitars using the links in this article I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
This is a fairly lengthy guide, so feel free to use the links below to jump to the sections that are relevant to you.
- How Many Left Handed Guitars Does Gibson Offer?
- Original Collection Lefties
- Modern Collection Lefties
- Artist Collection Lefties
- Custom Shop Collection Lefties
- Acoustic Guitars
Does Gibson Make Left Handed Guitars?
Yes! At the time of writing Gibson currently offers 31 left handed electric guitars as standard. A huge portion of Gibson’s acoustic range is also available to order left handed. In addition, many Custom Shop models are also offered as lefties. Unfortunately, there are currently no left handed Gibson basses.
Read on to learn more about them! This is a hefty list, so to keep the length down I have provided some images and basic specs for every model rather than diving into detailed info for each. Please head to the Gibson website for full specifications.
The information contained within this guide is correct at the time of writing according to the Gibson website.
For a list of in-stock lefty Gibson guitars that you can pick up right away, check out the links below to browse the full range.
- Sweetwater (USA)
- Thomann (Europe)
Make sure to also check out the left handed Epiphone guitars currently available for some more affordable versions of these legendary instruments!
Gibson Original Collection Left Handed Guitars
There are currently 9 different left-handed Gibson Original series models available in a total of 14 different finishes.
For a list of in-stock lefty Gibson guitars that you can pick up right away, check out the links below to browse the full range.
- Sweetwater (USA)
- Thomann (Europe)
The Original Collection pays tribute to the iconic guitars from Gibson’s rich history. This series aims to faithfully bring back the legendary guitars that helped to define decades of music. You’ll find no modern weight-relief, robot tuners, or push/pull PCB pots here!
Definitely the range of choice for the guitar purists out there. Let’s take a look!
Gibson Les Paul Special
The left-handed Gibson Les Paul Special is based on the Les Paul Junior model above but adds a second P-90 in the neck position, neck binding, and additional controls for the extra pickup. A great option for players who love the simplicity of the Les Paul Junior but would prefer just a little more tonal variety.
Standout features include the solid mahogany body and neck, 22 fret rosewood fretboard, dual hand-wired P-90 pickups, and Kluson vintage deluxe tuners.
- Body : Mahogany
- Neck : Mahogany Vintage 50s Profile
- Fretboard : Rosewood
- Bridge : Wraparound
- Pickups : P-90
Check out the video below where Gibson’s Mark Agnesi gives a run-through of this gorgeous axe. Related Post – Why Is A Guitar Called An Axe?
Available left handed in a TV Yellow finish.
Gibson Left Handed Les Paul Standard 50s
The newly redesigned left-handed Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s aims to bring this iconic guitar back to its glory days when it was first introduced in the 1950s.
The guitar features a solid mahogany body paired with a maple top, a mahogany neck, and 22 fret rosewood fingerboard, plus 2 AlNiCo 2 Burstbucker humbuckers for that legendary tone only a Les Paul can throw out.
- Body : Mahogany w/ Maple Top
- Neck : Mahogany Vintage 50s Profile
- Fretboard : Rosewood
- Bridge : ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic
- Pickups : Burstbucker 1 & 2
Check it out in the video below!
Available left handed in Gold Top and Heritage Cherry Sunburst finishes.
Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s
Some of the main differences between this 60s model and the 50s Les Paul above include the slimmer neck profile, reflective top knobs, higher output AlNiCo 5 humbuckers, plus Grover tuners.
Aside from these few key differences, the two guitars are very similar in terms of their makeup. Main features include a solid mahogany body and neck, maple cap, 22 fret rosewood fingerboard, and Burstbucker 61R and T pickups.
- Body : Mahogany w/ AA Figured Maple Top
- Neck : Mahogany Slim Taper
- Fretboard : Rosewood
- Bridge : ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic
- Pickups : Burstbucker 61R & 61T
You can hear the Les Paul Standard 50s model in the video below.
Available left handed in Bourbon Burst and Iced Tea finishes.
Gibson Left Handed SG Standard ’61
The sound of the 1960s! After sales of the Les Paul started to falter, 1961 was the year that Gibson introduced their new Les Paul – the Les Paul SG. For reasons that we won’t delve into here, this guitar was later re-branded simply as the SG, or Solid Guitar. It is that guitar that this newly redesigned model is based on.
As with all new Gibson Original Collection guitars, the new SG Standard 61 features a solid mahogany body without any of that modern weight-relief malarkey. It also wields a mahogany neck with 22 fret rosewood fingerboard, dual high-output AlNiCo 5 humbuckers, and Kluson Deluxe tuners.
- Body : Mahogany
- Neck : Mahogany Slim Taper
- Fretboard : Rosewood
- Bridge : ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic
- Pickups : Burstbucker 61R & 61T
If you’d like to hear the new SG Standard 61 in action, why not check out Gibson’s video below!
Available left handed in a Vintage Cherry finish.
Gibson SG Special
This model is essentially the SG equivalent of the Les Paul Junior model above. It is based on the SG Junior but adds a neck pickup, body binding, and additional controls for the extra P-90.
The left handed Gibson SG Special sports a solid mahogany body, mahogany neck with a 22 fret bound rosewood fingerboard, and white button Kluson vintage deluxe tuners.
- Body : Mahogany
- Neck : Mahogany Slim Taper
- Fretboard : Rosewood
- Bridge : Compensated Wraparound
- Pickups : P-90
Hear how good the newly redesigned SG Special sounds in Gibson’s video below.
Available left handed in a Faded Pelham Blue finish.
Gibson Left Handed ES-335
The ES-335 was the very first thinline archtop of its kind, and is still considered as being the standard for semi-hollow guitars to this day. Some players would go as far as to say that this guitar is even better and more versatile than Gibson’s legendary Les Paul!
Offering up that sought-after, versatile ES tone in spades, the ES-335 features a maple/poplar/maple body, mahogany neck with 22 fret rosewood fingerboard, dual T-type humbuckers, and Kluson vintage deluxe tuners.
- Body : 3-Ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
- Neck : Mahogany Rounded C Profile
- Fretboard : Rosewood
- Bridge : ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic
- Pickups : Calibrated T-Type
Surprisingly, there isn’t an official Gibson video for this model, but here’s a great demonstration I found from the guys at PMT Music.
Available left handed in Sixties Cherry, Vintage Ebony and Vintage Burst finishes.
Gibson ES-335 Figured
Note that the Gibson website does still list this guitar as being available left handed. However, at the time of writing, I was only able to find the Sixties Cherry model in stock.
You probably won’t be surprised to hear that the left handed Gibson ES-335 Figured is pretty much the same guitar as the model above, albeit with the addition of a stunning AAA-grade figured maple top!
As well as the extra bling provided by the upgraded top, this model also features small block acrylic inlays, as opposed to the dots found on the standard 335. Aside from these two differences, the two models have the exact same features.
Check out the video for the ES-335 above if you’d like to have a listen to what these two beauties sound like.
- Body : 3-Ply AAA Figured Maple/Poplar/Maple
- Neck : Mahogany Rounded C Profile
- Fretboard : Rosewood
- Bridge : ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic
- Pickups : Calibrated T-Type
Available left handed in Sixties Cherry and Antique Natural finishes.
Gibson ES-345
The left handed Gibson ES-345 is essentially a slightly upgraded version of the ES-335 above. The changes are subtle, but add up to a more premium-looking instrument.
The two key differences between the ES-335 and ES-345 are that this model has fancier 3-ply cream binding, as well as split parallelogram inlays which are exclusive to this guitar. Other than this, both models are exactly the same.
- Body : 3-Ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
- Neck : Mahogany Rounded C Profile
- Fretboard : Rosewood
- Bridge : ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic
- Pickups : Calibrated T-Type
Here is an absolutely dreamy demonstration video of the 345 from Peach Guitars which will definitely persuade you that getting one is a good idea!
Available left handed in a Vintage Burst finish.
Gibson Left-Handed Explorer
The Explorer was first introduced in 1958 (at the same time as the Flying V!), and it is that very first design that this redesigned model hopes to emulate.
The main features on the left-handed Gibson explorer include a solid mahogany body, a slim profile mahogany neck with 33 fret rosewood fingerboard, two powerful BurstBucker humbuckers, and Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners.
- Body : Mahogany
- Neck : Mahogany Slim Taper
- Fretboard : Rosewood
- Bridge : Aluminum Nashville Tune-O-Matic
- Pickups : Burstbucker 2 & 3
Gibson’s own Mark Agnesi will give you a killer overview and demo of this new model in the video below.
Available left handed in an Antique Natural finish.
Modern Collection Gibson Left Handed Guitars
There are currently 6 different Modern Series Gibson left-handed guitars available in a total of 14 different finishes.
The Modern Collection supercharges the Gibson range by adding innovative, cutting-edge features. Many of these guitars feature Gibson’s Ultra-Modern Weight Relief.
Let’s take a look!
Gibson Les Paul Modern
Let’s kick off the Gibson Modern Collection with the model that the majority are probably going to be most interested in – the Les Paul!
This guitar features Gibson’s Ultra-Modern weight relief chambering which helps to produce a much lighter instrument without sacrificing that incredible Les Paul tone.
Other modern features include a new contoured heel design for improved upper fret access, locking Grover Rotomatic tuners, chrome hardware, Gibson Burstbucker Pro pickups, and a sleek ebony fingerboard.
- Body : Mahogany w/ Maple Top
- Neck : Mahogany Asymmetrical Slim Taper
- Fretboard : Ebony
- Bridge : Aluminum Nashville Tune-O-Matic
- Pickups : Burstbucker Pro and Pro+
The guitars have a huge tonal variety thanks to the plethora of push/pull options that allow for coil-tapping, phasing, and even a pure bypass which wires the bridge pickup straight to the volume control.
Check out the video below for a better explanation of how the innovative electronics on the Les Paul Modern function.
Available left handed in Faded Pelham Blue, Sparkling Burgundy, and Graphite finishes.
Gibson Les Paul Studio
The left handed Gibson Les Paul Studio is essentially a more affordable version of the Les Paul Modern above. Costs are kept low by eliminating fancier appointments such as the body and neck binding, as well as some switching options from the push/pull pots. As Gibson says in their video below, this guitar includes everything you need and nothing you don’t!
As with the Les Paul Modern, the Studio features Gibson’s ultra-modern weight relief to give a much lighter weight instrument than expected. It also features a solid mahogany body and neck, maple top, and 22 fret rosewood fingerboard.
- Body : Mahogany w/ Maple Top
- Neck : Mahogany Slim Taper
- Fretboard : Rosewood
- Bridge : Aluminum Nashville Tune-O-Matic
- Pickups : 490R & 498T
Check out the video below for an explanation of the full set of features you can expect to find with the Les Paul Studio.
Available left handed in Wine Red and Ebony finishes.
Gibson Les Paul Tribute
The left handed Gibson Les Paul Tribute aims to capture the look and feel of a vintage Les Paul whilst adding some subtle modern innovations under the hood.
These are also some of the most affordable Les Pauls that Gibson currently offers. Affordable, but not quite at starter left handed electric guitar money!
To look at it you might wonder what it’s doing in the Modern Collection at all! Well, the reason they’re here is that they feature a maple neck as opposed to the usual mahogany, which gives them a slightly brighter sound. They also have Gibson’s highest level of modern weight relief to make these guitars friendlier on your back without sacrificing tone.
- Body : Mahogany w/ Maple Top
- Neck : Mahogany Rounded Profile
- Fretboard : Rosewood
- Bridge : Aluminum Nashville Tune-O-Matic
- Pickups : 490R & 498T
Check out the excellent review video from our buddy Shane from the InTheBlues YouTube channel!
Available left handed in Satin Honeyburst, Satin Tobacco Burst, and Satin Cherry Honeyburst finishes.
Gibson SG Modern
The Gibson website currently lists this model as being discontinued in its left-handed guise. However, I was still able to find a small number in stock at various retailers at the time of writing.
Gibson describes the SG Modern as being a bit of a hybrid guitar – it’s a left handed Gibson SG, but it has borrowed some features which you’d more usually find on a Les Paul. For example, it has a thicker mahogany body than a typical SG, and features a full flamed AA-grade maple top.
Contemporary appointments include Burstbucker Pro pickups, push/pull pots with a ton of switching options, a slim profile neck, and a fast 24 fret ebony fingerboard with a modern compound radius.
- Body : Mahogany w/ AA Maple Top
- Neck : Mahogany Asymmetrical Slim Taper
- Fretboard : Ebony
- Bridge : Nashville Tune-O-Matic
- Pickups : Burstbucker Pro & Pro+
If you’d like a rundown of every feature of the new SG Modern, plus some great tone demos, check out Premier Guitar’s video below!
Available left handed in Blueberry Fade and Trans Black Fade finishes.
Gibson SG Standard
If the SG Modern above is just a little too avant-garde for your tastes, then you might like to consider the Gibson left handed SG Standard Modern instead! This model is essentially the traditional SG vibe that you’d expect, albeit with a pair of higher gain Gibson 490 humbuckers that modern players tend to prefer.
Aside from the latest pickups, the left handed Gibson SG Standard features the usual solid mahogany body and neck, 22 fret rosewood fretboard, and classic kidney button tuners.
- Body : Mahogany
- Neck : Mahogany Rounded Profile
- Fretboard : Rosewood
- Bridge : Aluminum Nashville Tune-O-Matic
- Pickups : 490R & 490T
Our friend Shane has an excellent overview and demonstration of this very model if you have a spare 10 minutes!
Available left handed in Ebony and Heritage Cherry finishes.
Gibson SG Tribute
The most affordable left handed Gibson SG in the Modern Collection is the no-frills SG Tribute model which gives you that classic SG look minus some of the fancier appointments.
The main differences between this and the SG Standard include a smooth satin finish, dot fingerboard inlays, nickel hardware, simple black control knobs, and uncovered pickups. It also lacks the Gibson accessory kit that comes with the SG Standard, helping to keep costs down.
- Body : Mahogany
- Neck : Mahogany Rounded Profile
- Fretboard : Rosewood
- Bridge : Aluminum Nashville Tune-O-Matic
- Pickups : 490R & 490T
For an incredible demonstration of this new guitar, check out the video below.
Available left handed in Vintage Cherry Satin and Natural Walnut finishes.
Gibson Artist Collection Lefties
Keep reading to discover the rest of the Gibson artists who are offering left handed models.
Gibson Slash Les Paul Standard
The Slash Collection pays homage to the guitars that Slash has used throughout his illustrious career, and these two Les Pauls are probably the most iconic of the lot!
These left handed Gibson Les Paul models both feature a solid mahogany body with AAA flamed maple top, a 50s vintage profile mahogany neck with 22 fret rosewood fingerboard, and two high output Custom Burstbucker pickups.
Slash fans will appreciate the ‘Skully’ graphic on the back of the headstock, as well as having the man’s signature on the truss rod cover. Gibson also supplies a plain truss rod cover in the case, however.
- Body : Mahogany w/ AAA Flamed Maple Top
- Neck : Mahogany 50s Vintage Profile
- Fretboard : Rosewood
- Bridge : ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic
- Pickups : Custom Burstbucker Alnico II
If you’d like to hear the guitars in action, check out the excellent video from Wildwood Guitars below.
Available left handed in Appetite Burst and November Burst finishes.
Gibson Tony Iommi SG Special Left Handed
Tony is one of the most famous left handed guitarists, so of course, Gibson had to offer this one in southpaw mode! Based on his heavily modded 1964 SG, this guitar is designed to be an absolute riff machine.
Main features include a solid mahogany body, rounded profile mahogany neck, 22 fret Indian rosewood bound fingerboard, and Grover rotomatic tuners. A feature that really sets this model apart from your traditional SG is the dual P-90 pickups. You’ll also find one of Tony’s monkey stickers in the case if you’d like to go the whole hog and copy the instrument it’s modeled on.
- Body : Mahogany
- Neck : Mahogany Rounded Profile
- Fretboard : Indian Rosewood
- Bridge : Adjustable Wraparound
- Pickups : P-90
For a very thorough overview of this new model, check out the video below!
Available left handed in a Vintage Cherry finish.
Left Handed Gibson Custom Shop Guitars
For those with deeper wallets, here is where you’ll find the creme de la creme of Gibson’s range.
At the time of writing, this is the full list of left handed Gibson Custom Shop guitars that I was given by the brand themselves.
- 1959 ES-335 Reissue VOS
- 1964 ES-335 Reissue VOS
- 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue 3-Pickup VOS
- 1954 Les Paul Custom Staple Pickup Reissue VOS
- 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue 2-Pickup VOS
- 1968 Les Paul Custom Reissue Gloss
- 1958 Les Paul Junior Double Cut Reissue VOS
- 1957 Les Paul Junior Single Cut Reissue VOS
- 1954 Les Paul Reissue VOS
- 1956 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue VOS
- 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Darkback Reissue VOS
- 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue VOS
- 1958 Les Paul Standard Reissue VOS
- 1960 Les Paul Standard Reissue VOS
- 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut Reissue VOS
- 1957 Les Paul Special Single Cut Reissue VOS
- 1961 Les Paul SG Standard Reissue Stop-Bar VOS
- 1964 SG Standard Reissue w/ Maestro Vibrola VOS
- Les Paul Custom w/ Ebony Fingerboard Gloss
Note that other left handed Gibson Custom Shop models are also available, but these are the only guitars that the brand provided me with. For example, I have seen a number of southpaw Murphy Labs models available if you’d love to have yourself a sweet reliced Gibson!
Left Handed Gibson Made To Measure
If the model that you’re after didn’t appear in the list above, then fret not! The Gibson Made To Measure program will allow you to order almost any guitar in any configuration and color!
For example, check out the awesome Malicious Magenta Les Paul Custom above that I spotted on the Gibson Custom Instagram page.
Gibson Left Handed Acoustic Guitars
Built in the brand’s Montana factory, Gibson acoustic guitars are some of the world’s most recognisable and sought after instruments.
From their popular J-45 dreadnought to the smaller bodied L-00 and instricately styled Hummingbird, plenty of lefty Gibson acoustic guitars can be ordered in a southpaw configuration.
In fact, at least 50% of the sizeable Gibson acoustic range is available to order left handed. So, instead of wasting your time listing them all here, I’d encourage you to head over to the brand’s website for a quick browse of the full left handed Gibson acoustic guitar range.
In the top right of every model’s page you’ll spot a ‘handedness‘ column. See the example below so that you know what to look out for. If the model is available to order left-handed it will clearly be displayed here.
Left Handed Gibson Bass Guitars
Unfortunately, the brand is not currently offering any Gibson left handed bass guitars.
That’s All Folks! Probably?
And that just about wraps the left Handed Gibson guitar range up! As I say, this guide is correct according to the Gibson website plus the information given to me by Gibson themselves. However, there may well be additional models available that aren’t listed there.
Ordering Information
Your local dealer will be able to order any of these Gibson left-handed guitars for you if they do not already have them in-store.
For a list of in-stock lefty Gibson guitars that you can pick up right away, check out the links below to browse the full range.
- Guitar Center (USA)
- Thomann (Europe)
For more information:
Gibson Website
