Guitars can be constructed to meet the demands of both left
and right-handed players. Traditionally the dominant hand is
assigned the task of plucking or strumming the strings. For the
majority of people this entails using the right hand. This is
because musical expression (dynamics, tonal expression, color,
etc.) is largely determined by the plucking hand, while the
fretting hand is assigned the lesser mechanical task of depressing
and gripping the strings. This is similar to the convention of the
violin family of instruments where the right hand controls the bow.
Left-handed players generally choose a left-handed (mirror)
instrument, although some play in a standard right-handed manner,
others play a standard right-handed guitar reversed, and still
others (for example Jimi Hendrix) play a right-handed guitar strung
in reverse. This last configuration differs from a true left-handed
guitar in that the saddle is normally angled in such a way that the
bass strings are slightly longer than the treble strings to improve
intonation. Reversing the strings therefore reverses the relative
orientation of the saddle (negatively affecting intonation),
although in Hendrix' case this is believed to have been an
important element in his unique sound.
