Identifying R & L Tuning Machines on Guitar

Q: Hello, I would like to purchase some Bass Tuners, Do I have to buy L or R for a Standard Fender Bass headstock?
A: Different brands have their own way of defining L or R, some use ‘L’ to represent a left-side tuner, while some use it to represent a left-handed guitar. As for Guyker, our 4L are for left-handed bass guitar, and 4R are for right-handed bass guitar.

 

Determining If You Have a Right or Left-Handed Guitar

The easiest way to tell if a guitar is right or left-handed is to look at the orientation of the strings.

As you look at the guitar face on, a right-handed guitar will have the thicker strings (low E, A, and D) on the left side of the fretboard, while a left-handed guitar will always have them on the right side.

The tuning machines, if inline, will move from the nut upwards.

right vs left guitar

Identifying Right and Left Tuning Machines

On Fender-style guitars, as well as a number of others, the tuning machines are usually mounted in a straight line along the headstock. These will require a set of ‘R’ tuning machines for a right-handed guitar or bass or a set of ‘L’ for a left-handed instrument.

Gibson, Epiphone, Gretsch, Rickenbacker, etc. style guitars and basses normally have three tuners per side (usually two on a bass) of the headstock, so you will need three ‘R’ tuners and three ‘L’ tuners for these types of guitars (or two each for basses).