Best Left Handed Acoustic Guitars – 2021 Top Picks Reviewed

| Last Updated: December 26, 2021

Many left-handed players learn to play right-handed, standard guitars. However, others cannot get comfortable and natural with them.

Thus, trying a left-handed instrument is the way to go to take the next step in your musical journey.

Therefore, we decided to introduce you to the best left-handed acoustic guitars and let you decide which one scores highest on your list. 

What Size of Left-Handed Acoustic Guitar Do I Need?

The size of the guitar comes down to two main factors: your skill level and the size of your hands. Beginners should also aim for short scale, smaller guitars since they are easier to play and much more comfortable. Some players prefer short scale guitars because they have tiny hands, and a full-sized or a jumbo-sized guitar makes it so much more difficult. 

Musicians who travel often would also prefer a shorter scale guitar since they are more compact, portable, and easy to carry around. In the end, it all comes down to how comfortable you feel, so don’t hesitate to try anything that catches your eye!

What Makes a Great Left-Handed Acoustic Guitar?

Left-handed acoustic guitars are not as varied as right-handed ones, so the options might be quite limited. Here’s what makes a great left-handed acoustic guitar:

Quality

The overall build quality is crucial to a great guitar. Features such as quality tonewood, smooth fretwork, great action, and a comfortable cutaway are definitely characteristics you should look for in your new left-handed acoustic guitar. These contribute to the value a guitar brings with it and also ensures a long life for your investment. 

Playability

Another great feature is playability. Whether you are a beginner or a more experienced player, an uncomfortable instrument translates into one course of action: less and less practice. We all know practice makes perfect! The degree of playability and comfort are, therefore, important. 

Design

Last but not least, you should feel proud of your new gorgeous companion. You will be more motivated to pick up your beauty for a quick jam session. A smooth finish, a vintage design, or maybe some modern features to entice you are always welcome. 

Comparison of the Best Left-Handed Acoustic Guitars

IMAGEPRODUCT
  • Chrome tuners with a Tusq saddle
  • Best left-handed acoustic guitar overall
  • Mahogany HPL finish with a solid Sitka spruce top
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  • Exquisite finish with a glossy, natural look
  • Acoustic-electric guitar with volume and tone controls
  • Affordable bundle includes guitar pick and a sturdy gig bag
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  • Full, robust sounds with enhanced sustain
  • Best left-handed acoustic guitar for the money
  • Complete mahogany construction with a rosewood fingerboard
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  • Best Left Handed Acoustic Guitars for Beginners
  • Mahogany back and sides with a solid spruce top
  • High-quality sounds and enhanced comfort and versatility
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  • Best Yamaha Left Handed Acoustic Guitars
  • Jumbo body with a comfortable neck profile
  • Rich, warm, and resonant sounds with enhanced tone balance
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Review of the Best Left-Handed Acoustic Guitars

If you are a lefty, you now know what to consider in the best acoustic guitar. Now, let’s take a look at some of the top options.

Best Overall:
Martin LX1

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PROS

  • Comes with padded gig bag
  • Resistant to scratches and bumps
  • Extremely durable and reliable build
  • Lightweight and portable, includes a padded bag
  • Superior to other laminates, due to high-quality Martin HPL
  • The solid Sitka spruce top ages well and gives bright, crisp sounds

CONS

  • Might sound a bit metallic for some players
  • Output is not as loud as other dreadnoughts
  • Laminate construction might be a downside for some

What Recent Buyers Report

This guitar has a smooth, low-neck profile that favors comfort and playability. It is the ideal instrument for anyone who wants easy access to the fretboard, spotless intonation, and low action. It is playable right out of the box and ages extremely well. The HPL also adds durability.

Why it Stands Out to Us

The Martin LX1 is a popular instrument among players who prefer well-balanced, defined tones. The guitar has excellent rich, bright, and crisp sounds with great sustain. The Sitka spruce top adds a bit of twang, making it suitable for blues and folk enthusiasts. The HPL body adds some low-mid punch and overall, has a great low-end bass response.

Who Will Use This Most

This ¾ small size is ideal for players with tiny hands or beginners. More experienced players will favor this instrument too, since it is highly portable and feather-light. The bright, crisp sounds and added low-end bass response with a bit of twang make it ideal for folk and blues.

Bottom Line

Overall, the Martin LX1 is your best option, even if you are on a tight budget. The company is famous for its high-quality, durable, and outstanding instruments, and the LX1 is no exception to this rule. If you’ve never tried Martin guitars, this is the best chance for you to discover Martin’s unique features.

Runner-up:
Jameson Thinline Acoustic

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PROS

  • Full-sized guitar
  • High gloss finish gives it a stylish design
  • Steel strings ideal for powerful, vibrant tunes
  • Includes built-in EQ and great quality stock pickup
  • Affordably priced bundle with a guitar pick and gig bag

CONS

  • Quality control issues
  • Does not come with cable plug for amp
  • Might seem a bit bulky with a weight of 9.4 lbs.

What Recent Buyers Report

This full-scale, acoustic-electric guitar is comfortable and easy to use if you have large hands. To some people, it might seem a bit heavy and bulky, but the volume projection makes up for this small flaw. It is extremely affordable and the workmanship is a real winner!

Why it Stands Out to Us

The Jameson Thinline Acoustic is our favorite in terms of affordability, craftsmanship, and versatility. With the maple neck, nato back and sides, and rosewood fingerboard, this guitar is an artful instrument. What is more, it is a real bargain and includes freebies: a set of guitar picks and gig bag.

Who Will Use This Most

With clear, rich tones, this Jameson is a sure hit among both beginners and more experienced players. You will definitely enjoy the high trebles, solid presence of bass frequencies, and the mid-range punch. The slim, thin body makes it easy to play and comfortable, although the full size might deter players with small hands.

Bottom Line

The Jameson Blue Thinline is a great quality acoustic-electric guitar that offers bountiful features. It is compact and easy to play, and is a sure option for beginners. However, it does score a bit on the heavy side, but still not enough to keep you away from this masterpiece!

Best for the Money:
Fender PM-1

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PROS

  • Nickel open-back tuners
  • Excellent quality nickel open-back tuners
  • Maintains purity of the vintage acoustic voice
  • Full-scale, all-mahogany guitar with rosewood fretboard
  • Bold, punchy tones with enhanced robustness and sustain
  • High-quality construction with a C-shaped comfortable neck

CONS

  • No cutaway

What Recent Buyers Report

This Fender PM-1 is a lightweight, comfortable guitar with excellent, bold, and punchy tones. For this affordable price, it is a wonder that it is all made of mahogany, a tonewood that has outstanding tonal properties. You get all the features and tones you’d expect from a high-end dreadnought!

Why It Stands Out To Us

The Fender PM-1 is an acoustic guitar with astonishing sound properties. The solid mahogany body and neck and rosewood fretboard contribute plenty to the rich, robust, and vintage sounds. It has a great tone sustain and the tuning machines allow for fine-tuning. 

Who Would Use This Most

This is an ideal instrument for all acoustic lovers. If the vintage, earthy, woody tones appeal to you, this all-mahogany guitar has all it takes to impress you and your audience. You will get full, bold tones that will open a whole new universe of musical opportunities for you!

Bottom Line

Like every time, Fender never ceases to offer us the best at an affordable price range. With this model, they managed to score high on every feature – including the tasteful sounds, great design, and playability. If you want a real treat for yourself, this is your opportunity to get it!

Best Left-Handed Acoustic Guitar for Beginners:
Fender CC-60SCE

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PROS

  • Crystal-clear highs and great mids
  • Concert (small) size ideal for beginners
  • Cutaway adds comfort and convenience
  • Robust electronics with intuitive controls
  • High-quality sounds and increased versatility

CONS

  • Lows are not so pronounced
  • Not for people with large hands

What Recent Buyers Report

It is impossible not to be impressed by this entry-level guitar at such an affordable price. The solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides are great choices that add fullness to your sounds. Also, the electronics score quite high on quality, versatility, and ease of use.

Why it Stands Out to Us

Our top recommendation for beginners is the Fender CC-60SCE. It comes with an intuitive, simple, yet gorgeous design and includes all the basic features you need: a rosewood bridge with mahogany back and sides, great electronics with a chrome diecast tuner, and a black pickguard. It delivers strong, bright, dynamic sounds with ease.

Who Will Use This Most

This concert-sized guitar is ideal for beginners. The single-cutaway improves access to the upper register. It is versatile, responding extremely well to any playing style and music genre. Whether you are a finger-picker, drummer, or a quick flat-picker, this guitar can handle it all and then some!

Bottom Line

The Fender CC-60SCE is the ideal beginner guitar, starting from the design with a single-cutaway in concert size, right to ease of playing and the tonal range. No matter your music style, the Fender CC-60SCE will definitely be a perfect match, offering you full-bodied tones with perfect definition.

Best Yamaha Left-Handed Acoustic Guitar:
Yamaha L-Series LL16

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PROS

  • Comes with a hard gig bag
  • Great action right out of the box
  • Rich, warm, and well-rounded tones 
  • Improved tone balance and open resonance
  • All-solid rosewood back and sides and spruce top
  • Zero-impact passive pickup ensures a stress-free performance

CONS

  • No built-in preamp
  • Frets are a bit higher than standard
  • Bridge pins are made of plastic, but they make no tonal difference

What Recent Buyers Report

This guitar is the perfect example of solid Yamaha quality at an unbeatable price. All tones are well-defined and rounded, with a touch of warmth. The highs sound clean and clear, without excessive brightness. It is perfect and can be played right out of the box!

Why It Stands Out To Us

Our favorite Yamaha left-handed guitar is the LL16, one of the few guitars that features an all-wood construction at an impressively low price range. It provides a great tone and maintains comfort and ease of play for a long time. If you are eager to try out a Yamaha model, this is where you should start. 

Who Would Use This Most

This dreadnought acoustic-electric guitar is the perfect instrument for your transition from entry-level to intermediate. It has a beautiful, eye-catching design, comes with a gig bag, and has a comfortable neck profile. The Yamaha LL16 is the perfect instrument to accompany you to your first live performances. 

Bottom Line

Overall, Yamaha’s best shot at making a functional, high-quality, and affordable left-handed guitar is a true success. They are well-known for their expertise with beginner-friendly instruments, but this time they upped their game with the LL16. This is the perfect intermediate-level guitar

Best Left-Handed 12-String Acoustic Guitar:
D'Angelico Premier Fulton Left-Handed Grand 12-String Acoustic-Electric Guitar

PROS

  • Glistening, clear sound abilities
  • Crystalline high ends and robust bass
  • Remarkably convenient, reliable, and durable
  • High-quality, built-in tuner improves tuning stability 
  • Exquisite, graceful design with a comfortable cutaway
  • Perfect tonal balance, ranging from a sturdy bass to crystal-clear high ends

CONS

  • Stock strings not so great
  • Tuner could be more precise

What Recent Buyers Report

D’Angelico guitars are far too underrated. The premiere line is amazing and has high-quality sound abilities with comfortable action. Plus, the cutaway makes playing a breeze. If you really want to be taken aback by this great guitar, make sure you plug it in – that’s where it really shines!

Why It Stands Out To Us

D’Angelico’s lefty 12-string acoustic-electric guitar is a high-quality instrument, now in a smaller frame with 16” wide steel strings. It provides you with grace, comfort, and playability. Also, the tonal balance is absolutely stunning. It has crystal-clear highs, robust bass, and overall glistening performance. 

Who Would Use This Most

If you want excellent acoustic performance, D’Angelico’s 12-String is a real winner. No matter the playing style, music genre, or size of the player's hands, the thin C-shaped neck makes this instrument the ideal guitar for a stress-free and pain-free experience every time you pick it up. 

Bottom Line

Overall, this product is our favorite 12-string acoustic guitar. It is balanced, yet versatile, with a comfortable and convenient design that improves playability. It is ideal for any 12-string lover out there. With a quick change of stock strings, this beauty can perform flawlessly, even for the pickiest audience. 

Best 3/4 Left-Handed Acoustic Guitar:
Stagg SW201

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PROS

  • Perfect for practice, traveling, or rehearsals
  • Affordable lefty guitar with solid, great sounds
  • Durable, reliable, and comes in four color variations
  • Ideal action and reasonable play right out of the box
  • Mini-sized, ideal for small hands, beginners, or children
  • Sturdily built with a basswood body, nato neck, and maple fretboard

CONS

  • Stock strings need replacement
  • You need to adjust the neck (tool included)
  • Poor quality control and poor customer service

What Recent Buyers Report

This guitar is a good buy with high value for the money. The action is perfect and it comes with good, solid, clean sounds. The guitar can be reasonably played right out of the box. However, you should consider using the included tool to adjust the neck and even consider a string replacement. 

Why It Stands Out To Us

Stagg’s SW201 is a great, beginner-friendly instrument, with intricate aesthetics and a careful finish. It comes with a unique tone signature and is highly affordable. Overall, it sounds great, has crystal-clear sounds, and is quite versatile. The SW201 also comes in four color variations to satisfy all your needs. 

Who Would Use This Most

This guitar is a perfectly-shaped guitar for beginners, children, or people with small hands. It has a playable, comfortable design, is lightweight, and is an ideal instrument for travelers. Highly portable, this affordable guitar can satisfy a wide range of needs and budgets.

Bottom Line

Overall, the Stagg SW201 is a quality lefty. It offers great sounds, a decent amount of versatility and flexibility, and increased convenience and comfort. The delicate aesthetics top off the rest of its great features. For a quality, affordable, small-sized guitar, Stagg is the way to go!

What Do I Need to Know Before Buying?

Here are some top factors worth considering before making your purchase:

Short Scale Versus Long Scale

When purchasing your instrument, most recommendations are to go for a short scale if you are a beginner. However, this might not be the case with everyone. For instance, if you have quite large hands, you will struggle to play the small guitar. 

You’d find a full-size or even jumbo one more convenient. The best thing to do is to experiment a bit with your friends' guitars. If that's not possible, choose a full-size guitar if you’re not sure that a short scale is good for you. 

Price Trade-Offs

While some instruments are labeled as high-quality, a high-end instrument will also come with a higher price tag. However, if you are at the beginning of your journey, the price/quality trade-offs should not be of major concern to you. An affordable model from our list will definitely provide you with all the features you need. 

Playability

Most models have cutaways and neck profiles that favor comfort and playability. Despite this, most beginners will still find it difficult to adjust, at least until you get your calluses. Practice makes perfect, and the longer you play, the more comfortable you will feel with your instrument. 

Conclusion

All in all, we have walked you through the best left-handed acoustic guitars you can find, artfully combining affordability and high quality. Considering that they all have ups and downs, the choice remains truly all yours. We are confident that at least some of our models have all the qualities to be your next companion in your journey. 

People Also Ask

Have a look at our FAQ section, which tackles some of the most popular questions surrounding left-handed guitars. Let’s solve the mysteries together!

What is the Difference Between a Left and Right-Handed Guitar?

There are several differences between these two. First, whether you are left-handed or right-handed, the neck should go on your left side. This means that the lefty guitar body is inverted, with the cutaway right under the high E string. Secondly, the strings on a lefty guitar are upside down. Finally, the tuners of the lefty guitar are on the other side of the headstock. 

Are Left-Handed Guitars More Expensive?

Left-handed guitars are more expensive than their right-handed counterparts because they are less frequently bought. However, the price mostly depends on the brand you choose. Some brands are more expensive than others, which remains true for both right and left-handed guitars. 

How Do You Know if a Guitar is Left-Handed?

The lefty guitar has an inverted body, but the neck is still located to the player’s left side. The strings are upside down for easier action. However, if you look for them online, sellers clearly note lefties as being lefties. With a physical guitar, though, all you need to do is pick it up and see which way it goes. 

Is it Harder to Learn to Play a Left-Handed Guitar?

It is not harder than learning guitar skills while right-handed. Now, should you learn on a right-handed guitar first and then wish to switch to lefty, you might run into some trouble. The chord diagrams are mirror-inverted for lefties, and there are also guitar-specific differences, which can make the transition harder. However, there are many left-handed players who still play with right-handed guitars.



Hi there, my name is Craig. I took over Gear Savvy in mid-2019 and have had a blast writing content about music ever since. My role here is to steer the ship and ensure readers have the best information available for learning a thing or two. When I’m not working on content, I’m a husband and a dad. I enjoy spending time with my family, playing guitar, or messing around in my woodshop.