The 5 best left-handed acoustic guitars for beginners

Finding the right guitar model to learn on may seem tough for a left-hander. 

But there are plenty of great left-handed guitars you can use to hone your skills, whether you’re looking for something straightforward or something that provides a little style and substance.

Below is our selection of the five best left-handed acoustic guitars for beginners.

1. Ibanez Performance Series PF15 left-handed dreadnought acoustic guitar

Price: £169 (at gak.co.uk)

Main features:

• dreadnought body
• mahogany back and sides
• chrome die-cast tuners
• Ibanez Advantage bridge pins which enable quick string changes

Ideal for beginners because:

It provides a rich sound and solid construction for a very reasonable price if you’re starting out.

The Ibanez PF15 provides excellent volume and projection thanks to its dreadnought body. This suits a wide range of playing styles and gives you greater insight into the notes you’re playing (and where you may need to improve).

The neck is constructed from mahogany and delivers a warm, resonant sound. Meanwhile, the Sapele back and sides give this guitar a vibrant feel.

Add the chrome die-cast tuners and bridge pins to the mix, and you’ve got a robust, stylish guitar that’s perfect for beginners.

Related: 10 guitar learning apps you need to download

2. Takamine GD30LHNAT left-handed dreadnought acoustic guitar

Price: $429.99 / approx. £356 (at kraftmusic.com)

Main features:

• solid spruce top
• mahogany neck, back, and sides
• pin-less rosewood bridge
• chrome die-cast tuners
• beautiful gloss finish

Ideal for beginners because:

This is another guitar that’s perfect for all playing styles. It has a smooth mahogany neck, which is comfortable to move up and down, and, therefore, perfect for beginners learning new riffs.

Like the Ibanez PF15, the Takamine GD30 also features a mahogany back and sides, which helps produce a crisp sound.

Moreover, the split-saddle design of this guitar’s pin-less rosewood bridge provides superior intonation for sweeter-sounding chords and single-note runs.

Not only does it sound great, but the Takamine GD30 looks the part. It’s available in natural and black but, in our opinion, you can’t beat a natural finish.

3. Taylor GS Mini Mahogany-L acoustic guitar

Price: £559 (at pmtonline.co.uk)

Main features:

• solid mahogany top
• layered Sapele back and sides
• passive acoustic pickup
• chrome die-cast tuners

 

Ideal for beginners because:

Although this guitar is a little more expensive, you certainly get bang for your buck.

It’s compact and portable, easy to play, and is one of the most aesthetically pleasing acoustic guitars you’re likely to lay eyes on.

Its Sapele body contains an extra layer of mahogany, which gives it a warm and exotic appearance and helps the player to create rich, full tones. These tones make the guitar sound bigger than its diminutive appearance would suggest.

4. Fender CD-60S left-handed natural

Price: £155 (at Gear4Music.com)

Main features:

• solid spruce top
• dreadnought body
• laminated mahogany back and side panels
• chrome die-cast tuners
• classic acoustic appearance
• includes Fender’s ‘Easy-to-Play’ neck featuring rolled fingerboard edges

Ideal for beginners because:

It’s suitable for guitarists of all ability levels and comes reasonably priced.

The guitar’s small, concert-sized body, ‘Easy-to-Play’ neck, and rolled fingerboard edges allow you to move up and down the fretboard and refine your technique with minimal discomfort.

This is a great option if you’re looking for a guitar built to last. The clue is in its name—where the previous Fender CD-60 model featured a laminate top, this model features a solid spruce top, hence the addition of the ‘S’.

Having a spruce top means that this guitar will sound better with age the more it’s played. What better reason is there to buy a guitar?

Related: The 11 best earplugs for musicians

5. Yamaha FG820L natural walnut fingerboard left-handed guitar

Price: £429 (at guitarguitar.co.uk)

Main features: 

• solid spruce top 
• mahogany neck, back, and sides 
• walnut fretboard 
• chrome die-cast tuners 
• newly developed scalloped bracing 
• features the latest ‘FG tone’ 

Ideal for beginners because:

Without including a classic from Yamaha, we couldn’t put together a list of the best left-handed guitars for beginners. 

Their FG series has proven popular with hundreds of thousands of musicians since it was developed in 1966, thanks to its warm and strong tone. The FG820 is ideal for beginners since its quality tone wood feels comfortable in your hands and sounds astounding. 

It has clear midrange and great bass, and the volume is just right. This is thanks to the latest FG tone, developed through the series since its debut 50 years ago. 

It delivers fantastic playability overall thanks to Yamaha’s renowned construction, making it perfect for those looking to invest in a guitar that’s suited to beginners, but will also stand the test of time.

If you’re dedicated to learning guitar and don’t want to purchase a cheaper model that you’ll grow bored of after a few years, there’s certainly no need to upgrade to a better model with the FG. 

How to choose the right left-handed acoustic guitar

#1 – Strings

Two main string types are used on acoustic guitars: steel and nylon. 

Steel strings are louder and brighter and are best for getting the sound associated with pop, rock and country music. 

Nylon strings have a more mellow sound and are therefore better at producing sounds associated with classical music. 

It’s good to have this in mind when choosing your left-handed guitar. You could always change the guitar strings of the guitar you purchase—but they can be pricey, especially if you don’t know how to restring a guitar yourself. 

#2 – Type of wood 

Different woods produce different tones and sounds. If you don’t believe us, check out this video:

Not only this, but they also affect the physical appearance and weight of the instrument. Weight is important, as it can influence how comfortable the guitar is to play and how easy it is to transport. 

Guitars are often made of a combination of different woods, which makes things a little more complicated. 

But if you do your research, you’ll know which sounds, appearances and weights appeal to you and what you’re looking to get out of your guitar. 

Related: Guide to tone woods for guitars 

#3 – Price

Multiple things affect a guitar’s price. But, usually, the more expensive a guitar is, the better its overall quality. 

That’s not to say that decent left-handed guitars for beginners don’t exist at a reasonable price. But the more you play, the more you notice the difference between a guitar that’s alright for practising and one with a superior tone. 

If you’re someone who wants to move away from being a bedroom guitarist once you’ve developed your skills, you may want to invest in a slightly better guitar initially to prevent yourself from having to upgrade further down the line. 

#4 – Size 

Guitars come with different body sizes and fretboard widths and lengths, and both can massively affect how you play.

Go for a too big or small guitar, and you could have to make unnecessary adjustments to get the right sound. 

It’s easy to overlook size when shopping online, but we’d highly recommend heading into a guitar shop and getting a feel for different sizes and which suit you best.

Specialist musician insurance with Insure4Music

Once you’ve chosen your left-handed guitar, you may want to cover it with specialist musician insurance.

This insurance is essential if you want to protect your guitar against theft, loss, or damage, both in and away from home.

If you buy your guitar new, it can also be replaced on a new for old basis should the worst happen. 

Find out more about how we can help here or get an instant online quote today.