Top 10 Left-Handed Acoustic Electric Guitars
Are you a member of the lefty guitarists club like the famous musicians Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, and Tony Iommi? Then plug in and rock out with our pick of the best left-handed guitars.
When it comes to playing the guitar, only 10 percent of guitarists play left-handed. Much like everything else in the world, the guitar is typically overwhelmingly dominated by right-handed people. But that’s not why you can’t learn to play guitar left-handed. That never stopped legendary left-handed guitarists like Jimi Hendrix or Paul McCartney from mastering their craft and setting the bar for future musicians.
It cannot be easy to find left-handed guitar lessons focusing on the unique concerns southpaws face when picking up their instrument.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the top 10 left handed guitars, some of the considerations of left-handed guitar playing for beginners and a few tips and tricks for lefty musicians.
Zager’s Guide To The Top Ten Acoustic Electric Guitars In 2023
Left-handed guitars come in various shapes and sizes manufactured from different woods and are available in acoustic and electric guitar models. Our favorite brands, including Zager, Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, and Taylor, offer great left-handed versions of their instruments. Let’s compare these guitars and their playability.
ZAGER ZAD900CELH Tobacco Sunburst
If you are a player coming from a $5000 Taylor, Martin, or a higher level Fender, we usually recommend the 900 because if you’re used to that quality, the 900 will match those models, except they usually outperform them in playability.
The 900 series features a unique bracing system designed by Denny Zager, which allows for increased projection and power. The 900 series also boosts a powerful and rich tone that resonates through the body, a rare feature in modern guitars.
The Zager Pro Series guitars, of which the 900 series offers superior playability and sound compared to other regular series instruments. The woods are aged longer, the finish is thinner, and the soundboard can move more when the strings are hit, resulting in more resounding bass response. The 900 series also feature hand-laid abalone and pearl.
It’s popular among touring artists and veteran musicians who have previously played high-end guitars such as Martin, Taylor, Yamaha, and Fender. Zager Guitar conducted extensive testing and evaluations of the 900 series, comparing it to the finest guitars on the market. The results consistently show that the 900 series stands up to the competition and is a worthy investment for serious musicians. The left-handed electric guitar is a must-have in your collection.
Fender CD-60SCE Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar
The CD-60SCE Dreadnought by Fender is a famous acoustic-electric guitar in the Classic Design series. Ideal for beginner and intermediate players, this guitar is a top choice for those seeking a high-quality instrument at an affordable price.
With a solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and a mahogany neck with a rosewood fingerboard, the CD-60SCE Dreadnought delivers a warm, resonant, perfect sound for a variety of playing styles. It also features a Fishman Classic Design preamp with a built-in tuner, allowing easy amplification.
The CD-60SCE Dreadnought’s cutaway design allows for easy access to the higher frets, making it an excellent option for those who love to solo.
Overall, this guitar is well-made, versatile, and practical and offers excellent value for its price. If you’re in the market for a reliable and affordable acoustic-electric guitar, the CD-60SCE Dreadnought is worth considering.
Seagull S6 Original Acoustic Guitar Limited Edition
The Seagull S6 Original Acoustic Guitar Limited Edition is a high-quality and limited edition version of the popular Seagull S6 Original. With a solid cedar top, wild cherry back and sides, and a silver leaf maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard, this guitar offers a warm, rich, balanced sound ideal for beginner to intermediate players. This left-handed electric guitar serves the purpose of providing a quality experience.
This limited edition version of the Seagull S6 Original also features a unique semi-gloss custom-polished finish and a laser-etched floral design on the top, adding visual interest to its already impressive natural wood tones.
Designed for comfort and playability, the Seagull S6 Original Acoustic Guitar Limited Edition is perfect for long hours of practice and performance. Its durability and reliability make it an excellent investment for players who want an instrument that lasts years.
If you’re looking for a unique and high-quality acoustic guitar that offers excellent sound, playability, and durability, the Seagull S6 Original Acoustic Guitar Limited Edition is a fantastic option. This guitar will impress any player with limited edition features and superb craftsmanship.
Taylor GS Mini Mahogany-L GS Mini Acoustic Guitar
The Taylor GS Mini Mahogany-L GS Mini Acoustic Guitar is a famous travel-sized guitar that offers a rich, full sound in a compact and portable size. This guitar is an excellent option for beginner and professional players who want a high-quality instrument that can be easily transported.
Featuring a solid mahogany top, back, and sides, the Taylor GS Mini Mahogany-L provides a warm and full-bodied tone that projects well. Its compact size makes it easy to carry and play, and its shorter scale length and slimmer profile offer excellent playability and comfort.
The guitar’s natural satin finish and simple dot inlays on the fingerboard provide a sleek and visually appealing design. Its compact size and excellent sound make it a great option for travel and use in smaller spaces.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned professional, the Taylor GS Mini Mahogany-L GS Mini Acoustic Guitar is a high-quality and reliable option that will provide years of enjoyment. Its portability and excellent sound make it a significant investment for anyone who wants a great-sounding guitar that can be played anywhere.
Donner Left Handed Acoustic Guitar Cutaway DAG-1CL 41 Inch
The Donner Left-Handed Acoustic Guitar Cutaway DAG-1CL 41 Inch is a high-quality acoustic guitar designed specifically for left-handed players. This guitar features a cutaway design that provides easy access to the upper frets, making it ideal for players of all skill levels.
Made with high-quality mahogany, the DAG-1CL’s 41-inch dreadnought body produces a warm, rich, well-balanced, responsive tone. The guitar’s spruce top provides excellent projection and sustains, making it perfect for fingerpicking and strumming.
Designed for comfort and ease of play, the DAG-1CL has a slim, comfortable neck that is easy to hold and play with. Its chrome tuning machines provide excellent stability, ensuring your guitar stays tuned for extended periods.
In addition to its excellent sound and playability, the Donner Left Handed Acoustic Guitar Cutaway DAG-1CL 41 Inch also features a sleek and visually appealing design. Its natural finish and cutaway design offer easy access to the upper frets, and its smooth fretboard makes it easy to move around the neck.
Yamaha FG820 Left-Handed Solid Top Acoustic Guitar
The Yamaha FG820 Left-Handed Solid Top Acoustic Guitar is a high-quality instrument for left-handed players. With a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides, this guitar produces a warm, resonant, well-balanced, responsive sound.
The FG820’s dreadnought body shape and scalloped bracing offer excellent projection and sustain, making it perfect for various playing styles. The guitar’s slim and comfortable neck is easy to hold and play, while its rosewood fingerboard and bridge provide a smooth and responsive playing surface.
The Yamaha FG820 Left-Handed Solid Top Acoustic Guitar also features a sleek and visually appealing design with a natural gloss finish that shows off the beauty of the wood. Its chrome hardware and die-cast tuning machines provide excellent stability, ensuring your guitar stays in tune for extended periods.
Ibanez Performance Series PF15 Left-Handed Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Natural
The Natural Left-Handed Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar from the Ibanez Performance Series PF15. As the name implies, Ibanez sells an affordable left-handed dreadnought-style acoustic guitar with high-performance standards.
Again, the top is spruce, and you got it; the back and sides are made of mahogany. The detailed black and white rosette on display and the natural high-shine surface won us over. The easy-playing Rosewood fingerboard sits atop the great-feeling standard-shaped neck, offering a fluid movement for all playing styles.
ZAGER ZAD80CELH
The guitars are also equipped with the Zager EZ-Play System, which focuses on providing feasibility when playing the guitar. It is noted that the ZAD80 series is geared towards professional musicians and serious guitar players who are looking for a top-of-the-line instrument with a level of craftsmanship and materials that will deliver the best possible sound.
When discussing affordability, the ZAD80 starts at around $1595, essentially targeting midrange customers looking for high-performing, efficient guitars.
Squier by Fender Affinity Telecaster Electric Guitar
With the Squier Affinity Telecaster, you can have a reasonable price for a genuine Telecaster sound, feel, and appearance. This Tele offers a comfortable playing experience whether you use it on stage, in the studio, or just for fun at home. It has a light, resonant alder body and a strong C-shape maple neck.
Its two single-coil pickups produce a tone that is typical of the Telecaster. Also, you can fine-tune your desired sound with the master volume and master tone dials.
SUHR CLASSIC PRO
For left-handed guitarists who demand nothing less than the best and are prepared to spend top dollar, Suhr has created the Vintage Pro Left-Handed Fiesta Red.
It has a fantastic set of specifications that more than justify its cost. This left-handed guitar is equipped with Suhr’s V70 single-coil pickups, which produce both the distorted heavyweight punch necessary to blaze onstage or in the studio and the legendary chime-y clean tones of the classic rock era. Suhr’s SSCII quiet single-coil circuit, which provides authentic single-coil tones devoid of hum, is a feature of the Suhr Classic Pro.
When we compare these guitars to one another, all of them seem like viable options, and in the market, there are plenty of other options as well that can hike up your savings and not cost you thousands of dollars, such as the ZAD900CELH and the ZAD50CELH, yet you should only choose the only which are close to your requirements and offer the best playability.
Left Handed vs. Right Handed
Are you a left-handed guitar player, or considering switching from a right-handed guitar to a left-handed one? It’s important to understand that the differences and placements go beyond the string orientation. Let’s check some main differences between them.
Pickguard
The orientation of a guitar can be easily determined by the placement of the pickguard. In right-handed guitars, the pickguard is located on the right-hand side to protect the instrument from scuff marks caused by strumming with a guitar pick. Conversely, the pickguard is located on the left-hand side in left-handed guitars.
Although it’s possible to string a guitar upside down, it can make the pickguard appear awkward and confusing. However, some guitar models, such as the Gibson ES-335 and the Zager 900 series, allow for the pickguard to be removed. Additionally, it’s worth noting that some acoustic guitars, particularly nylon string guitars, do not feature a pickguard.
Fretboard Inlays (side)
Almost all guitars feature small white dots on the fretboard, which serve as markers to help you identify the frets you’re playing. In addition, some guitars have side markers positioned towards the upper part of the fretboard (facing the ceiling).
Side inlays provide an additional visual aid for locating the fret positions without glancing at the neck while playing. Whether the guitar is left or right-handed, they are on opposite sides of the fretboard. However, the absence of side inlays is not a critical issue, as you can easily modify the guitar by purchasing inexpensive aftermarket inlay stickers.
Guitar Nut
Located near the headstock and situated at the apex of the guitar neck, the guitar nut is a slender strip made of synthetic bone or comparable material. Its purpose is to secure the strings in place, and it features six slots, each uniquely sized to accommodate the gauge (thickness) of its designated string.
The size of the slots on the nut may not be immediately noticeable without close inspection. However, if you plan to restring the guitar upside down, the string slots’ size becomes a concern. The thickest string may rest in the narrowest slot, while the thinnest string may rattle due to a too-wide slot.
Acoustic Guitar Saddle
The bridge of an acoustic guitar features a strip of material such as bone, ivory, or other similar substances, known as the saddle. Its primary function is to regulate the instrument’s intonation and facilitate the transmission of frequencies from the strings to the body chamber.
To maintain proper intonation, acoustic guitar saddles are installed at an angle, which alters the string length. A closer inspection of most acoustic guitars reveals that the saddle is positioned so that the thickest string (E) has the most extended length. The direction of the slant varies according to whether the guitar is left or right-handed.
The difference between Left-Handed Guitars and Right-Handed Guitars
Strings
- Between left- and right-handed guitars, there are a lot of variances. The position of the guitar strings is the most obvious distinction. While holding a right-handed guitar in the performing place, the low E string will be on the right side of the instrument due to the placement of the strings.The low E string is on the left side of a left-handed guitar. Beginners may find this puzzling because it indicates that the strings are in the opposite sequence from a right-handed guitar.
- The order of the strings is reversed when a left- and right-handed guitar is played. So, a right-handed guitar is one where the thickest string on the left is on the right. 10% of people worldwide are left-handed, yet just 3% of them exclusively identify as such, according to data.
- If you’re a musician who wants to learn how to play the guitar with strings arranged upside down, look at this. Only a few guitars were available to guitarists and bassists as they were growing up, so they turned to music as a means of self-expression. Just flip the strings on an acoustic guitar and make a few simple modifications to restring it. You won’t feel comfortable playing an asymmetrical guitar because many are made that way. You won’t hear a difference if you play the guitar with your left hand.
Control Placement
- The placement of the controls on the left- and right-handed guitars is another difference. When holding a right-handed guitar in the playing position, the controls (such as the volume and tone knobs) are on the right side of the guitar. The controls are located on the left side of a left-handed guitar. Beginners may find this confusing because it indicates that the controls are arranged differently than on a right-handed guitar.
Strap Buttons
- The location of the strap buttons is the last distinction between left and right-handed guitars. When holding a right-handed guitar in the performing position, the strap buttons are on the right side of the instrument. The strap buttons on a left-handed guitar are located on the left side. Beginners may find this confusing because it indicates that the strap buttons are arranged differently from a right-handed guitar.
Guitar Nut
- A guitar nut, a thin strip of synthetic bone or another comparable substance, holds the strings in place. Acoustic guitar saddles are used to construct acoustic guitars. Saddles are a strip of material (bone, ivory, etc.) that rests on top of the bridge of an acoustic guitar. They serve as a conduit for the frequencies from the strings to enter the chamber (body).
Guitar Chords
- Guitar tabs and chord charts are often created with the right hand; therefore, learning to play the instrument takes a lot of practice. Although left-handed guitar prices are higher, this difference can be explained by supply and demand.
Left-Handed Guitars Have An Advantage
Left-handed guitarists play the guitar slightly differently than right-handed guitarists. Generally, you can pick up any guitar and start playing immediately, though you might need to make some changes.
Many left-handed guitarists prefer to learn to play right-handed because left-handed guitars are more challenging than right-handed guitars. Unlike right-handed guitars, left-handed guitars are less frequent than right-handed guitars, but you may still find them if you look.
Is It Rare To Play Guitar Left-Handed?
Among guitarists, only 10% use their left hand. Most guitarists are right-handed, as in all facets of life. Nevertheless, this is not the only obstacle to learning to play the guitar left-handed.
Do Left-Handed Guitar Players Have An Advantage?
As per the latest research, strumming the guitar in a southpaw manner might be the perfect solution for those who favor their left hand. It turns out that lefties possess lightning-fast eye coordination that surpasses their right-handed counterparts.
Moreover, the brain structure of left-handed folks is somewhat unique, making them stand out. So, if you’re a leftie looking to pick up a guitar, know that your natural abilities could set you apart as a creative and expressive musician.
Can Any Guitar Be Left-Handed?
Any professional guitar can be turned into a left-handed guitar. A few guitar brands, such as Zager, sell left-handed acoustic guitars, but this shop also has a wide range of right-handed guitars. If you are left-handed, you can turn a right-handed guitar around and play it left-handed.
A point to note is that a guitar with a symmetrical body shape and construction, such as a Stratocaster or a Les Paul, can be easily converted for left-handed use by simply swapping the strings and making a few adjustments to the bridge and nut. However, guitars with a non-symmetrical body shape, such as a V or Explorer, may require more extensive bridge, nut, and pickguard modifications to accommodate left-handed play.
Some guitars are designed specifically for left-handed play, with the strings already reversed and the necessary modifications already made. If you’re a left-handed player, it may be worth considering purchasing a left-handed guitar to save yourself the hassle of converting a right-handed model. However, these guitars can cost thousands of dollars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Left-handed players can play a right-handed guitar, but many prefer a left-handed guitar for a more realistic playing experience. The reversed string orientation on a left-handed guitar makes it easier for left-handed players to play chords and techniques.
While it’s possible to restring a right-handed guitar for left-handed playing, many guitar manufacturers produce left-handed versions of popular models, making it easier for left-handed players to find a guitar that suits their needs.
Playing guitar isn’t inherently more complex for left-handed individuals, but finding suitable instruments and resources can be more challenging. Left-handed players may need to adapt to reversed string orientation if playing a right-handed guitar, but many have succeeded. Regardless of handedness, becoming a skilled guitar player requires practice and dedication.
Yes, Kurt Cobain, the late singer and guitarist of the band Nirvana was left-handed and played guitar left-handed. He is known for playing various left-handed guitars, including Fender Mustangs and Jaguars.
Yes, it’s possible to restring an electric guitar for left-handed playing, but it requires the strings to be removed and reinstalled in reverse order. However, the guitar may require a left-handed nut, adjustments to the bridge, and intonation, and some asymmetrical guitars may not be suitable for left-handed playing, even with the strings reversed.
Zager Guitars offers an excellent variety of left-handed guitars of their best-seller series. Website link; https://zagerguitar.com/lefty-vault/
You can convert a guitar to left-handed by restringing it, replacing the nut, and adjusting the bridge and intonation, but it depends on the guitar’s design. It’s best to consult a professional guitar technician before making significant modifications. Some guitars may not be suitable for conversion, and it may be easier to purchase a left-handed guitar.
