The Best Left-Handed Acoustic Guitar for Southpaws in 2024

The Dilemma of Being a Left-Handed Acoustic Guitar Player

Most guitars are designed for right-handers, and If you’re a left-handed guitar player, you know how hard it can be to find the right instrument. 

I’m here to help!

In this article, I’ll share some of my favorite acoustic guitars for lefties and what makes each one unique and special in its own way.

No matter your budget, skill level, or personal preferences, there is something on this list for every southpaw looking for the best left-handed acoustic guitar out there!

From my 25+ years of playing guitar and countless hours of research, I’ve concluded that the Taylor 214ce Deluxe Grand Auditorium is the best left-handed acoustic guitar.

However, this may not be the best for you, so keep on reading, and I’m sure I can guide you in the right direction!

Let’s get started…

Taylor Guitars is one of the market’s most innovative, playable, and consistent guitar brands.

Taylor is not interested in trying to recreate vintage models of yester-year. Instead, Taylor pushes into the future and strives to create better-sounding and better-playing guitars.

This is why I chose the Taylor 214ce Deluxe as the best choice for a left-handed guitar player.

While this is my Editor’s Choice, let’s first address who this guitar isn’t for.

If you’re a beginner guitar player or someone who only plans on playing guitar while lounging around on their couch, then the Taylor 214ce Deluxe is not for you.

Also, if you’re an experienced player looking for the best Taylor offers, then this guitar isn’t for you.

What defines the 200 series is its durability, versatility, playability, and excellent Taylor tone at a reasonable price.

Suppose you’re an intermediate player looking for the perfect mid-tier guitar that you can reliably use in various situations and playing styles. In that case, you’ll find the 214ce punches well above its weight.

This guitar features Taylor’s Grand Auditorium body style, solid Sitka spruce top, and layered (laminated) rosewood back and sides. The solid spruce top adds a rich sound that is dynamic and balanced. While the layered rosewood offers an excellent high-end and low-end “bump.” The layered wood also adds dependable durability to the guitar.

This durable construction makes the guitar a fantastic full-sized traveling guitar since the laminated wood is less prone to cracking and warping than solid wood.

Taylor’s are known for their highly easy-to-play neck, and this acoustic guitar does not disappoint. The Sapele neck and ebony fretboard have a “buttery” feel that is hard not to love.

The slightly smaller nut-width (1.6875”) gives the 214ce a slimmer feel in your hand and will be easy to play for those with small to average hands.

Taylor’s patented Expression System 2 electronics and pickup system comes standard with the 214ce. Making this an acoustic-electric guitar that sounds excellent when plugged into a PA system, amplifier, or audio interface.

While the 200 Series lineup of Taylor Acoustic Guitars is made in their Tecate, Mexico factory, this doesn’t mean the build quality will be cheap. Taylor has one of the most sophisticated manufacturing processes of any acoustic guitar brand. Their Mexico factory executes on the same standards.

However, the Mexican-made Taylor’s don’t give you the innovative V-Class bracing or an all-solid wood guitar you would get from their US Factory.

All in all, intermediate to experienced left-handed players will love the flexibility and playability of the Taylor 214ce Deluxe.

If you’re curious to see other wonderful guitars that Taylor makes, please refer to my article “The Best Taylor Acoustic Guitars For All Styles and Budgets”

Suppose you’re just starting on your guitar-playing journey and wonder what the best left-handed acoustic guitar for beginners is. In that case, you can’t go wrong with an Ibanez Artwood AC340L.

Other left-handed guitars on the market will cost less money. However, in terms of construction and playability, you will have difficulty finding a better affordable acoustic guitar.

First, this smaller-bodied guitar will be more comfortable for beginning guitar players. Unlike many budget acoustic guitars that feature a Dreadnought Body style, the AC340L features a grand concert body shape.

Grand Concert bodies hug up against the body and are great for players with smaller frames and will produce a lovely resonant sound with a lighter touch.

It also has a shorter scale length than a dreadnought, which creates less string tension and makes it easier to fret. It won’t be as painful to learn as you build your callouses.

The guitar also features a solid Okoume top which helps the guitar be more resonant and have a sonic depth that is excellent for a guitar in this price range.

While Ibanez is a guitar manufacturer known for producing popular guitars for metal and progressive music, they bring this design expertise into the AC340L’s neck design. They have created a very sleek and easy-to-play guitar. This is a welcomed feature for a more vintage-inspired acoustic design.

The one drawback to this guitar is it doesn’t include a guitar case or electronics. So if you want to properly store your guitar or play out at your favorite coffee shop, you will need to invest a little more into the guitar than the asking price.

All in all, if you’re a left-handed player looking for a great guitar on a budget, then the Ibanez Artwood AC340L should be on your shortlist!

If you’re curious to see other wonderful acoustic guitars that Ibanez makes, please refer to my article “The Best Ibanez Acoustic Guitars for the Alternative Musician”

Want to discover more options for the best budget beginner acoustic guitars?

Check out my Best Acoustic Guitar Roundups for the following price ranges:

• Best Under $300
• Best between $300-$500

While nothing is holding you back from playing fingerstyle on any of the guitars on this list, some are designed to be more suited for this popular playing style.

A great fingerstyle guitar responds to a light touch, is focused and articulate, and is easy to play up and down the neck.

The Breedlove ECO Discovery S Concert CE excels in these three categories, and it’s why I’ve added this acoustic guitar to our best left-handed guitars list.

The Breedlove Eco Discovery S Concert CE Left-Handed guitar features a solid cedar top that produces a warm, sweet, and intimate tone. It’s often the top wood used for a classical nylon string guitar. However, it’s become prevalent for steel string guitars for fingerstyle players.

This Breedlove acoustic guitar stands out from others because it is made from all sustainable woods. In fact, the layered Mahogany back and sides are created with Breedlove’s EcoTonewood construction. This laminate construction is 100% sustainable and offers a depth and durability you don’t often find in other laminated guitars.

The guitar has a slim C shape mahogany neck and plays similar to how electric guitars feel. The gloss finish also has excellent, smooth playability.

The Breedlove Eco Discovery S Concert CE also features Fishman Presys I electronics. You will be able to plug in and play at your favorite venue or coffee shop with ease.

A couple of things about this guitar to be aware of. First, the cedar top is not a very dynamic wood. It works well with light playing, but the sound soon degrades when you start picking and strumming hard.

Also, this guitar is made with plastic nut/saddle material, which isn’t as ideal as more premium non-plastic material. Materials like TUSQ, nuBone, or bone are optimal for better string resonance and intonation.

Overall, the Breedlove Eco Discovery S Concert CE is a fantastic guitar. It will suit any left-handed acoustic guitar player’s need for an intimate fingerstyle guitar.

Gibson has mastered the big, bold, and not subtle acoustic sound. For this reason, their Super Jumbo body size is legendary and is known as “The King of Flat Tops.”

The G-200 EC is one of the best left-handed acoustic guitars for those who want something to project and fill a room with their music.

On the top of the guitar’s body, the G-200 EC includes a Player Port. This port shoots sound towards you as you play, giving you a unique and immersive experience that isn’t common with other guitars.

However, be aware that if you’re playing with other quiet instruments or trying to sing over the sound of this guitar, the extra volume produced can easily overpower everything else.

The sound generated by these big and loud acoustic guitars often has an unbalanced frequency response. They frequently have a muddy mid-range and no clarity in chords. However, the pinched waist of the Gibson G-200 avoids these issues for a surprisingly articulate and balanced tone that extends across the whole EQ range.

The G-200 EC also has an ebony fretboard and a slim neck, making it extremely pleasant to play. This guitar is more than just a “cowboy chord” instrument. Lead lines and chord inversions are surprisingly simple to execute up and down the neck.

This bulky guitar is not for kids or people with smaller builds, as it takes effort to get the most out of its tone. Some people also question Gibson’s Generation Series quality control. This point is demonstrated in a great video from Driftwood Guitars by cutting open a Generation Series guitar. You can see it here.

Also, the Gibson guitar is right around $2,000 dollars, making this a sizeable investment for most guitar players.

In the end, many left-handed players have appreciated the excellent playability and loud, bold tone of the Gibson G-200 EC.

If you’re curious to see other wonderful acoustic guitars that Gibson makes, please refer to my article “The Best Gibson Acoustic Guitar for the Inspired Songwriter“

Have you ever gone to record your acoustic guitar, which sounded flat and tinny?

The problem could be a combination of your microphone and instrument pairing.

Frequently, lower-cost and mid-priced microphones accentuate the high end of an instrument. If you’re recording with the incorrect guitar, even if it sounds terrific in the room, it might cause the instrument to sound harsh and brittle.

The Martin 000-15M StreetMaster’s tone makes me choose it as the best left-handed acoustic guitar for recording.

The all-solid Mahogany top and body produce a lovely warm, rich, dark, and intimate tone. This more subdued tone can benefit from a more high-end emphasis more affordable acoustic guitar microphones create.

Also, Mahogany has a natural compression to sound, which reduces the dynamic range. This is great for recording as you will get a more “radio-ready” sound without doing as much post-processing later.

The Auditorium body style is comfortable underarm for long periods. This guitar style also produces a more focused, articulate, and projecting sound. This articulation is crucial for ensuring that your acoustic guitar recordings are clear and have depth.

The Martin 000-15M Streetmaster also features a low-oval neck, a Katalox fingerboard, and plek’d frets.

What does this mean in plain English?

The neck is tapered, providing comfort no matter what position you’re playing. The fretboard is smooth and fast with low action. The guitar is extremely comfortable on the fretting hand, which is crucial for long recording sessions where you’re doing take-after-take.

The guitar is also extraordinarily vintage-looking and beautiful and will keep any musician inspired as they record.

One of the drawbacks to this guitar is that it doesn’t have significant volume for big strumming and flatpicking. This isn’t an issue for recording when the projection isn’t a factor. Still, if you’re playing with other musicians live, you could get easily drowned out.

The guitar’s tone also might be too woody and vintage for players looking for a more modern, hi-fi tone.

Also, this guitar doesn’t feature any electronics, so you won’t be able to plug into a PA or Amp if you want to play live.

However, for a reliable, wonderfully built, and consistent left-handed acoustic guitar for recording, the 000-15M Streemaster will be an excellent choice for many players!

If you’re curious to see other wonderful acoustic guitars that Martin makes, please refer to my article “The Best Martin Acoustic Guitars for the Tone-Obsessed Player“

Suppose you love the sound or description of the Martin 000-15M above but want to use it for the stage instead of the studio.

Well, Martin has you covered with the 000-10E Road Series.

The Martin 000-10E comes as an all-Sapele left-handed acoustic. Sapele has the same characteristics as Mahogany but is more bright and modern in its tone.

The 000-10E features a Fishman MX-T electronics and a built-in tuner that resides in the soundhole. This soundhole-mounted tuner is highly convenient for tuning on stage discretely.

The Fishman MX-T electronics system reproduces the natural acoustic tone well when plugged into a PA or amp. You don’t get that unflattering “quack” that many under-saddle piezo pickups have with acoustic guitars in this price range.

The guitar’s scale length is on the shorter side (24.9”) with a 16” radius and high-performance tapered neck. This makes the guitar very easy to play for long periods, suiting any performance artist looking to bring that classic Martin tone to the stage.

Like the Martin 000-15M, this guitar isn’t the loudest guitar on the list, and while it will open up to heavy strumming, its sweet spot will be with light picking to fingerstyle players.

However, suppose you’re looking for a wonderfully built, classic Martin acoustic tone that you can confidently bring on stage with you. In that case, the 000-10E is an excellent value for your money!

Ok, let’s first address the elephant in the room. This is not a cheap guitar, especially if you’re thinking of purchasing it for your little southpaw.

However, suppose you’re looking for something that is expertly made, sounds fantastic, and is a perfect size for your kiddo to jam on. In that case, the Taylor GS Mini Mahogany will not disappoint.

Taylor guitars are known for their fantastic construction, and this guitar is no different. The solid Mahogany top matched with the layered Sapele back and sides give a nice warm, big, and even tone. The sound of this guitar will be smooth and articulate as your child learns to gain better control over their fretting and strumming hands, making this an extremely forgiving guitar.

This guitar’s short-scale (23.5”) creates a very loose and “slinky” playability that will help your kid learn to play without as much pain in the fingers.

The guitar can have electronics installed for an additional charge if your kid wants to play through an amp, PA, or plug into an audio interface for recording. However, this will be an extra charge.

One hidden benefit for the GS Mini Mahogany is they are popular guitar models. So if your child decides that playing guitar isn’t for them, then the resell on this guitar is good.

The guitar also comes with a padded gig bag for safe storage.

Overall, the Taylor GS Mini Mahogany left-handed acoustic guitar is an incredible value for the money. It is worth every penny if you think your little one is in it for the long haul.

If you’re in the market for a guitar for your kid, then you should check out my articles:

• The Best 1/4 Size Guitars for Toddlers (3-6) in 2024
• The Best 1/2 Size Guitar for Your Musical Kiddo (6-8) in 2024
• The 9 Best 3/4 Acoustic Guitars (8-12) in 2024

FAQ

The most frequently asked questions about the best left-handed acoustic guitars.

Buyers Guide for the Best Left-Handed Acoustic Guitar

Didn’t find the perfect acoustic guitar on my list? Well, don’t fret it (pun intended), as I’ve put together this buyer’s guide to help you on your journey to finding the best left-handed acoustic guitar for you.

Body Shapes

The first thing you should consider is your acoustic guitar’s body shape. The body style will significantly impact the way your guitar sounds and performs.

Parlor

The tone of a parlor guitar is woody, delicate, and punchy.

Modern-day parlor guitars can have a surprisingly well-balanced tone and are ideal for fingerstyle musicians and recording artists.

Grand Concert

A Grand Concert is a great body type for singer-songwriters and solo artists since it creates an intimate and focused tone.

These guitars don’t have the same projecting power as bigger-bodied dreadnought guitars, so they won’t overpower the voice.

Grand Auditorium

The “swiss army knife” body shape. Grand Auditoriums do everything well and are the perfect design for more modern players.

Dreadnought

The classic acoustic guitar design. Dreadnoughts have a big and bold tone that can easily cut through a mix. A dreadnought guitar is a good choice if you’re playing with other musicians.

Jumbo

The Jumbo guitar is a dreadnought on steroids. It’s a big-bodied design with a powerful, projecting sound that’s great for large strummers.

Tonewood

Tonewood is a type of wood used to make an acoustic guitar. Tonewoods significantly impact your musical instrument’s sound, playability, and value.

Solid Wood vs. Laminated Wood

It’s common to hear that laminated wood guitars are inferior to solid wood guitars. Solid wood indeed has better resonance and sonic depth than a laminated guitar.

While laminate is used on more affordable models, it’s more durable than solid wood. Laminated guitars are less likely to warp and crack from weather changes. This makes it a better choice for traveling musicians and those who don’t properly store their instruments.

For this reason, a laminated guitar is often an excellent choice for beginners.

Suppose you’re an intermediate to advanced player looking for a guitar that you will hold onto and take care of. In that case, a solid wood instrument will be a better investment for you.

Soundboard (Top wood)

The soundboard, or top wood, is the most essential tonewood to choose. There many different tonewoods that guitar manufacturers use for the top of guitars, but the most common are:

• Spruce: Great dynamics, articulate and balanced
• Mahogany: Warm and focused mid-range. Woody and vintage.
• Cedar: Delicate and articulate. Not great for heavy strummers but fantastic for fingerstyle

Most alternative tonewoods you find will often have similar characteristics to these three tonewoods.

Body and Sides

The guitar’s body wood serves as the EQ to the top wood, accentuating and spicing up the sound.

There are a lot of body tonewoods that manufacturers use today. However, we will discuss the four most common you will find.

Rosewood

The sound of a rosewood guitar is warm and smooth, with rich overtones.

Mahogany

Has a deep, mid-range tone with muted highs. Clear and articulate because of the lack of overtones.

Maple

Maple is ideal for strumming. It creates excellent clarity of notes within chords. Often thought of as a bright tonewood.

Walnut

Walnut is a warmer and woody-sounding version of maple. Walnut has a strong bass response and long sustain that aggressive strummers appreciate.

Scale Length

The scale length of your acoustic guitar affects the string tension. Shorter-scale guitars are under 25” long, while full-scale guitars are 25” and up.

Shorter-scale is considered more “slinky” than a full-scale guitar making it easier to play for beginners and those who suffer from arthritis.

However, full-scale guitars can often hold their tuning better, especially for alternative tunings.

Electronics and Pickups

Most acoustic guitars come with electronics and pickup systems installed. However, not every guitar (like the Martin 000-15M) has them.

Double-check that you’re getting a guitar that will suit your needs if you plan on plugging it into a PA or audio interface. It would be a bummer to purchase a guitar and discover that you need to invest more in a pickup system.

However, you can often get a higher-quality guitar for less if you purchase a guitar without electronics and pickups if you’re in the $1,500 or less category.

To Recap

I’m confident that whatever guitar jumped out to you on this list will suit your needs wonderfully.

But I have to give the Taylor 214ce Deluxe Grand Auditorium the top position as the perfect fit for intermediate and experienced players. Especially those looking for the best left-handed guitar with a versatile and full modern sound for a great price.