Left Handed Guitars

I thought I'd start at basics, with a guitar that is designed uniquely for child beginners, and best of all, for that oft neglected group, left handed young children.

I've seen this guitar used effectively by kids as young as 4 (albeit in 1/4 as opposed to this half sized one), and despite its extremely cheap price, I have no hesitation recommending it to you if you are looking for your childs first guitar.

For any parent who wants their child to learn an instrument, it can be a frustrating furrow to plough. We all know the worst thing that can happen is to invest in an instrument that is initially quite expensive, only for our child to turn away from the instrument in favour of another.

The Valencia is the perfect fit for that.

Coming from the same stable as the SX Mentor I talk about below, and priced at less than $30, this cute little guitar is all a young person will need to take their first musical steps without a massive outlay on their parents part.

It comes with its own vinyl carry case and an instructional DVD (be aware though, that the DVD features a right handed player).

The Valencia has everything you need in a budget childs starter guitar. Great styling, Classical style open tuners, a Natowood fretboard and bridge.
It comes with a Basswood back and sides and they have made a real effort with the soundhole to make it look a little classy.

I have a male friend who has his three acoustics on guitar stands in his lounge, with his six year old daughters Valencia right next to them on its own little stand. It looks so cute!

Buy the Valencia now for only $29.95 by clicking here

It's an absolute bargain.

If you want to buy a guitar for a younger person, you need to source a 'Short Scale' model that is built specifically for small hands, and Companies have sprung up out there to cater specifically for that market.

I started on a full sized acoustic, and I found it difficult to make my small hands span the neck effectively, now all that is catered for and there are some really nice beginner left handed acoustic guitars out there.

Having said that, my neighbours boy started on a full size last year, and has taken well to it, but it's too big for his younger sister, and that sent me off on a mission to find a great starter guitar for the young miss.

I looked everywhere for a beginners left handed acoustic specially built for younger female beginners and after a tip from a friend went straight to the home of 'Guitars For Girls' - Daisy Rock.
Founded by former rock guitarist Tish Ciravolo in 2000, Daisy Rock is pioneering the way in the world of guitars produced purely for female strummers.
With a mission to do whatever it takes to help girls play guitar and enjoy music, Tish has put together a great line of guitars, and I've picked out this one The Daisy Rock Debutante Junior Miss Acoustic.

The attractive Debutante Junior Miss Acoustic is a quality 3/4 size, short scale guitar that's perfect for the beginning guitarist, and it's available at a price that won't break the bank. The best price I found for you SAVES YOU $70 ON THE RETAIL PRICE if you act quickly to take advantage of the current offer

So what makes it special?

For a start, Daisy Rock's exclusive "Slim & Narrow" neck design makes it easier for girls with smaller hands to play the guitar, and that's essential if you want that special young person to progress and learn quickly.

The Junior Miss's lightweight construction makes the guitar easier to manage and more comfortable to play.

And unlike myself, who as I mentioned earlier, had to learn on a full size, the shorter and more manageable 23 1/4" scale is a perfect fit for younger, smaller girls.

And check out that vibrant, musically inspiring bubblegum pink color!

Technical Bits? Here you go....
Theres a mahogany neck, a rosewood fingerboard with 18 frets.
Length? 22 3/4" and it weighs in at a very manageable 3lbs 8oz.

So there you have it - if you are looking for a great left handed starter acoustic guitar for a young girl, I recommend the Daisy Rock Debutante Junior Miss. In my opinion it's the perfect starter guitar for left handed girls to learn on!

HERE'S THE LINK THAT WILL SAVE YOU $70 ON THE RETAIL PRICE IF YOU BUY NOW

So far we've looked at some half sized guitars suitable for left handed children to start their musical journey with, but now I want to move up a size to a 3/4 size guitar from Oscar Schmidt - a long lived and well known American brand.

The Oscar Schmidt Company was founded in 1871 and incorporated in 1911.

By the early 1900s, the company had five factories in Europe and a factory on Ferry Street in Jersey City.

They made (and still do make) all kinds of stringed instruments, guitars, banjos, mandolins, ukuleles, zithers, and Autoharps®.

Originally, Oscar Schmidt instruments were sold in many rural parts of the country where no music stores existed.
Salesmen criss crossed the U.S. and distributed the products far and wide, making them available in general, small town furniture and dry goods stores.

Country guitar pickers and blues musicians living in areas of the South and in Appalachia, far from the city, frequently played Oscar Schmidt instruments because they were both inexpensive and available locally.

But equally important, they were often chosen solely on merits of their superior tone and volume.

I wanted a natural progression throughout this Guitar Lens, and having looked at some half sized ones already, needed to find the next size up, with the right quality and more importantly....the right price.

The Oscar Schmidt OG1 is a 3/4 sized guitar that is perfect for students, children, and even for people blessed with smaller hands.

Available in left hand form it uses the classic 'dreadnought' body shape so loved by American country guitar pickers.

It has a high gloss finished select spruce top (just like the best Flamenco guitars), Catalpa sides and back, rosewood fingerboard & bridge, mahogany neck, fully adjustable truss rod, chrome diecast tuners, and for me, best of all, a full Lifetime Warranty.

Even though this is a 3/4 guitar it has a lovely sound to it. If you finger pick it, the sound is soft (but not 'muffled soft') and it really comes into its own when you use a plectrum as a pleck releases a really rich deep tone that you'll love.

There are lots of guitars out there in this bracket, but I've chosen the Schmidt because it's a well loved American brand that everyone trusts to deliver quality, and it delivers quality in spades.

Light enough to transport and hold comfortably, but robust enough to produce great sound, this is one heck of a country guitar, and the next natural step up for a child.

Looking around for the best possible price, I find it normally retails out at $179, but clicking on this link will save you nearly $71 on that price - and you won't have to pay shipping!

A great guitar, with a lifetime guarantee, from a company with real history. You can't go wrong with the Dreadnought.

Continuing our progression, I thought I'd try to find you a good, full sized guitar that didn't break the bank, and this one, out of China under the Rogue brand ticks all the boxes.

This is what other pickers are saying about the Rogue...
"As an instrument to learn on, this one is first rate. Tunes up nicely. The action is very easy on the fingers. The finish is flawless. In every way a fine guitar. You don't have to spend a lot to get a quality first guitar. I love mine."

"This was my first guitar, purchased back in 2000. If you are a blossuming Lefty-looking for a starter guitar, this is a great choice! I still write and travel with this guitar. It is built like a brick. It has accompained me to 3 different continents, and across the country. The sound is very basic but it stays in tune well. this is a large guitar, and the size may be something difficult for young beginners to over-come."

"I bought this guitar about a year ago. I have to say that this guitar is worth every penny you wish to put in it. From gigging to recording to fingerpicking on the back portch (sic), this guitar really is an amazing investment. I have not had any problems from it since I took it out of its box. It plays great, feels great, and sounds wonderful."

"bought this guitar in march 2009 as a starter.im'50ish and i did'nt want to spend a lot of money on something i might not stick with.i've been very happy with this guitar.it holds tune well,and the finish looks nice for a"cheap"guitar. i had the action lowered and that seemed to help some.i've since bought an ibanez acoustic/electric but i'm going to keep this to take on trips,backup,ect. good guitar to learn on."

So although I haven't played one myself, this guitar seems to please a lot of people,

The RG-624 left handed acoustic guitar features a spruce top for a great sound, diecast tuning machines for precise and secure tuning, it has an inlaid body binding, and is fitted with world class Martin strings.

And looking at all the players comments out on the forums, the sound is very impressive.

The best price I could find for you on the Rogue.... is here and saves you 50% on the retail price

It's well worth clicking the link and taking a closer look.

I thought I'd start where we all did once, with a starter left handed acoustic guitar package that not only would make the perfect gift for someone, but also a solid jumping off point for someone who wants to learn guitar.

For less than $70 this is an absolute steal for a guitar that sounds as good as this does, sit the player behind a screen and ask them to play the SX and its tonality would have you expect a far more expensive instrument on show when the drapes were pulled back.

This definitely is an instrument that delivers a full, rich pallet of sound.

The SX Mentor is handmade in Spain in plain wood, as seen in the photo, or in a blue, red, burgundy or black high gloss finish, and, for the price, is finished to a high spec.

Starting with the headstock (with the SX logo in plain sight), you find unique SX designed sealed chrome machine heads, a NuBone polymer nut and left handed saddle, a well finished rosewood fingerboard with side dot markers (a feature not normally found in beginner guitars); with the guitar body made of Basswood.

The body is fully bound, and all in all, the guitar weighs in at a comfortable 4.5lbs, with an all up length of 40" and a body depth of 4", which helps give it its rich tone.

I particularly like the free instructional DVD that comes with this package, which is designed from the ground up for a guitar newbie, and will enable anyone to open up the package, pop the DVD into their nearest player, and begin to learn....plus each buyer is given the option to subscribe to online guitar lessons if they so wish.

And it's not just me who thinks this is a great starter package.....here's what other buyers have said about The SX Mentor Package...

'nice bright sound, especially for the price'

'The body is shallow enough to be comfortable to hold, but deep enough to resonate'

"The guitar is perfect, it's beautiful, nice wood finish and sounds great'

'I'm 100% satisfied with the product - I would have been happy even if I had paid 3 times the price for it'

If you are looking for a starter left handed acoustic guitar package, for me there's only one in it, the SX Mentor, a great starter guitar, and the perfect gift at the right price.....the seller even throws in some plectrums as part of the deal, which I found a particularly nice touch.

Here's the best price I could find for you on the web

I'll admit to being a little bit biased here, as I've owned a Flamenco Hermosa in the past, and loved its tone and vibrancy. I was looking for the 'next step up' acoustic guitar and when I stumbled across this, i couldn't believe the current savings and I've included it for you.

This model, the Antonio Hermosa AH-10L
has a solid cedar top, which has a slightly deeper tone to my early Antonio, but it reeks of quality everywhere you look, and purists always say that a cedar topped guitar improves with age.

It's a really good buy for anyone interested in quality at the right price, and is ideal for a beginner who wants a bit of 'street credz'.

With its solid cedar top, mahogany back, sides and neck comes assembled with a true traditional Spanish neck joint.

The specially selected tonewoods are finished with 3 ply top purfling, maple binding, and real gold plated tuners (trademark Hermosa class).

No lightweight at 5.4lbs, the extra weight helps the Hermosa develop the unique tone beloved by classical Spanish Guitarists.

This is a great-sounding, carefully crafted performance model that is, in my humble opinion, the perfect choice for anyone looking for a really classy left handed acoustic guitar.

Trawling the internet for the best possible deal, this is the best price I could find for the Hermosa AH-10L , and it's a really good one.....

Click here and SAVE NEARLY $100 ON RETAIL PRICE!

For those of you who are looking for a left handed electric guitar, I've come up with this as my preferred choice after a lot of searching the web.

Sure there are more expensive left handed electric guitars out there, but I wanted one with a proven sound and a long pedigree. I asked around my colleagues and the majority pointed me towards a Les Paul for a really good all round sound.

The Special ll is Epiphones top seller, and when you look at the spec you can see why...it's a great sounding workhorse of a guitar that you can take anywhere.

It's all mahogany, and comes fitted with big 500k Ohm potentiometers. Everything about this guitar is built to last, with the accent throughout on 'Heavy Duty'. It features all chrome hardware including the famous Epiphone LockTone Bridge.

This guitar is a bargain even at its full retail price of over $300 - but I've found a saving of over $120 on that price.

The Tech Spec?

Angled Headstock
Unlike cheaper designs, all Epiphones feature a 14-degree headstock that gives you more pressure at the nut and so you get more sustain with less tuning hang-ups caused by "string-tree" gadgets.

Double-Waxed Pickups
Epiphone utilizes a double vacuum waxing process that ensures optimum performance. The pickup is first placed in the specialized wax vacuuming system before the cover is put in place to ensure that the wax fully penetrates to the very center of the pickup and solidifies all parts. After the cover is placed on, it is again given a second vacuum wax bath until the unit is completely saturated with wax.

Output Jack
To increase reliability and ensure consistent performance, Epiphone's proprietary output jacks feature an improved contact shape and heavy-duty spring steel.

Toggle Switches
All Epiphones feature our all-metal, USA designed switches for reliable contact and longer life.

Tunomatic Bridge
Fully adjustable, the tunomatic remains a classic after over 50 years. Unlike guitars fitted with tremolos, there are no tuning or re-stringing difficulties. Plus, tone and sustain are improved because all string vibrations are transferred directly to the guitar.

Potentiometers
Epiphone is passionate about performance. That's why their instruments use one-inch diameter potentiometers for better "throw," longer life and reliable service.

Quick-Connectors
For unequalled reliability as well as ease of service, Epiphone wiring harnesses feature quick-connectors.

Rather than being an out and out 'metal' guitar the Lefty ll's sound leans more towards Blues, Good ole rock n roll and Country .

Normally retailing at over $300 Buy it here and save $123 and freeeee shipping to your front door!

If you are looking for a workhorse to lug around on your travels rather than use your more expensive Les Paul, or you are looking for a great gift for someone, I don't think you will go wrong with the Epiphone Lefty - an iconic American brand.

Moving up a few rungs I wanted to find you a good, allround left handed electric guitar that came in the middle price range, but still delivered on both sound and value, and Schechter are another iconic American brand that is the preferred guitar of such worthies as Prince, The Cure, Nevermore and Papa Roach.

The Hellraiser lefty in a black cherry finish and two humbucker pickups is well thought of in the business, and is available at considerable savings over retail.
Famous in the industry for its ability to major in every music style from blues and rock thru to shred/thrash metail. It comes fresh from the factory already set up with a smooth, fast action.
Having sat and worked on an earlier Hellraiser, I can vouch for the fact that to me anyway, this was built for 'Metal' because it's built like an Abrams tank and gives out a really warm, rich tone.

The Technicals?...

The Hellraiser has the following build in as standard....

Tuners -
Schecter Locking
Schecter Locking Tuners feature a locking screw pin to lock the string into place for greater tuning stability. Details include a 19:1 gear ratio allowing for precise fine tuning adjustments, removable knobs, threaded peghead bushing, and a 10mm diameter peg hole.

Finger Board -
Rosewood
The most common fretboard, Rosewood is naturally oily, and works well for any surface that sees frequent human contact. The sound is richer in fundamental than Maple because the stray overtones are absorbed into the oily pores.

Pickups -
EMG Active 81tw/89
Bridge: The 81TW dual-mode design allows for maximum flexibility, with the original 81 providing all the crunch and aggressiveness it's famous for and an all new single-coil that features a fatter tone with plenty of punch and clarity. Neck: The EMG 89 is loaded with alnico V magnets and has separate preamps each providing custom outputs for both dual coil and single coil modes. In dual coil mode, the sound is rich, warm and powerful, but still very clear and is similar to the 85.

Neck -
3-pc Mahogany
Made with 3 pieces of mahogany for extra stability. 3 piece necks can withstand the test of time. Where standard necks may show aging defects from temperature and moisture changes throughout the years, the 3 piece neck will stay nice and straight for a lifetime of playability.

Bridge
TonePros TOM Bridge w/Thru Body
TonePros components complete your instrument! Your bridge and tailpiece will be locked down and will not move or "wiggle" at all. With this design, even play or movement in the threads is reduced so that when you adjust your action and intonation, it is set and solid. Which improves your sustain and tonal qualities, makes harmonics "jump" out of your guitar, and more stable tuning.

All in all, a real find, as this is a great all round, well built guitar that deserves a real hard look.

MSRP for this babe is currently $1119 but... If you buy it HERE you can save $320 on that price and get your shipping free.

The Hellraiser will be set up for you at the Schechter factory prior to shipping out to your home, so you know the action will be perfect straight out of the box.
Have a closer look, and save yourself $320!

This is the first left handed electric guitar I have come across that is actually manufactured and finished to mimic a well traveled, top of the range Gibson, and it succeeds sweetly.
The five available finishes mirror those offered by Gibson from 1952 to 1960 but underneath that retro look lurks up to the minute electronics that push this Gibson up there with the greats.

Body and Finish

A solid, carved maple top and chambered mahogany body give the Les Paul Studio '60s Tribute the same tonewood combination that has been helping Les Pauls rock for nearly 60 years. Those five authentic vintage-style finishes-Worn Gold Top, Worn Honey Burst, Worn Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Worn Ebony or Worn White-present a guitar with the look of a well played original, while the instrument's unbound body and neck keep it in line with the rest of the Les Paul lineup.

Pickups and Electronics

To give it the vintage look and meaty, raw sound that this rock 'n' rollers seek out, the Les Paul Studio '60s Tribute carries two Gibson USA P-90 pickups, which are wired through the traditional four-knob Les Paul control array, with a three-way Switchcraft toggle selector.

Neck and Headstock

The Les Paul Studio '60s Tribute is crafted with a solid quarter-sawn mahogany neck with fast SlimTaper%u2122 profile, an unbound rosewood fingerboard, and a headstock set at the traditional 17-degree angle for superior transference of vibrational energy. You might find the neck a little harsh to the touch straight out of the box, but that can be fixed in seconds with some TLC.

My blues loving friend Marty swears by his Tribute mainly because with just a little tweaking of the P90 pickups the Tribute is transformed from a good performer to a great one.

The MSRP of this gorgeous beastie? $1599.

Its value for money even for that amount, but I've found it HERE saving you $550!

It needs to be checked out at that price before the offer is taken down.