12/13/13 7:48 AM

My brother has surprised me by asking for a left handed, steel string, acoustic guitar for Christmas. I know there are some knowledgeable people here, any thoughts?

TIA

12/13/13 8:24 AM

While maybe not the best service and such, they allow you to try a guitar for 30 days to see if you like them.

Depending on what the budget is, there area range of of options. I play a Seagull, and it sounds, to my ears, very nice. If you end up getting him one, make sure you at least get a solid wood top.

Here are some LH guitars no offered at GC:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Left-handed-Acoustic-Acoustic-Guitar.gc

12/13/13 10:24 AM

Isn't Guitar Center closing? Not sure when or positive if just going mail order and closing retail stores etc.

Musicianfriend.com I think does the 30 day thing.

12/13/13 10:25 AM

Price range is a question, as are:

1. Does he presently play guitar at all?

2. What style of guitar/music does he prefer?

You can get a left-handed Martin D28 for around $2,400.

You can get a decent left-handed Ibanez for $250-300.

There's lots in-between and above--probably not much below that range.

Is he a folkie? Go for a smaller-bodied guitar (like an OO, OOO, or [maybe] OM size). Does he play bluegrass? Maybe a D ("dreadnaught") sized guitar (also the classic singer-songwriter size). Does he like plain finished wood or painted/sunburst finish guitars?

Does he want a guitar that's acoustic-only, or one with a piezo pickup built-in?

Is he hard on things? Get an Ovation--one of the toughest acoustics made.

If your budget allows, get a guitar with a solid (as opposed to laminated) top. Better sound, in the opinion of many, and laminated sides are much less of an issue.

This is a really difficult question. I own three acoustics--a very cheap Yamaha classic, which is still pretty good, a Martin OO-18 which I *love*, and a Giannini Craviola, which is another thing entirely--and none of them predicts well the next guitar I would buy. Like bikes, it's a matter of sitting down and trying them. But Wheels has provided some reasonable input, and I hope I have as well.

12/13/13 10:36 AM

Not that I am aware of.

I strongly advocate using a local music store if you have one in town. However, GC stores are everywhere and do have a on-line means of ordering and a mortar and brick front too.

I tried to order my guitar through the Mom and Pop in town, but they mostly cater to school kids, so their supply and sources are geared towards lesser priced lines, they weren't distributors for two of the brands that I wanted to look at. I do take my lessons and buy all my accessories through them though.

12/13/13 10:40 AM

If he doesn't play at all at the moment, then there's something to be said for learning to play right-handed even if you're a lefty. In certain respects, it makes learning to play a great deal easier (no need to use a mirror when reading chord blocks, tablature is more easily interpreted, etc). I'm not saying this is the right way to do things. There are also folks who learn to play upside down, playing a right-handed guitar held in the left-hand. So there are lots of ways to approach this...

It's somewhat easier with solid-body electric guitars, because you can take a right-handed instrument, adjust the saddles, restring the instrument left-handed, and play it that way (see, e.g., Jimi Hendrix).

12/13/13 10:45 AM

I am partial to Godins, reasonable price and made in Canada. These and Silver Creek pop into my mind for decent and reasonable price/quality range.


As far as the laminated top goes, my main for amplified use is all laminated, even the top. I find it
easy to control feedback and unwanted harmonics amplified. For sitting around playing, solid wood top box is preferred. I have a Godin 12 string with a solid Cedar top, like that too. Usually you see cedar tops on classical styles, but also some steel string acoustics use cedar. It exhibits less attack than spruce FWIW.

12/13/13 10:50 AM

"because you can take a right-handed instrument, adjust the saddles, restring the instrument left-handed, and play it that way"

Well, kinda sorta. The nut is cut for right hand on right hane guitar. Left hand strung with right hand cut nut will be a bad thing. So a left hand cut nut is required, and some bridges also will need tweaks.

If acoustic, it may/should have more robust bracing on the heavy sting side under the top as well.

I have a Jasmine 'by Takamine. It was like 100.00 and I got it for 50.00 to have a Nashville strung acoustic for some use. It would be a perfect beginner guitar IMO. Originally my intent was to see it that tuning would work for me and get something better, but it is fine and holds it'd own much to my surprise. Do not know it that is still a viable line or not though.

Last edited by Sparky on 12/13/13 10:57 AM; edited 2 times in total

12/13/13 10:55 AM

I am sure that there are books written to learn how to play LH guiter, but I don't see how the chords would be a problem nor tabulature. The bass string (E) still should top, and the high e, still should be the bottom. I haven't seen a LH guitar in person, so if the strings are how I assume they are, how would the cords and tabulature be different compared to RH guitars?

12/13/13 10:58 AM

Tabs would need to be flipped if not done for LH.


I would being a newbee to a store with both LH/RH gits and see which he/she seems more comfortable with. Life as a right handed player will be simpler across the board IMO.

12/13/13 11:07 AM

Chord blocks are usually shown vertically, and read left-to-right. When I was learning to play, I got this humongous book of Dylan songs and learned chords from it, and that's how the blocks were there (and most places). I'm sure you can learn to read them middle-eastern style, but.

The other thing is that right v. left is really very arbitrary when it comes to guitars. I suppose if you want to do arm-spinning chords a la Pete Townshend, then you'd want your dominant arm holding the pick, but otherwise...well, my left hand is doing plenty of hard work when I play (chords, notes, sliding up and down the fretboard). The right hand is comparatively still.

12/13/13 11:16 AM

He played some when he was a kid, but hasn't touched it in 40 years or more. I think he just wants to give it a try again as he is near retirement and is probably looking for hobbies. Don't want to spend a fortune for that reason.

IIRC way back then he strung a guitar backwards so he could use it leftie.

I think he might be too old to switch now in any activity.

He specifically asked (when prompted) for steel string, round hole, non electric. I'm guessing Willie Nelson will figure prominently in the repertoire.

12/13/13 11:21 AM

Willie's #1 git IIRC is/was a classical guitar actually. And not strung with steel strings either.


Sounds like a dreadnaught would be the ticket.

12/13/13 11:32 AM

Yep, a D-type guitar. At the lower end, Yamaha makes some excellent guitars in that size/style that might be worth looking at. Something like this one, mebbe:

http://www.samash.com/yamaha-fg720s-left-handed-acoustic-guitar-yfg720snl?cm_mmc=GoogleShopping-_-Guitars-_-Channeladvisor-_-Yamaha+FG720S+Left+Handed+Acoustic+Guitar&utm_source=GSH&utm_medium=CSE&utm_campaign=Channeladvisor&CAWELAID=1594689330&catargetid=500002510000006102&cadevice=c&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CP2J35TdrbsCFTRo7Aod3iwA0A

12/13/13 11:47 AM

Seagul is the Godin model name in this range.


The Yamaha FG-700 is a little less fancy, closer to 200.00 and same main box if you can source a LH one.

Yamaha instruments very decent IMO.


Hey Andy, I had a Red Label FG-75 roll through here last year. $100.00 yard sale guitar. How sweet is that?

12/16/13 12:10 PM

Curiosity is keeping me up all night!

12/16/13 12:48 PM

He could play like the blind self-taught Australian musician Gurramul Yunupingu, and use a conventionally strung right-handed guitar upside down.

12/16/13 1:04 PM

She (similarly) played a standard-strung right-hand guitar upside down.

12/16/13 1:16 PM

Didn't we pretty much cover the upside down approach as being limited in notation and tablature learning aid wise?

12/16/13 1:25 PM

But any opportunity to mention Ms. Cotton is a good opportunity.

12/16/13 2:01 PM

#13 on Rolling Stone's Top 100 guitarists:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKY8KIt9kqc

I'm not a guitarist, but do guitars get any cooler than this?

12/16/13 2:38 PM

"but do guitars get any cooler than this?"

Yep, IMO they sure do....

Luv AK BTW

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lVCYaKxCrw

12/16/13 3:55 PM

nm (and a point to the first who gets the pseudo-musical reference)

12/16/13 7:20 PM

BTW, I think it's Elizabeth Cotten, not Cotton.

12/17/13 9:38 AM

You may be right, though I've seen her name written both ways. Oral tradition, and all that.

Not NME. It came from an ape man a while after Lola left.