Left Handed Guitars: The Southpaw Struggle — and Where to Find Them

Being a left handed guitarist is, frankly, a bit of a raw deal. From the moment you walk into a guitar shop — or browse online — the disparity is impossible to ignore. Where a right handed player might be faced with a wall of fifty instruments to try, their left handed counterpart is lucky to find five. And those five? They're rarely the colours, finishes, or styles they actually want.

The Left Handed Guitar Problem: Less Choice, Higher Prices

The left handed guitar market has long been the forgotten corner of the instrument world. Manufacturers produce left handed models in far smaller runs, which means retailers stock fewer of them, which means players have less choice — a frustrating cycle that shows no sign of breaking. It almost amounts to discrimination against southpaw players, who make up roughly 10% of the population but are consistently underserved by the industry.

The knock-on effects are real and significant:

• Limited styles and body shapes — many iconic guitar designs simply aren't available in a left handed version at all.
• Restricted colour and finish options — if you want something other than natural or sunburst, good luck.
• Higher prices — smaller production runs mean higher per-unit costs, and those costs are passed on to the player. It's not uncommon for a left handed model to cost 10–40% more than its right handed equivalent.
• Longer wait times — special orders and limited availability mean left handed players often wait weeks or months for the guitar they want.

The "Just Flip It" Myth: Why Converting a Right Handed Guitar Isn't the Answer

One of the most common pieces of advice given to left handed beginners is to simply buy a right handed guitar and restring it upside down — or have it professionally converted. It sounds simple. It rarely is.

Playing a right handed guitar strung for a lefty without proper conversion means the instrument is fundamentally working against you. The nut slots are cut for the wrong string gauges, the saddle compensation is reversed, the cutaway (if there is one) is on the wrong side, and the controls are in awkward positions. The result? Poor intonation, uncomfortable playability, and an instrument that will never quite feel right.

A proper conversion — carried out by a skilled luthier — can work, but it's not cheap, it's not quick, and it's not without risk. Cutting a new nut, repositioning the saddle, and potentially rerouting electronics on a solid body electric is skilled work. Done badly, it can absolutely ruin a perfectly good guitar. Intonation suffers, the neck relief may be affected, and resale value typically drops. Unless you have a specific instrument you're deeply attached to, a purpose-built left handed guitar is almost always the better option.

What to Look for in a Left Handed Guitar

Whether you're a beginner picking up your first acoustic or an experienced player looking to add a quality electro acoustic to your collection, the same principles apply when choosing a left handed guitar:

• Playability — action, neck profile, and fret finish matter just as much on a left handed model. Don't accept a poorly set-up instrument just because options are limited.
• Tonewoods — mahogany, spruce, cedar, and rosewood all have distinct sonic characters. Choose based on the music you play.
• Electronics — if you're buying an electro acoustic, check the pickup system. A quality preamp with a built-in tuner makes a real difference on stage.
• Build quality — look for solid tops where budget allows. A solid spruce or mahogany top will open up and improve with age in a way that laminate simply won't.

Left Handed Guitars at Music Bits

At Music Bits, we know how frustrating it can be to find a quality left handed guitar. We make a genuine effort to keep left handed acoustic and electric guitars in stock — though we'll be honest with you: they sell fast. No matter how many we bring in, they never seem to stay on the hangers for long, which tells you everything about the demand that exists and how poorly it's served by the wider market.

Right now, we have a couple of rather lovely Tanglewood models available — and Tanglewood is a brand we have a lot of time for. They consistently deliver excellent build quality, great tone, and superb value, and their left handed range is better than most.

Tanglewood Crossroads Left Handed Acoustic Guitar TC3LH — Mahogany

The Tanglewood Crossroads TC3LH is a superb left handed acoustic guitar for players at beginner and intermediate levels. Built with a mahogany top, back, and sides, it delivers a warm, focused tone with excellent mid-range presence — ideal for fingerpicking, folk, blues, and singer-songwriter styles. The Crossroads series has long been one of Tanglewood's most popular ranges, and the left handed version loses nothing in translation. If you're looking for a quality left handed acoustic guitar that won't break the bank, this is a seriously strong option.

Tanglewood Blackbird Left Handed Electro Acoustic Guitar TB4CELH

For players who need to plug in, the Tanglewood Blackbird TB4CELH is a left handed electro acoustic guitar that punches well above its price point. The Blackbird series is built for performance, with a pickup and preamp system that translates the guitar's natural acoustic tone faithfully through a PA or amplifier. Whether you're playing acoustic sets at a local venue or recording at home, this is a left handed electro acoustic guitar that will serve you well for years.

Don't Miss Out — Left Handed Guitars Sell Fast

If you're a left handed guitarist and you've been putting off buying a new instrument because you assumed the options would be disappointing, we'd encourage you to take a look at what we currently have in stock. Quality left handed guitars at fair prices don't hang around — and we'd rather they went to players who'll love them.

If you're after something specific that we don't currently have, get in touch. We're always happy to discuss special orders, and we'll do our best to source the left handed guitar you're looking for. Because frankly, left handed players deserve better — and we're doing our small part to make that happen.