Seeking suggestions from the acoustic guitar guys here.

[jmohme]

After Christmas dinner, by brother in law got out his guitar and started playing.

He is even more deaf than I am and still manages to play rather well.

 

This stirred up some stories from my wife about her mother buying her and her brother guitars  at an early age. Her brother took to it almost immediately, but my wife is a lefty, and I suppose that left handed guitars were not easy to come by at that time, so her mother just told her she would have to learn to play right handed. This did not work out well at all.

 

The conversation  planted a thought in my mind. Her birthday is Feb 2nd. (yes groundhog day} and since I got her a plush groundhog years ago, I decided that this year,  I want to get her a left handed guitar.

 

Problem is tha I know less than nothing about guitars, so any suggestions or guidelines would be much appreciated.

I know that I can run to the Guitar Center in Austin and just ask the salesman, but I would value the opinion of those not getting commission from the sale.

[janice6]

2 hours ago, jmohme said:

After Christmas dinner, by brother in law got out his guitar and started playing.

He is even more deaf than I am and still manages to play rather well.

 

This stirred up some stories from my wife about her mother buying her and her brother guitars  at an early age. Her brother took to it almost immediately, but my wife is a lefty, and I suppose that left handed guitars were not easy to come by at that time, so her mother just told her she would have to learn to play right handed. This did not work out well at all.

 

The conversation  planted a thought in my mind. Her birthday is Feb 2nd. (yes groundhog day} and since I got her a plush groundhog years ago, I decided that this year,  I want to get her a left handed guitar.

 

Problem is tha I know less than nothing about guitars, so any suggestions or guidelines would be much appreciated.

I know that I can run to the Guitar Center in Austin and just ask the salesman, but I would value the opinion of those not getting commission from the sale.

This is a most commendable endeavor, I wish you the best of luck.  It sounds as though you might have found the best gift for her!

[tadbart]

Electrics are easier to play physically, than acoustics. So that's something to consider. Especially since we ain't 20 no more... You really can't go wrong with an Epiphone, Fender, Gibson, or even PRS base models.

 

Guitar playing always hurt my head. Hence, I played bass. 4 fingers, 4 strings. And the mind wants to make sense of doing the finesse stuff with the off hand- seems the weak hand should strum, the smart hand should finger the chords. But that ain't the way it works.

[Green Dragoon]

OP-  what is your budget?  I am the Vice President at a guitar company and I've been a VP at three others before, including Fender.  I manage all the product managers.  Perhaps I can help with a little more info.

 

[jmohme]

1 hour ago, Green Dragoon said:

OP-  what is your budget?  I am the Vice President at a guitar company and I've been a VP at three others before, including Fender.  I manage all the product managers.  Perhaps I can help with a little more info.

 

Thank You for responding.

I just started looking, so I don't really know what the range is for a beginners instrument. I am going to guess $400-500 range, but not apposed to spending more if instruments in that range are not of decent quality.

I know she has wanted to learn to play for years, and I have no doubt that she can do it. She has always been one to do whatever she sets out to do.

Other than being left handed, I need to say that she has very small hands, and I would imagine that will be an important factor too. Are there any other things that need to be considered?

I know that the best thing to do would be to take her to Guitar Center or one of the other shops and let her handle them, but I really want this to be a surprise, and I figure that if it is not to her liking, we can deal with that after the fact.

[janice6]

2 hours ago, jmohme said:

Thank You for responding.

I just started looking, so I don't really know what the range is for a beginners instrument. I am going to guess $400-500 range, but not apposed to spending more if instruments in that range are not of decent quality.

I know she has wanted to learn to play for years, and I have no doubt that she can do it. She has always been one to do whatever she sets out to do.

Other than being left handed, I need to say that she has very small hands, and I would imagine that will be an important factor too. Are there any other things that need to be considered?

I know that the best thing to do would be to take her to Guitar Center or one of the other shops and let her handle them, but I really want this to be a surprise, and I figure that if it is not to her liking, we can deal with that after the fact.

You only have one wife.  You can get more money!

[Green Dragoon]

1 hour ago, jmohme said:

Thank You for responding.

I just started looking, so I don't really know what the range is for a beginners instrument. I am going to guess $400-500 range, but not apposed to spending more if instruments in that range are not of decent quality.

I know she has wanted to learn to play for years, and I have no doubt that she can do it. She has always been one to do whatever she sets out to do.

Other than being left handed, I need to say that she has very small hands, and I would imagine that will be an important factor too. Are there any other things that need to be considered?

I know that the best thing to do would be to take her to Guitar Center or one of the other shops and let her handle them, but I really want this to be a surprise, and I figure that if it is not to her liking, we can deal with that after the fact.

https://www.sweetwater.com/c988--Left_handed_Acoustic_Guitars?params=eyJmYWNldCI6eyJQcmljZSBSYW5nZSI6WyI3Il19fQ

The link above is to Sweetwater.  They are in incredible retailer.  They have more points of inspection (and rejection) on each guitar they received than any other retailer.  I searched for "left handed guitars" and set the price filter for "500-750".  You won't really find a good selection of left handed guitars at a brick an mortar so this is you best bet.  The Taylor guitars in the price range will be made in Asia (Indonesia).  That would be my first pick given the necks are EXTREMELY playable.  Martin, although they make a great guitar, have necks that are a bit beefier.  Ibanez also makes a good instrument at this price point.  I wouldn't really step outside those three brands.

Also, avoid a guitar with a really ornate/decorative top.  While they may look snazzy, the best sounding guitars will have simple, straight grained spruce, cedar or mahogany tops. 

Disclosure:  I'm not affiliated with any of those three brands.  My company does not currently have any left handed models.  

Sweetwater's customer service is outstanding by the way and the person you speak to on the phone really knows their product.  

Let me know if I can be of any further help.

 

[tous]

23 hours ago, jmohme said:

so her mother just told her she would have to learn to play right handed. This did not work out well at all.

 

As a long-time p;layer and often teacher, i am not a fan of left-handed guitars or any other stringed instrument.

Consider, until very recently, there were no left-handed violins, violas or cellos and there are no left-handed trumpets, clarinets or pianos.

When learning, whether silly-sider or not, both hands must learn new skills and as the left hand has the traditionally more complex job for stringed instruments, one would think that a left-hander playing the traditional forms would have an advantage; in my experience, they do not. I taught many left-handed lads and a few lasses to play the traditional form and they all succeeded.  I suggest that left-handed stringed instruments are an affectation that has no reason to exist.

Also note, because the the bracing scheme, you should not simply restring a guitar upside down to make it left-handed.

Another obvious disadvantage is that the choice f instrument is severely limited if you will only accept a left-handed version.

 

That said, I played all kinds of guitars, banjos and mandolins for many, many years with my little girl hands.  Yes, a Martin dreadnought or a Precision bass was somewhat like playing a 2 x 4, but I never let that stop me.  My hands were the size they are; I learned to make them work on whatever instrument i had in my hands.   The differences in neck profile and width among guitars is quiet small.  Find the instrument that you are the most comfortable with that sounds the best; forget the measuring tape.

 

That said, The slimmest necks I experienced in common acoustic guitars were Ovation, Taylor and Guild with Ibanez a close second.

Though they play okay, I was never a fan of Takamine..

I am not sure that Guild is still in business.

 

Best of luck, amigo.