Starter acoustic guitar for left-handed 12-yr old

[Tipperary]

A friend wants to get his 12-yr old son a guitar for Christmas, asked me for advice. When I started playing I just went straight for the full size guitar but that's a while ago (different times!). Any thoughts on whether a smaller guitar would make sense (I'm not seeing the point myself).
Also, any thoughts on whether it's essential that a left-handed guitar is bought for a left-hander?

Around the $300-400 mark I was thinking of a Tanglewood (I like the tone and "playability", if that's a word) but any other recommendations appreciated! Bearing in mind it needs to be available in Ireland now-ish, I guess I'm probably limited to the manufacturers which have good international distribution.

[Papa Joe]

I have a Taylor Big Baby that I love..A little smaller that full size but sounds big..It's in that price range too.Check 'em out...PJ..

[mudbean]

I write, throw, bat and swing a golf club with my left side. But, I play guitar righty, because that's what was given to me first.

mud

[emiller45]

There is a debate as to whether a left handed person should or should not play a left handed guitar. I tend to come down on the side of the left hander playing a right handed guitar for numerous reasons.

1) it doesn't seem to make a noticable difference in the playing ability. Both the left and right hands perform equally complex tasks and both have to be learned. I know some very good LH guitarists who play right handed.
2) Left handed guitars are not readily available - mostly special orders. If you play lefty, you will not be able to adequately try out guitars if you are shopping for a new one. Also, if you are considering a used/vintage instrument, the pickings are pretty slim.
3) Sit ins on someone else's axe and jamming with the extra guitar aren't happening.
4) I once asked the late Mel Bay about the lefty/righty question. He was solidly on the side that left handed people were better off playing guitar right handed. I have since deferred to his expertise

I hope some of the knowledgable people on the forum will weigh in on the lefty vs righty debate. It is not a decision to be made lightly.

[KevinB]

Originally Posted by Tipperary

Also, any thoughts on whether it's essential that a left-handed guitar is bought for a left-hander?

It may not be absolutely essential, but at a minimum, if he's going to learn left-handed, you'd want to install a new nut on it. Intonation will also be problematic if the bridge saddle slopes the wrong way, and I wouldn't want anything like this to stand in the way of a youngster's enthusiasm.

I'm not sure I'd go to $300-400. I'd look into something like a cheaper Yamaha with a laminated body for the extra sturdiness. Yamahas are well-made, widely distributed and several models are available left handed.

[emiller45]

My experience in teaching guitar is that most 12 year olds do fine on a full size guitar. They are old enough to make the reaches and would not react favorably to the stigma attached to playing what might appear to be a childs instrument.

[Wally]

If the young fellow has good control over his right hand, I would suggest that he use a 'right-handed' guitar. IT is essentially a two-handed instrument. Many lefthanders are ambidextrous, and their right hands have good coordination. Most people judge their initial comfort level on how well they can utilize the picking hand. IF a left hander can move that right hand in strum and picking-like movements, convince him that it will be much more convenient in the long run to use a 'righthanded' guitar.

[mudbean]

Here's something interesting - solid Sitka spruce top, Yamaha FG700S:



$200-250 from the discounters.

Throw a set of nines on there, he'll be good to go.

mud

[straightface]

+1 on the Yamaha. As far as the lefty/righty argument goes, it can make a very noticeable difference in ability, then again it may not. It did for me. Some lefties can make the switch, others can't. Have him go into a guitar store and try some guitars, see which way he naturally holds it. I'm not going to beat a dead horse here, but there are numerous threads here about the whole lefty/righty thing.

[Tipperary]

Thanks a million y'all - this helps me out a lot.

[blue metalflake]

I started playing at 12 & a full size guitar was OK for me.

I'm fairly equally right/left handed, do lots of things keft handed, but learnt on a right handed guitar. Best to do that as they're readily available. I played in a band with a very left handed guy who played right handed & he had no trouble.

[J. Hayes]

start out so I'd just go with the right handed guitar for all the previously stated reasons. I have a friend who's a pretty good guitarist who's left handed all the way but plays right handed.

Pro players, I'm not sure of guitar players but in the pedal steel world, session ace and legend Lloyd Green is left handed as was the late C6th master Curley Chalker, both played right handed........

In baseball the late Babe Ruth who started as a left handed major league pitcher turned left handed slugger did things both ways. If you ever saw an old picture or movie footage of him signing an autograph, he did it right handed...........JH in Va.

[otterhound]

As a life long lefty , I must say that decision is often best made by the person that is using the instrument . Convenience would say righthanded all the way . I learned to play trumpet when young , oddly they are oriented for a leftie . The valves are used by the right hand . The left simply holds the instrument . One of the laminated small Martins would be a good choice as well , as they are inexpensive and somewhat readily available , at least on the net . Sit ins with righties can be problematic while at the same time may be just the thing from someone else doing harm to your guitar by borrowing or lifting it in envy or greed . Just for the record , Robert Fripp , while a little touched is a leftie that plays backwards just fine . Playing leftie can also set you apart from the crowd prominently as well as being well suited to bluegrass for example . It looks more even with a leftie to the right of center and a rightie to the left of center . If you are truly considering a leftie for your child try Southpaw Guitars on the web for access since they cater to us backwards , right brained fools .
Good luck and I wish your kid well in his endeavor .

[badmelonfarmer]

+1 on the Taylor Big Baby, great guitar for the money. it is a 15/16th guitar so it's a little smaller, but not that much smaller.

if you want to go smaller I would recomend the Little Martin series, built like a tank and very playable. it is a 3/4 size. I have one for traveling,

Not a fan of the Baby Taylor, much prefer the Martin.

But the Big Baby is a great guitar.

Cheers

BMF

[bingy]

I'm a lefty and was told at the music store to learn right handed...this was 45 years ago and I'm glad I did. I can play any guitar. And I never thought about again.

[getbent]

seagull s6

[RickG501]

What made one guitar a righty, and another a lefty. So the proliferation of guitars that were made were strung with the bottom strings on top, so that a person fretted with their left hand.
Then here comes Paul Mc and some others who felt more comfy fretting with their right hand, they flipped it over and changed the nut and now it's a "lefty". (I know they weren't the first, but the first I'd seen) I say it's only a "lefty" because most of those folks were left handed. I'm solidly right handed, but I learned to fret, bend, pull off, etc. with my left hand. Seems to me the dexterity to fret a guitar or strum and pick are equally complicated operations, the difficulty for one way in the other is probably a mental speed bump (For the most part).
So, just get one without a pick guard. Once the dilema has settled it self out, as to his comfort or difficulty playing if the right handed one is ok...just leave it alone. If not all it takes is a new nut and putting a pick guard on the other side of the sound hole and new strings.
So, I think I'd buy a righty first and see what happens. Strictly because of the availability of righty guitars. Dat's my 1.5 cents.

[teleftcaster]

It's interesting that these type of threads inevitably have people telling lefties to play right handed. I'm a lefty who mulled over the "big question" alot before deciding to play left handed. I had tried as a teenager to early twenties to play as a righty because my dad pushed me to play right handed...I never got any good. Now, later in life, I chose to take up playing again and this time left handed. My progess has been immensely better. I believe the main reason for this is that the playing of rhythm and time need to be played with the hand that does it most intuitively (right hand for righties and left hand for lefties). The fretting action is not intuitive at all for either hand, and, therefore, a large amount of focus when learning and playing is on the fret hand. If you're a lefty learning to play a right handed instrument you (IMO) have handicapped yourself, because now you have to also put the focus on your right hand strumming/picking (which is not intuitive for that hand). Obviously it can be done, and there are alot of players out there who have succeeded, but I believe it will slow down a true lefty's progress at least early on...End of Public Service Announcement. Now, the guitar...I have an Seagull S6 that is great and costs around $400.00. Maybe there would be more lefty guitars available if lefties would play left handed (Supply and Demand).

[mcleeder]

I also vote for that Yamaha. I've got the same one. It's dirt cheap for a solid top and sounds/plays like a much more expensive guitar. I wouldn't pay more than $200 for it though.

[twangcaster1]

Some kind of Takamine.