Which style is best? Although there is little variance between designs in terms of tones produced, there are some key differences between each style. Searching for the best left handed mandolin, but unsure where to start? This in-depth guide should clue you in on all you could ever need to know! So, you’ve got your new mandolin and a bunch of shiny accessories – now what? At this point it would probably make sense to learn how to make some sweet, sweet music, right? The answer to this question is very similar if it was a right-handed player asking it. Although the choice is slightly less extensive for a leftie, a left-handed beginner should still consider a few basic factors when selecting their first guitar.

F-Style mandolins (sometimes referred to as Florentine mandolins) are instantly recognizable thanks to their luxurious body scroll and points, generally accompanied by additional lavish appointments. You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test. First and foremost, we are guitarists, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best left-handed guitars on the market right now. For just a little extra money compared to the Vangoa above, we can look at the Stagg M20 left handed Mandolin. Like the Vangoa, this is an 8-string A-style model in a burst finish and it carries similar specifications.Gigbag. Protect your mandolin when traveling to lessons or gigs with a good case or padded gig bag. A great budget option is this Donner gig bag. With that in mind, it is quite astonishing to discover that guitar manufacturers have long overlooked left-handed guitar production. This neglect becomes especially evident when we consider the iconic image of Hendrix having to restring his renowned Stratocaster upside down. This served as a stark reminder of the severe scarcity of awesome left-handed guitars which were available on the market. They were introduced by Gibson in the early 20th century, and most modern designs are based on these original instruments. The points on the bottom of the mandolin have a small impact on the sound produced, and also provide a handy resting point for when playing seated. F-Style mandolins are generally most popular amongst country, bluegrass, and roots-style players.

Obviously, your best option is going to be finding a good mandolin tutor. However, not all of us can afford pricey one-on-one lessons, and there’s no reason why you can’t teach yourself using free resources such as video lessons on YouTube. Read more about our rating system, how we choose the gear we feature, and exactly how we testeach product. Related buyer's guides At the time of writing, the most affordable left-handed mandolin is the Vangoa VMA10. Unless you hit up the second-hand market, that is! We have a great selection of affordable and practical lefty models from Squier, Yamahaand Ibanez, perfect for beginners or aspiring intermediate players. These low-priced instruments will give you a rich choice of tones and great playability - all you'll need tofind your style!

Frequently Asked Questions about Left Handed Guitars

Whilst you can learn to play a right-handed guitar upside-down like Eric Gales or MonoNeon or restring a right-handed guitar like Jimi Hendrix, you’ll have a much easier time learning on a guitar designed for left-handed playing. You certainly aren’t going to find many left handed mandolins for sale (if any at all!) in your local guitar store, which makes purchasing online pretty much unavoidable. However, I know that some new players can struggle a little at first. So, if you want to make sure to get started on the right foot, William Bay has a great left handed mandolin chord chart. Beginner Mandolin Questions What IS a Mandolin? Why should right-handed guitar players have all the fun? The world can be hard enough on lefties, whether that’s trying to write over an uncomfortable ring-bound pad, using a can-opener or using a tape measure with upside-down numbers. We’ve made it easier for you to find all the instruments a left-handed guitarist could ever need.