Finding the best acoustic guitar for small hands is kind of tough. Most standard guitar scale lengths are too big for people with small hands. This is a problem particularly for younger kids, girls, and women.
Don’t worry though. There are tons of great guitars made for people with smaller hands. You don’t have to give up on your dreams of playing guitar and becoming a rock star because your hands aren’t huge.
We’ve reviewed all of the mini, 3/4 length, and smaller guitars, so you can find one that fits comfortably in your hands.
Let’s check out some of the most popular small hand acoustic guitars on the market today!
Compare the Acoustic Guitars for Smaller Hands in 2021
Contents
- 1 Compare the Acoustic Guitars for Smaller Hands in 2021
- 1.1 Taylor Academy Series 12e Grand Concert
- 1.2 Yamaha APXT2EW 3/4-Size Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- 1.3 Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor Acoustic Guitar
- 1.4 Martin LXM Little Martin
- 1.5 Martin LX1 Little Martin Acoustic Guitar
- 1.6 Yamaha APXT2 3/4-Size Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- 1.7 Fender FSR MA-1 3/4 Size Steel String Acoustic Guitar
- 1.8 Fender MA-1 3/4-Size Steel String Acoustic Guitar
- 2 What We Recommend and Why
Here’s a list of the best acoustic guitars for small hands that will fit your hands and help you play guitar comfortably.
- Taylor Academy Series 12e Grand Concert
- Yamaha APXT2EW 3/4-Size Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor Acoustic Guitar
- Martin LXM Little Martin
- Martin LX1 Little Martin Acoustic Guitar
- Yamaha APXT2 3/4-Size Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- Fender FSR MA-1 3/4 Size Steel String Acoustic Guitar
- Fender MA-1 3/4-Size Steel String Acoustic Guitar
Taylor Academy Series 12e Grand Concert
Specs, features, and benefits
When it comes to acoustic guitars, Taylor Guitars stands out as number one in United State of America. The brand prides itself in its ability to blend modern innovations with traditional craftsmanship. Their love and commitment to the process of building every single guitar manifests itself in the quality of their guitars.
This Grand Concert Acoustic-Electric Guitar from Taylor embodies the essence of the brand. From its carefully constructed body to the included electronics, this guitar is nothing but lovely. The body is made of top quality tonewoods – Sitka spruce for the top, layered sapele wood for the sides and back, mahogany for the neck and ebony for the fingerboards.
This is a guitar you will love to hold and play.
Pros and Highlights
- Well-built – The different components of the guitar are all well put together to complement each other.
- Arm rest – This makes playing a lot more comfortable as your arms can rest a lot of the times.
- Chromatic tuner – The included tuner makes the need for extra tuning gear unnecessary.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Single tone control – This does not give the player too much room for tonal control. You either go bright or dark.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for an acoustic guitar that you can play as an acoustic and also plug directly to an amp without losing any of the traditional acoustic tone and feel, then this is the guitar for you.
Yamaha APXT2EW 3/4-Size Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Yamaha does not mess around. Though it has its hands in many pies, it still aims for the best quality in all its products, whatever they may be.
What Yamaha is offering here is the 3/4-Size Acoustic-Electric Guitar. This version is the scaled down version of their high selling APX500III acoustic electric guitar. Though smaller by 25%, making it ideal for players will small hands, it still packs the full punch offered by the full-sized version.
You get a body made with exotic tonewood (for the top), meranti for the back and sides and rosewood for the bridge and fretboard. You also get to enjoy an electronic section that not only amplifies but also helps you tune your instrument.
Pros and Highlights
- ¾-size – This scaled down size makes it perfect for people with smaller hands.
- Electronics – The included System68 Electronics delivers a clear sound and the tuner makes tuning your strings a breeze.
- Extras – It comes with a gig bag for easy transportation.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Tuning machine – You may need to change the ones that came with the guitar as they are not of the best quality.
Bottom Line
This is a very affordable guitar which makes it ideal for the young beginner guitarists who not only has small hands but also a small budget. It offers good value, with the acoustic and electric options.
Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
In its tradition of delivering top quality guitars, Taylor has again delivered a guitar that that caters for a particular group of people – the young and small sized players.
This is not exactly a beginner guitar though it can be used as one. It is very well-built, with a well finished mahogany top and a back made of layered Sapele wood. Its shorter scale makes it ideal for smaller sized players. It also helps that it is lightweight and quite easy to play.
Overall, it is well built and the different components well put together. You may actually be surprised at the fullness of the sound it delivers considering its size.
Pros and Highlights
- Quality construction – The guitar is well-built and with good quality materials too.
- Tuning machine – The tuners hold their tune very well.
- Gig bag – It comes with a gig bag with which you can carry the guitar around.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Humidification – You may need to get a humidifier for it during hot seasons as it may not handle heat well.
Bottom Line
This can be a beginner guitar, a travel guitar or simply a guitar for someone with small hands. Whatever the use you want to put it to, it is a good quality guitar especially for its price.
Martin LXM Little Martin
Specs, features, and benefits
C.F. Martin & Company, owners of the Martin Guitar brand is among the most respected manufacturers of string instruments in the United States. With experience that spans almost two centuries, guitarists world over have come to expect nothing but the best from this brand.
Martin understands that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. In creating this “Little Martin” guitar, the brand ensured that they maintained the same quality that they have come to be known for. This guitar is perfect for use as a travel or practice guitar. Its size also makes it ideal for players with small hands. It’s great guitar for kids.
One of the things that will amaze you about this guitar is its intonation and the volume that bellows out of it.
Pros and Highlights
- Great sound – It has great intonation and delivers a rich, loud tone.
- Tuning machine – This guitar stays in tune for a long time which is quite convenient.
- Carrying case – It comes with a soft carrying case which makes it easy to move around with.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Top wood – Some buyers have complained of the top separating from the body. This can however be easily fixed.
Bottom Line
This is a great beginner guitar for that special child or adult with small hands. Sometimes we want our loved ones to start with good quality instruments. This will serve such a purpose perfectly. Interestingly, it is also perfect as a travel or practice instrument.
Martin LX1 Little Martin Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
This is another “Little” Martin guitar from C.F. Martin & Company. In keeping with the brand’s focus on the delivery of quality products, the LX1 is no doubt a proud brand ambassador.
Though similar to the LXM quality, a few differences can be spotted here and there. The major difference is in the tonewood used. While the LXM features a Spruce pattern HPL textured finished top, the LX1 features a Mahogany pattern HPL textured pattern but a solid sitka spruce top. This solid spruce top gives the LX1 some advantage over the LXM.
To compliment all of the above, the hardware and other components of the guitar are of good quality and well put together. Though pretty low priced for a Martin guitar, you can still enjoy everything you have come to expect from a Martin product.
Pros and Highlights
- Solid top – It features a solid sitka spruce top which delivers better quality than laminates.
- Well-built – It is well built.
- Gig bag – It comes with a padded guitar gig bag.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- High pressure laminate – These may delaminate over time and require the services of luthier.
Bottom Line
If it has always been your dream to own a Martin guitar but the price has always been beyond your guitar budget, this might just be your opportunity. This guitar is great as a traveling guitar or for someone with small hands. You don’t necessarily have to be a learner to get this because it’s not really a learner guitar.
Yamaha APXT2 3/4-Size Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
This is another ¾ sized guitar offering from Yamaha. This is quite similar to the APXT2EW that we looked at earlier. The APXT2 is also an acoustic electric like the APXT2EW, featuring the same type of electronics and other similar features.
The point of difference between the two is the tonewood and presentation. Unlike the APXT2EW that features a figured exotic wood top, this one features a spruce top. This is the main difference as the second difference is just the color.
The spruce wood is a standard tonewood used in the construction of acoustic guitars. It is lightweight and it does not compromise the clarity of the guitar’s tone even as it provides good resonance. This is one of what you can expect from this acoustic guitar.
Pros and Highlights
- Acoustic-electric – This provides some level of versatility.
- Quality electronics – Aside from amplification, it also comes with a tuner that makes it easy to stay in tune.
- Gig bag – It comes with a gig bag for added convenience.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Tuning machine – You may need to have these replaced.
Bottom Line
This is a great traveling, learning or practice guitar for anyone on a very tight budget. It will especially be appreciated by people with small hands.
Fender FSR MA-1 3/4 Size Steel String Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Fender can easily be regarded as a synonym for guitar. These two words can intermingle with ease because for over 70 years, the brand has been very instrumental in charting the path that guitarists world over have traveled. The Fender brand knows all about guitars and what guitarists want.
The Fender FSR MA-1 3/4 Size Steel String Acoustic Guitar was created for the young or small sized player. This is not an inferior guitar, just a small sized one. It is very comfortable to play, making it a great first guitar as it encourages continuous play.
This is likely the lowest price you may be able to find an original Fender guitar sold at. Get it and enjoy all of the Fender quality.
Pros and Highlights
- Playability – Its general build, satin finished neck and rosewood fretboard all promote playability.
- Tone – For its size, it delivers a rich tone that may take you by surprise.
- Affordable – For a Fender product, it is quite affordable.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Case – It does not come with a case.
Bottom Line
This is a great first guitar for a young player or a small sized player. It is also an affordable way of getting a taste of the Fender quality. It’s small but its tone is impressive. You can also conveniently use it as a travel guitar.
Fender MA-1 3/4-Size Steel String Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
One of the problems that many smaller guitars have is their ability to withstand the strain of steel strings. Many therefore are forced to use nylon strings or other lighter strings so as not to harm the guitar. Fender solves this problem with the MA-1.
Using an “X” bracing system which is the standard for more steel string guitars, this guitar is adequately prepared to handle the strain of steel strings and to also deliver the rich tone associated with it. What you therefore get is a small guitar with the sound of a regular steel string guitar. What’s more, it is very comfortable to hold and play.
Pros and Highlights
- Playability – The neck profile, satin finish, rolled fingerboard edges and the shorter scale make playing a lot easier.
- X-bracing – This bracing system provides good support and a tonal fullness that is associated with steel string guitars.
- Gig bag – It includes a gig bag for easy movement from place to place.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Pick guard – It does not come with a pick guard.
Bottom Line
This is a great guitar from Fender. It packs the power of a full sized steel string guitar in its ¾ size. This small size and shorter scale make it ideal for small handed players and also those looking for a small guitar for their travels. It’s also a great guitar for beginners to learn acoustic guitar techniques.
What We Recommend and Why
It’s been an interesting journey so far but it is now time to make our decision. After carefully reviewing all the guitars above, we chose the Taylor Academy Series Academy 12e Grand Concert Acoustic-Electric Guitar.
This guitar combines many useful qualities. It is very comfortable to play and also comes with the added benefit of an electronic section that allows you plug it into an amplifier. Though not the cheapest, for us, it certainly offers the best overall value.
