Many people with smaller hands struggle to find a guitar that feels comfortable. Especially younger players and female artists can have trouble with this issue.
Checking the nut width of a guitar is essential in finding a guitar suitable for someone with small hands. Generally, a narrow nut width indicates a slim neck, making it easier for smaller-handed players to grip, allowing for smooth transitions between chords.
Depending on your hand anatomy, different nut widths may feel comfortable. For instance, look for a 1.7″ nut width since it is a good starting point when searching for an acoustic guitar.
Let’s look at some of the best acoustic guitars for small hands!
 | 1.Best affordable acoustic guitar for small hands– Fender Sonoran Mini, Natura A very well-suited guitar with an affordable price range. A lightweight, all-mahogany instrument that responds well to your playing style. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 2.Best high-end acoustic guitar for small hands – Martin GPCX2AE Macassar – X Series A high-quality guitar consists of different woods blended in a cohesive, natural look. With a 1¾” nut width, the string spacing is balanced, making it possible to play complex chords. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 3. Best acoustic guitar for small female hands– Fender CC-60S Beginner Concert Pack The smaller body size allows for easy playability in all positions, which is very suitable for smaller female hands. Great value since it has gloss finish mahogany on its back and sides. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 4.Best acoustic guitar for beginners with small hands – Taylor BT1-e Walnut w/ESB This guitar is a great choice for kids, plus it’s very portable. It features walnut plywood on the back and sides, while the neck is made of maple. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 5. Best electric acoustic guitar for small hands – Ibanez Talman TCY10 Acoustic-Electric Guitar This guitar contains mahogany on the back and the sides and a spruce top. Its excellent weight-to-strength ratio contributes to the guitar’s durability. | Buy on Amazon |
Best Affordable Acoustic Guitar For Small Hands – Fender Sonoran Mini, Natura
Whether you are a musician looking for a travel guitar or a younger player looking for a more straightforward instrument, this guitar will not disappoint.
Sonoran mini has the Stratocaster headstock feature as an excellent reminder for all the Strat lovers out there. As one of the most iconic guitars ever made, this feature is a beautiful contribution to its aesthetics and functionality. Its body is 3/4 size, and the model is quite unique.
Another great feature, in our opinion, is its walnut bridge that provides a stable fixture for the strings besides other benefits. The light wood helps make the guitar portable while also delivering rich and warm tones.
Needless to say, the guitar took inspiration from the original Fender Sonoran. Lastly, this guitar comes with a gig bag, which can also be very convenient for traveling.
Pros
- Budget-friendly guitar
- Wonderful design
- Lovely tones that go beyond its size
- A classic vibe with the strat headstock
Cons
- Laminated top equals little volume and sustain
Best High-end Acoustic Guitar for Small Hands – Martin GPCX2AE Macassar – X Series
The Martin GPCX2AE is a grand performance guitar with great attention to detail that features an elegant cutaway. The top is built using Sapele, while the back and sides contain Macassar-pattern high-pressure laminate. Thanks to this, the guitar has beautiful finishes that are very resilient.
It thus resembles a classical mahogany guitar, although it does not cost as much. Since it’s a grand performance with a cutaway, the bass isn’t as strong as a Martin dreadnought, but it’s still loud enough.
Despite its more budget-friendly construction, this guitar sounds like a Martin, albeit with a shorter sustain. As with any solid-top guitar, the timbre will get better with age.
What might be the most impressive thing about this guitar is that it is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified. This means they are using sustainable materials for manufacturing this guitar.
Martin also uses their viral neck on this model, consisting of a 1 ¾ “nut and a low oval profile taper. These features make the guitar very convenient for those with smaller hands.
Pros
- Exceptional value
- High-quality construction
- Balanced tone
- Smooth playability
Cons
- Tuner not included
- No double-action truss rod
Best Acoustic Guitar for Small Female Hands – Fender CC-60S Beginner Concert Pack
The Fender CS-60S guitar has a concert-sized body that is comfortable to play from a seated position. It also features a single-cutaway design that allows easy access to the upper fretboard.
This guitar’s solid spruce top adds extra volume and depth to its crisp, clear tone. But, our favorite feature on this guitar is the mahogany back and sides, which are rare on an instrument of this price range.
Likewise, the neck consists of solid mahogany, while the fretboard features East Indian rosewood. With such an ‘easy-to-play neck, you will switch between fast playing styles and acoustic solos.
Additionally, this guitar is well suited to almost any acoustics style. Thanks to the Fishman preamp with an onboard equalizer and piezo pickup, players can switch between unplugged and amplified sets.
As for all these small body-size guitars, this one is also suitable for fingerpicking, strumming, and lead work.
Pros
- Good value
- Great playability
- Expensive looking guitar thank to gloss finish
Cons
- Contains fewer lows compared to more prominent dreadnought-shaped guitars
Best Acoustic Guitar for Beginners With Small Hands – Taylor BT1-e Walnut w/ESB
The walnut back and sides might differentiate Taylor from other acoustic guitars for small hands. The tonal character of walnut resembles rosewood and mahogany. As for the top, the Taylor Bt1 features a solid spruce top resulting in sweet tones with excellent note definition.
Its smaller body size is highly comfortable that reduces unwanted boomy sounds. Yet, the size is not affecting the sound since it’s pretty loud. It also comes with a free gig bag with a big pocket, which is excellent for traveling.
This model has an ES-B system that utilizes elements of Taylor’s groundbreaking Expression System 2, resulting in one of the most natural plugged-in tones available.
When these features are paired with a straightforward onboard preamp, they result in a straightforward volume and tone control. In addition, with the built-in digital tuner, you’ll always be prepared for your next song instantly.
Whether you’re a seasoned traveler seeking a companion or a new player looking for the greatest comfort, Baby Taylor might be a good choice for you.
Pros
- The excellent tone that improves with age
- Layered walnut back and sides
- Above other travel guitars
- Contains the ES-B system
Cons
- Due to the bracing, the top is prone to cracking
Best Electric Acoustic Guitar For Small Hands – Ibanez Talman TCY10 Acoustic-Electric Guitar
The Ibanez Talman Tcy10 is the guitar that stands out from other traditionally designed guitars. Thanks to its double-cutaway, this musical instrument has a unique and modern look.
The guitar body features a mahogany back and sides and a spruce top. Its excellent weight-to-strength ratio ensures the guitar’s durability. Besides that, the X bracing of the top makes this musical instrument even more reliable.
The adjustable strings ensure there won’t be any extra buzzing. In addition, the neck’s chrome die-cast tuners are visually appealing and functional. All this makes this guitar an excellent choice for those seeking something different.
Lastly, this guitar model features AEQ-2T built-in preamp with a tuner. That means that it is perfect for both beginners and intermediate players!
Pros
- Unique design
- A durable and high-quality material
- Easily adjustable chrome tuners and bridge pins
- Includes preamp with tuner
Cons
- Low durability of the finishes
- The onboard preamp might not satisfy advanced players
Acoustic Guitar for Small Hands – Buying Guide
What shape of the guitar’s neck is the best for small hands?
The most crucial factor to consider when choosing a guitar for small hands is the width and radius of the neck. While some necks are thin, others are round and thick. There will be a distinct difference in playing each, but you can reach the fretboard much easier on thin-necked guitars.
You might be able to play a full-sized guitar easily if its neck is thin and not too wide. But, a full-sized guitar with a thick neck might be impossible.
The best choice for small hands players would be a guitar with a flat neck that makes it easier for your fingers to reach around the neck.
The critical thing to remember is not to look only at the length of a guitar but rather take a closer look at the thickness and radius of the neck. Since that’s where your hands are placed, that’s what you should be focusing on.
What shape of the guitar’s body is the best for small hands?
Look for a ¾ size guitar. Luckily, these guitars, also famous as “travel” sized guitars, are readily available. In addition, their small-sized bodies won’t be too heavy or uncomfortable when playing.
If you opt for a big bulky acoustic guitar, it can be overwhelming for a child and even for a small-hand adult. There will be struggles in reaching the neck with a full-sized acoustic guitar, but, on the other hand, the electric guitars might feel comfortable.
This is because electric guitar can be slim, thus making it easy to hug it close to your body. Now, if you try to play something on a full-sized acoustic guitar, its bulky body would make it difficult for you to properly reach the strings and play the guitar with comfort.
What is the best guitar scale length for small hands?
The scale length is the distance from the nut to the last fret. Full-sized guitars usually have wider frets, making them difficult to reach. Therefore, some general recommendation for small-handed people is a guitar with a scale length of about 24.75″.
If you opt for this scale size, you wil be able to reach the furthest frets comfortably even if you have smaller hands. When it comes to nut width, look for the one that is around 1.7″ or smaller.
Are small guitars for children only?
No, in fact, adults, too, face the same issue. It might be surprising, but many famous artists play on a small guitar, such as Tommy Shaw, Taylor Swift, Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz, and many more.
In general, the problem is not with the tiny hands. Some grown-up musicians have smaller hands but can easily play full-sized guitars. The real reason behind this is that your fingers can’t stretch enough to grip all the frets or strings comfortably.
Why should you buy a guitar for small hands?
If you want to play the guitar comfortably, you should look for a guitar designed for small hands. Doing so will prevent finger and joint pain that you usually feel after a lesson or a practice session. Besides, this kind of guitar will make learning more accessible and enjoyable.
Another reason for buying a small guitar is it influences the sound quality. When a guitarist’s fingers can’t reach all the strings required to hold a chord, they end up with a buzzing sound. A small-sized guitar, however, will solve this issue.
Tips on playing the guitar with small hands
Choosing comfortable strings that sound great is crucial. Lighter gauge strings will be your best bet if you have small hands. With them, you don’t have to press as hard, making it easier for you to stretch your fingers across the fretboard.
Stretch your fingers before you start playing. If you practice this regularly, you will improve your skills, and you will be able to cover more frets and strings in one motion – even on more prominent guitars.
A great way to start each practice session is to do some warm-up exercises. Use all fingers, excluding the thumb, in steady, rhythmic motion going up and down your strings and fretboard. Practice that for a few weeks, and you’ll be surprised at how much easier fretting becomes.
Conclusion and Winner(s)
Many artists have struggled with finding the best guitar that suits their tiny hands. But the search is over since there is a wide range of high-quality brands that make smaller guitars at a very reasonable price range.
For that reason, we came up with this guide to help you find a guitar that sounds great and is comfortable to play. Of course, you won’t make a mistake if you choose any of the mentioned 5 acoustic guitars; however, if we have to pick the overall winner, it must be the Taylor BT1-e.
This guitar will not cost you an arm and a leg; instead, it is affordable and perfectly suits an adult and a child. In addition, it is very portable and playable; the guitar features a solid spruce top and produces impressive sound for its compact size.
Unlike the other guitars, Taylor BT-1 has an ES-B pickup featuring Taylor’s Expression System 2 piezo and an onboard preamp with a built-in digital tuner.
Overall, it has everything that a guitar needs, including playability, great sound, beautiful design, advanced features, and high-quality construction at a reasonable price!
Last update on 2023-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
