Tanglewood TC3LH Crossroads Orchestra Left-Handed Acoustic Guitar, Whiskey Burst Satin

An affordable left-handed acoustic to learn and grow on

Finding a decent left-handed guitar at this price is not always easy, and the Tanglewood TC3LH fills that gap. It is a left handed acoustic guitar with a mid-size orchestra body and mahogany throughout, made for players who fret with the right hand and strum with the left.

Made the other way round

Everything on the TC3LH is mirrored, from the string order to the bridge. When you follow a lesson or a chord chart, you simply flip the diagrams and your hands do what they should. That matters most in the early months, when awkward workarounds can put a learner off. It also means a left-handed player can borrow a teacher's ideas without having to relearn the instrument.

Tone from mahogany

Tanglewood builds the top, back and sides from mahogany. Expect a warm voice with plenty of low end, a soft edge on the treble and notes that hang on nicely after you play them. That warmth flatters simple chord shapes, so beginners sound good sooner, and it gives fingerpicked parts a gentle, rounded character.

• Left-handed build with mirrored string order
• Orchestra body that is easy to reach around
• Eboncore fingerboard that wears well
• Acoustic only, ready to play out of the box

Size and finish

The orchestra, or folk, shape sits in the middle of the acoustic family. It is less bulky than a dreadnought, so it suits teenagers and adults with a shorter reach, yet it still fills a room. The Whiskey Burst Satin finish shades from deep brown at the rim to a lighter centre, and the satin coat feels smooth in your hands.

The TC3LH costs £139, ten pounds more than the right-handed TC3. If you think you will want to play through an amp one day, the left-handed TWCRSFCELH adds TEQ MX electronics in a Super Folk body. For a left-handed beginner, or a lefty who wants a dependable everyday acoustic from the tanglewood crossroads guitar line, this is the sensible choice, and we deliver it free in the UK.