The Ultimate List of Left-Handed Ukuleles 2024
In the world of instrument handedness, a commonly overlooked option is to give left-handed players to show their talent and prowess in using an instrument. Speaking specifically from a guitarist’s point of view, there really aren’t a lot of left-handed guitar options out there for people who need it. The niche is doubled if the conversation is brought into the realm of left handed ukuleles. Thankfully enough, we have compiled a list for you so you don’t have to have such a hard time in looking for the perfect left handed ukulele for you. So, let’s get it on with the list!
Top 8 Left-Handed Ukuleles 2021
Luna proves to have all niches covered, offering a leftie ukulele guitar in the best possible way. The look is just superb and so is the sound, making it a perfect option that’s just waiting for you to grab and avail it!
Oscar Schmidt’s entry to this list is a true shocker, as it offers the most classic look and sound that one may be looking for in a ukulele. It’s a total surprise that this entry was actually a lefty option – making it an easy choice to avail for anyone from beginners to experts.
This entry from Ranch is just plain majestic, from the polished finished, to the rare tonewood and even the Aquila Nylgut Strings included. This lefty ukulele offers quite a peculiar tone with the generous mix of woods used on it. Precious as it may be, taking care of it would be no problem thanks to the 10mm fabric gig bag included!
Kalena’s entry both comes in Tenor and Concert options, offering a great quality ukulele and a good amount of inclusions to come with it. Overall, it’s really the choice to use sapele that makes it stand out, offering distinctly peculiar tones at the best price point possible.
AKLOT’s entry offers a shining, shimmering, and splendid left handed ukulele for aficionados to enjoy. Made from acacia, this entry offers a sparkling bright and clear sound that mimics its aesthetics – offering distinct and familiar warmth with really punchy high ends. Put it to the test and see for yourself what AKLOT has to offer.
lotmusic’s entry to the list offers a classic mahogany ukulele in the most standard tenor built that’s hard to go wrong. The guitar’s action is well adjusted, the intonation is on-point, and the aesthetics are just flawless. If you’re looking for an easy-to-reach-left handed ukulele, this is it.
Mahalo’s colorful addition to the list offers a soprano like no other. With a ukulele built so simple yet so stunning in color, Mahalo had made sure to open mouths with this wonderful little entry. Uncommon size aside, it’s surely a ukulele that you shouldn’t knock before you have tried!
Kmise offers something familiar to the table that’s also just as different – a bright soprano mahogany that’s built well enough to last a beginner and even work for intermediate players. With a matte finish that accentuates the natural color of mahogany. This ukulele is a luthier’s proud work of art – and you could definitely be the proud owner of it too.
1. Luna Guitars Ukulele Concert Tattoo LEFTY w/Preamp – The Complete Choice
- Size: Concert
- Material: Mahogany
- Thickness: 9 inches
- Weight: 9 pounds
- Outstanding feature: left handed cutaway and really cool aesthetics
Luna’s left handed offering is hard to say no to once you see it – heavily taking into consideration the fact that it’s hard to find a left handed ukulele to be so all-encompassing for every need. Make this Luna Concert Tattoo Lefty different, as it redefines love at first sight with its all mahogany build, its Luna UK-9000 pre-amp and the Aquila super Nylgut strings that come with it. The amazing hawaiian tattoo-insipired aesthetics are only secondary to the instrument’s build quality and overall sound, making it a ukulele that’s hard to not love once you try it out. What more can you actually ask for?
- Classic mahogany tonewood
- Perfect leftie cutaway
- Amazing hawaiian tattoo decals
- Has built in pre amp for gigging on the go
- The cutaway may prove to be limiting for some people
- The pre-amp provided has no built in tuner
- Walnut fretboard’s feel might take some getting used to
2. Oscar Schmidt OU2LH Left Handed Mahogany Concert Ukulele – Natural – The Classic Choice
- Size: Concert
- Material: Satin finish Mahogany
- Thickness: 4 inches
- Weight: 2 pounds
- Outstanding feature: great finish, great tone, great sound projection, great build.
Oscar Schmidt has outdone themselves by offering a ukulele that’s super easy on the eyes but is such a beast to use. The OU2LH left handed mahogany concert offering proves to be quite a spectacle and a charmer, with the mahogany built body, top, and sides offering quite a range that gives off clear highs and very warm lows. Overall, the ukulele is a good starter pickup or even for someone that has intermediate experience. I’m telling you, you should definitely try out this ukulele!
- Amazing satin mahogany finish
- Great build quality
- Sparkly high and warm low tones
- It may be too simple for some players
- The strings included may need a change because they’re not that good
3. Ranch Left handed Concert Ukulele 23 inch – The Aesthetic Choice
- Size: Tenor
- Material: Sapele
- Thickness: 2.6 inches
- Weight: 2.51 pounds
- Outstanding feature: great tonewood, build, and inclusions
Ranch’s entry offers a more approachable left handed ukulele entry for beginners, intermediate players, and experts alike. Boasting the use of sapele wood on the top, back, and sides, okoume for the neck and headstock, and rosewood for the fingerboard, Ranch manages to exceed expectations – even adding in aquila nylgut strings and a 10mm fabric gig bag to boot. The guitar is actually well built despite the smorgasbord of wood types used on it. The tuners work great and the fret inlays are just plain elegant. If you’re looking for an easy pick up lefty ukulele, you should definitely try this Ranch entry!
- It’s a super straightforward left handed ukulele
- The tonewood it’s made from is pretty rare
- It offers great sound projection and unique tones
- Some may prefer the sound of mahogany better
- Rosewood fingerboard may need some getting used to
- It may be too simple, needing people to buy a better ukulele once they get better at playing
4. Kalena Left Handed Vintage Sapele Ukulele – A Peculiar Choice
- Size: Tenor/ Concert
- Material: Sapele
- Thickness: 4 inches
- Weight: 2.5 pounds
- Outstanding feature: the use of sapele wood and the inclusions it comes with are just spot on
This Kalena entry comes in a beautifully dark finish – accentuating the warmth and clarity of the sapele wood very well. What stands out from this entry is the amount of inclusions and accessories that it comes with – offering strap pins, digital tuners, felt picks, extra strings, a strap, an instruction book, and a gig bag all in the package. Focusing on the guitar, it has a sapele wood side, back, and top, a burmese blackwood bridge and fretboard, die cast machine head tuners, and a saddle and nut made from ox bone. The peculiarity of the build with this left-handed instrument piles on well as you list down it’s most distinct characteristics. Overall, the sound projection and tone is surprisingly superb – which easily makes it an outstanding choice if ever you’re looking for one.
- There are great inclusions and accessories in the package
- The sapele tonewood offers great and peculiar tones
- It’s gig ready
- The aesthetic and tone may not be okay for some
- Some may prefer less accessories and inclusions for a better price
5. AKLOT Left Hand Concert Ukulele – The Shiny Choice
- Size: Concert
- Material: acacia
- Thickness: 5 inches
- Weight: 5 pounds
- Outstanding feature: brass body and cool aesthetic
AKLOT’s left handed acacia entry is no doubt really REALLY shiny (and we mean, bright!). The tone and sound of the ukulele mimics its looks very well, as it offers just enough warmth but overflows in the high end making up for really punchy chords. The carbon strings also help for the case, sitting atop a sandalwood fingerboard with a bull bone nut. Overall, it’s a ukulele that you have to try before you knock it out of your selections. Bright as it may be, some people may prefer this type of ukulele, and its specificity is what makes it super easy for it to stand out.
- Great build quality
- Peculiarly shiny aesthetic
- Interesting choice of inclusions
- May be too shiny for some
- May be too pitchy and bright for some player’s preference
- The sandalwood fingerboard’s feel and the carbon strings’ feel and sound may alienate players for a while
6. lotmusic Left hand Tenor Ukulele – An Easy Choice
- Size: Tenor
- Material: Mahogany
- Thickness: 5 inches
- Weight: 3.59 pounds
- Outstanding feature: great tone, clean aesthetic, wonderful neck intonation
This all-mahogany built ukulele proposes a feel and sound that’s all too familiar to us – making it a safe choice for people who are just looking for a safe ukulele to play. Lotmusic’s left-handed is both as surprising as it is logical, as they offer the most basic ukulele build in the rarest form. This ensures that it can easily be an option for lefties looking for an easy ukulele to get on into not to mention the fact that it is just downright charming.
- Great tone
- Never-go-wrong build quality
- Classic looks
- May be too simple for some
- People may prefer a soprano mahogany more than a tenor
- People may opt for a more peculiar tone
7. Mahalo Ukuleles MK1PTPP Kahiko Plus Series Left Handed Soprano Ukulele – The Whimsical Choice
- Size: Soprano
- Material: Sengon Body, Jabon Neck
- Thickness: 4 inches
- Weight: 1.05 pounds
- Outstanding feature: great loud colors and great build
It’s about time that Mahalo released the Kahiko Plus – a worthy successor to their popular and successful Kahiho line that boasts a Sengon body and Jabon neck. The materials ultimately lead to a very peculiar tone, especially with the GraphTech Nubone XB Bridge and saddle, the vintage nickel geared machine heads, and the aquila strings that all come together bundles with the guitar. Overall, it’s truly quite an instrument to play, with the fact that they offer it in lefty form as an added bonus. Coming in at transparent blue and transparent black finishes, this ukulele definitely delivers far more than how it looks .
- Gives the Kahiko entry a run for its money
- Superb accessories included
- Loud colors to choose from
- People may opt for a more natural finish
- A tenor may be a more prominent option
- The Jabon neck feel may take some getting used to
8. Kmise Left Hand Ukulele Soprano Mahogany 21 Inch Uke – The Budget Choice
- Size: Soprano
- Material: mahogany
- Thickness: 3.94 inches
- Weight: 2.51 pounds
- Outstanding feature: well built, expertly finished, and great sounding
Kmise suddenly pops out of nowhere, offering an entry that would make you think twice if you really want it. Not only does it look nice but it also sounds great – overall making up a ukulele that’s quite hard to beat. It’s offered at quite a great price point, not to mention the fact that it’s built well and has a lot of amazing inclusions attached to it. Kmise definitely ups the ante on the game here for budget instruments, and it’s easily a fast pick for any leftie that’s just starting out.
- Great finish and sound
- Amazing inclusions and build quality
- The guitar feels super great to play on
- People may opt for more peculiar tonewoods
- People may want a tenor better
- People may want a different finish
Tips
Just to give you a clearer vision of what to expect in pursuing a left-handed ukulele, here are a couple of tips and tricks to check out and ponder or as you go about in purchasing this super niche instrument!
Other options to keep in mind
It’s no secret that left-handed ukuleles are super hard to find and are even harder to come by that’s why there are actually several alternatives that you can keep in mind if you can’t pick the right ukulele for you.
- Flip a right-handed ukulele and restring to the leftie position
- This option makes up for the least hassle possible, but it doesn’t necessarily take over as a permanent solution. It might be a good choice for the time being since you’re trying to learn how to play. But when you get better, you may want to opt for an actual left-handed ukulele that has just the right amount of string action, as the saddle and nut would be more apt and correct. Of course, this includes having the fret markings away from you which might make playing hard.
- Flip a right handed ukulele and keep the strings as it is
- This may take a bit more of a learning curve, as you’d learn to flip through chords, tablatures, and the like. It’s not an unusual take in learning the ukulele if you’re left handed, but if you can’t really adapt right-handedness then this should work for you just fine. It’s the most popular take nor is it the best thing to do, but given the situation it wouldn’t be that bad to pave the way and be a trendsetter of sorts.
- Learn to play the ukulele right- handed
- Several left-handed people manage to learn skills in a right-handed fashion when push comes to shove and following suit definitely wouldn’t hurt. Not only does it save you from the trouble of looking for a left handed ukulele (which is hard enough already), it also forces you to be ambidextrous, which honestly is a cool skill to show off to people.
There isn’t exactly a “wrong” ukulele
At the end of the day, what matters is the music you’re making and not the instrument you’re wielding. There are never perfect situations, but it’s only human to learn to adapt, improvise, and overcome. Looking for left-handed ukuleles are definitely not that easy – especially with the limited options and the very few sellers available. The niche offers quite a feat to overcome, so at the end of the day, it’s only up to you on how you make do with the instrument of your liking to produce and create the sound and music that your heart desires and that you’re willing to give
out. Instruments are but only a vehicle of your emotions, so let the value of skill overcome the overbearing task at hand.
Upon careful consideration
If you’re looking to sort things out per technicality and spec, well, this list is definitely for you. Below, we strive to objectively look at each ukulele and separate them per characteristic that they have. So without further ado, let’s get this thing going!
The main thing that makes or breaks the guitar’s price is usually the wood it’s made out of. More common woods are usually cheaper, while the rarer ones are of course more expensive. Some are also laminated, only having the actual tonewood sit on top of a piece of thin plywood. Case in point, the common Mahogany tonewood can be found in the likes of the Luna Lefty Concert Ukulele, The Oscar Schmidt OU2LH, lotmusic’s Mahogany Tenor, and Kmise’s Soprano entry. Then there’s also Mahalo’s Kahiko Plus Soprano Ukulele made out of Sengon, AKLOT’s concert ukulele made out of acacia, and Kalena’s Vintage Sapele Ukulele made out of Sapele wood.
Another thing to look into is the size, as warmth and depth increases in a ukulele as it’s size increases, too. An example would be how The Luna, Oscar Schmidt, Ranch, and AKLOT Concert entry offers more warmth than the Kalena, Kmise, and Mahalo entries. Then there’s lotmusic’s tenor which has the least deep and warm tone of them all.
Then of course, aesthetic would always come last in considering the guitar for you. If you’re looking for some cool aesthetics, check out Luna’s entry. If you’d like to go for strong colors, check out the Mahalo Kahiko Plus entry. If you want the ukulele to be shiny, Kmise has got the entry for you. Aside from that, most of them have matte finishings.
Verdict
If it’s still not too apparent, our top 3 picks for this list would be the Luna Concert Tattoo Lefty Ukulele, the Oscar Schmidt OU2LH Lefty Mahogany Concert Ukulele, and the Ranch Lefty Concert Ukulele.
Top of our list is the Luna Concert Tattoo Lefty Ukulele, offering a great deal in terms of aesthetic and sound. It’s super easy on the eyes especially with it’s hawaiian shark teeth tattoo decal, but the real clincher here is it’s mahogany tonewood that works perfectly well with its concert size. Also, there’s a pre-amp already built in, making live gigging easier than ever!
Then we also have the Oscar Schmidt OU2LH Lefty Mahogany Concert Ukulele, which is a ukulele that offers a familiar sound and aesthetic in the best possible price. This one’s an easy pick up for any lefty, may they be just starting out or playing for the longest time now. It’s hard to go wrong with this entry truth be told, and it’s really surprising how Oscar Schmidt Guitars came out with this one.
Lastly there’s Ranch’s entry, a Lefty Ukulele in Concert Size. It’s polished so it looks shiny, and it matches the tone and aesthetic of its rare Sapele tonewood. It’s truly one of the more peculiar options to choose from, as Ranch makes sure they easily stand out from the competition by offering a ukulele that’s quite hard to replicate.
With all these options in mind, it would always be up to you on which ukulele you would pick. This review is but a mere guide, but your intuition and preference would still be superior when the time comes that you’re looking to get yourself a proper axe. So with this, we offer you good luck and good tidings, and we hope that you get that ukulele that you ever so wanted for the longest time now!
