Are you looking for the best electric guitars for small hands? Then, you’re in the right place.
Guitars are operated by your hands, the single most important physical connection you have between you, your body, and your guitar.
Guitars require far more of a snug fit to your physical attributes than many instruments, and how comfortable you are will depend on your hand size, height, shoulder positioning, and postural form.
If you have large, spindly hands like the late Allan Holdsworth, you have more flexibility when choosing a guitar. However, it can be challenging for those with small hands to find the perfect fit, and some thick-necked guitars will be tough to play.
Small-handed players encounter several challenges when reaching chords, gripping the neck, and moving their thumb around the fretboard. In addition, short arms make it harder still to reach frets and reach over the body. You can hurdle these obstacles, though! Especially these days, with vast selections of guitars that cater to every musician.
Top 4 Best Electric Guitars for Small Hands:
Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Acoustic-Electric Travel Guitar (Editor’s Choice)
It is an acoustic-electric version of the previous guitar. It’s even smaller, though, at 31% smaller than a full-size acoustic guitar.
It features the identical lap rest, internally positioned machine-heads, full wooden body, and full-size fret. Still, it has a hidden piezo pickup that sits under the guitar body for electro-acoustic amplification.
It reportedly has a low action, which improves its playability for small-handed players. You can purchase it in left and right-handed versions, and, like its electric brother, it comes with a high-quality gig bag.
Both traveler guitars make excellent solutions for the traveling guitarist, they’re incredibly light, and many find a certain quirkiness to their feel, with graceful necks and small bodies. It may suit you perfectly if you’re in the market for a tiny guitar and don’t find what you’re looking for.
Pros
- All wooden one block construction
- Internally positioned machine-heads
- Very, very light and transportable
Cons
- Single shadow pickup isn’t very flexible or loud
- No volume or tone controls
Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric Travel Guitar
You’ll either think this is an ugly beast of a guitar or beautifully innovative. You’ll immediately notice how the machine-heads are relocated to the body, so they are tucked out of the way when traveling. They perform identically to machine heads mounted on a headstock, and it’s a visual quirk that some may like.
The guitar features a full-sized neck, which doesn’t have a particular thickness to it, feeling quite handy and easily operated by those with smaller hands. In addition, it’s 28% shorter than a full-size guitar and an impressive 68% lighter! That is great for those who struggle to carry the weight of a full guitar, whether they’re transporting it or are on stage.
It has a removable lap rest, making the guitar easy to play when seated, a 1/4 inch standard output, and a good quality dual-rail humbucker with a good level of gain for recording or amplification.
There are no tone and volume knobs on the guitar, making it more of a travel guitar than a guitar for smaller-handed operation, though, but aside from that, its body size, weight, and removable lap rest make it an excellent solution for smaller people.
Pros
- Tuning lugs tucked out of the way
- Removable lap rest
- Very light and much shorter than full-size guitars
Cons
- No volume or tone controls
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Hofner Contemporary Shorty HCT-SH-BL-O Solid-Body Electric Guitar
The design of the Hofner Contemporary Shorty is world-famous and unmistakable. They look great! The original ‘Shorty’ was designed in the 1980s. It was an instant hit, and they’ve been faithfully improved upon to this day.
It has a solid body, full-size machine heads, and a full-size neck. Unfortunately, the neck feels slinky and waxy, providing an excellent experience for those with small hands, and it sounds slinky, too, with a quirky groove.
It has a Hofner open humbucker, which adds a certain quality to the laid-back and compact nature of the Hofner Shorty. It’s pretty full and natural for a small-bodied guitar. However, it still has hotness, which helps the Hofner hold its own in a live situation.
Unlike other small guitars, the Hofner has volume and tone control, so it doesn’t compromise features. As a result, it is excellent for those looking for a fully-featured guitar that is small and easily played if you have small hands.
They come with gig bags and in multiple colors. These guitars also are very well priced, by far the cheapest guitar in the line-up. However, they vary moderately slightly, and we recommend trying a couple at your guitar store if possible.
Pros
- Cheap, stylish, functional
- The quirky sound that some rate highly
Cons
- Models vary; try before you buy if possible!
Squier by Fender “Mini” Strat Beginner Electric Guitar
We all know about Fender and Squiers, and their Strat’s need no introduction. It is a shortened version of the Stratocaster and a ‘proper’ guitar in every aspect other than size.
This guitar does have a shorter scale length, at 22.75 inches in oppose to 25.5. That results in less string tension and shorter length between frets. This is a godsend for those with tiny hands, as it enables quick movement over the neck.
If you feel inhibited no matter what full-size Strat neck you try, mini guitars such as the Strat Junior may cure your problems.
It has a thinner classic C-shaped body and is decked out with three single-coil pickups, volume, and tone control.
This guitar is the least compromising of full-size features in the line-up. It has a fixed non-tremolo hard-tail bridge and a five-way pickup switch. So unlike the other more travel-orientated guitars here, it offers flexibility and features.
This guitar is well priced, well-sized, and well-featured; it clones a famous design and puts it in your smaller hands for an excellent guitar-playing experience. The guitar is also reportedly easily modified so that you can bring it up to a high spec with aftermarket parts.
Pros
- Familiar Stratocaster design
- Fully featured guitar
- Easily modified
Cons
- Less portable than some
How to Find the Best Electric Guitar for Small Hands
There are two considerations to make when choosing a small guitar. The first is the length of the whole guitar. A shorter model allows those with shorter hands to reach the top frets without stretching. That is why we’ve included travel guitars in this guide. They provide a full neck but are shorter with a shorter body. So you should be able to wrap yourself around the guitar more easily.
The second is the neck size. A thicker neck will make it much harder to play if your hands are small. You’ll find yourself clawing around the neck and straining your fingers.
After a while, it will ache! Some guitarists that switch between neck styles never knew the benefits they might get from a slimmer-line neck. Don’t be one of them and experiment to find your perfect neck!
The action also matters as a lower action (height of strings from the fretboard) means less travel is fretting. Higher action means you have to press more and extend more towards the fretboard, making a difference.
Many small-handed players are forced into a corner where they have to compromise on neck size. Some buy junior guitars. However, today, we have many travel guitars that offer a perfect full-neck solution in a compact package that shaves off less crucial dimensions to offer a portable and ideal guitar for smaller players.
Conclusion: the Best Electric Guitars for Small Hands
There are certainly some fantastic options here. Quirky traveler-orientated guitars provide ultra-small designs with fantastic original features. Clones of famous guitars offer features and familiar functionality of their bigger models.
The travel guitars in this line-up are often in receipt of glowing reports about their unique playability.
Overall, the Hofner must be one of your first considerations. It’s cheap, looks great, and has a uniqueness that other guitars can’t match. It will suit small-handed players or those who don’t want to carry an entire guitar’s weight.