[Full of legendary guitarists!?] Left-handed guitarists roundup [2026]
When playing guitar, the basic approach is to strum with your right hand and fret chords with your left, right?
However, there are guitarists out there who play the other way around—left-handed!
Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain are the most famous examples of left-handed guitarists.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of left-handed guitarists from both Japan and abroad, in addition to those two.
Even among left-handed guitarists, styles vary: some use left-handed guitars, some restring right-handed guitars for left-handed playing, and others even play a standard right-handed guitar flipped as-is.
Each guitarist has their own approach.
Let’s take a look at some awesome guitarists while paying attention to their individual styles!
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[So Many Legendary Guitarists!?] A Roundup of Left-Handed Guitarists [2026] (11–20)
The Great Song Of IndifferenceBob Geldof
As the face of The Boomtown Rats, Bob Geldof powerfully led the Irish music scene.
His music, a new wave blend of punk aggression and pop melody, holds significant importance in the late-1970s music history.
The 1978 single “Rat Trap” became the first-ever UK No.
1 by a band from Ireland.
A left-hander, he has a unique style of playing a right-handed guitar flipped upside down without restringing it.
This technique places the higher-pitched strings on top—watch for it.
His strong commitment to social activism through music—such as organizing Band Aid in 1984—is also a major part of his appeal.
Catch the BreezeChristian Savill
Slowdive are a band that epitomizes UK shoegaze, and supporting their otherworldly soundscapes is left-handed guitarist Christian Savill.
Inspired by Johnny Marr of The Smiths, he began playing guitar and emerged on the scene with the 1991 album Just for a Day.
His dreamlike, floating guitar tones intertwine exquisitely with dense, space-filling reverb, constructing a true “wall of sound” worthy of the shoegaze name.
The famous anecdote goes that he replied to Slowdive’s “female guitarist wanted” ad saying he didn’t mind wearing a dress—and got the gig.
Their 2023 release Everything Is Alive reached the UK Top 10.
Unlike technical shred playing, his style captivates with the beauty of its sonics, surely gripping the hearts of listeners who want to immerse themselves in glorious, beautiful noise.
Why Did Ever We MeetDavey von Bohlen
Davey von Bohlen, the left-handed guitarist best known as the frontman of The Promise Ring, a band emblematic of ’90s Midwest emo.
He began his career in the early 1990s with groups like Cap’n Jazz, establishing a distinctive style with songful rhythm guitar and melodious phrasing.
The Promise Ring’s classic album Nothing Feels Good has had a massive impact on the scene, ranking No.
3 on Rolling Stone’s “40 Greatest Emo Albums of All Time.” He’s also well known for contributing to a Jimmy Eat World track that helped the band earn a platinum certification.
Having overcome a serious car accident in 1998 and major illness, his continued work with projects like Maritime has a lasting appeal for those who crave emotional indie rock.
The LebanonJo Callis
Jo Callis began his career as the guitarist for the British punk band The Rezillos.
When he joined The Human League in 1981, he expanded his role from guitarist to songwriter and synthesizer player.
His exceptional compositional talent is evident from the global success of the co-written hit “Don’t You Want Me.” The Human League won a Brit Award in 1982, and his presence greatly contributed to the band’s success.
His melodies—bringing a left-handed guitarist’s sensibility to synthesizer lines—are sure to captivate anyone who loves ’80s pop.
BewitchedLars Johansson
Lars Johansson, the lead guitarist of Candlemass—the band that epitomizes Swedish epic doom metal—has been adding flair to their massive sound with his left-handed style since joining in 1987.
The appeal of his playing lies in how he makes bluesy, emotionally rich melodies sing over slow, earth-crawling heavy rhythms.
The band has won Sweden’s Grammis Awards multiple times.
Moreover, a track from their masterpiece The Door to Doom achieved the remarkable feat of being nominated at the 62nd Grammy Awards.
The fact that this track features a collaboration with Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath further attests to their stature in the metal world.
He’s a guitarist I recommend to anyone who wants to revel in soulful, weeping guitar solos that shine within a crushingly heavy sound.
You’ll Lose A Good ThingBarbara Lynn
The legendary artist Barbara Lynn, known as the “Empress of Gulf Coast Soul,” is truly a pioneer who built her sound on rhythm and blues and established a style of singing while playing lead guitar left-handed.
Active since the early 1960s, she wrote “Oh! Baby (We’ve Got a Good Thing Goin’),” which The Rolling Stones covered in 1965—there’s a famous story that Mick Jagger called her directly about it.
Her achievements are evident in her receiving the NEA National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S.
government, in 2018.
Her playing—using a thumb pick to lay down rhythm and lead simultaneously—lies at the heart of her soulful music.
If you want to experience the music of a powerful blues woman, be sure to check her out.
[So Many Legendary Guitarists!?] Left-Handed Guitarists Roundup [2026] (21–30)
BlackbirdPaul McCartney
Paul McCartney is known as the Beatles’ bassist, but he also plays guitar.
He was originally a guitarist, and some say he was even better on guitar than John Lennon or George Harrison.
Considering he delivered such wonderful performances, that might not be such a far-fetched claim.