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[Full of legendary guitarists!?] Left-handed guitarists roundup [2026]

music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and for over 18 years I’ve contributed to music magazines, disc guide books, mooks, and web media. As a writer my main field is Western music, but as a listener for over 35 years, I always try to keep my curiosity alive with the motto “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in bands, where I was a bassist who handled songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve played include bass, guitar, and piano. I began studying English in my mid-40s and continue to do so today.
Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICHane Keisuke
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. After working in a music studio and handling wedding sound, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with a variety of instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in junior high school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on my own musical activities and the experience gained through my work, I produce daily articles, including various song introductions, features on music festivals around the country, and live reports. In music, I enjoy not only rock from Japan and abroad but, lately, a wide range of J-pop as well.

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!

Full of legendary players!? A roundup of left-handed guitarists [2026] (41–50)

Nica Libres At DuskBen Howard

Ben Howard performs new track Nica Libres At Dusk live on Later… with Jools Holland

Nica Libres At DuskBen Howard

A singer-songwriter from the UK with remarkable talent who has been gaining popularity since the 2010s.

In Japan, their popularity has steadily grown since performing at Fuji Rock.

They may not be thought of primarily as a guitarist, but they are a left-handed player who produces a distinctive sound.

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In conclusion

We introduced a wide range of left-handed guitarists from Japan and abroad all at once.

Even among left-handed guitarists, there’s a lot of variety: some use left-handed guitars, some restring right-handed guitars, and some even play right-handed guitars flipped over as is.

The paths that led them to play guitar left-handed also differ, and it was fascinating to glimpse each guitarist’s background.

We’ll keep adding more left-handed players as we find them, so stay tuned.