From Jimi Hendrix and Tony Iommi to Kurt Cobain and Paul McCartney, some of the most influential guitarists of all time have played left-handed.
This list features 75 famous left-handed guitarists from rock, blues, metal, punk, funk, and beyond. It includes players who use left-handed guitars, as well as those who flip right-handed instruments or use an unusual reversed-string setup.
I’ve highlighted 20 of the most famous left-handed guitarists first, followed by 55 more notable left-handed players from a wide range of genres and eras.
20 Most Famous Left-Handed Guitarists
1. Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix is widely regarded as one of the most influential guitarists of all time. A natural left-handed player, he famously flipped right-handed Fender Stratocasters upside down and restrung them for left-handed playing.
His upside-down Stratocaster became one of the most recognizable images in rock music. Hendrix remains the guitarist most closely associated with playing left-handed.
2. Tony Iommi
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of heavy metal. He lost the tips of two fingers on his fretting hand in a workplace accident, but refused to give up playing.
Iommi made plastic fingertip covers and began using lighter strings to make playing more comfortable. He is best known for his left-handed Gibson SG guitars and has released several signature Gibson and Epiphone models.
3. Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain was the singer, guitarist, and songwriter for Nirvana. He played left-handed and became closely associated with Fender Jaguars and Mustangs.
Cobain also helped design the Fender Jag-Stang, which combined elements of both guitars. His distinctive playing style and influence on alternative rock made him one of the most recognizable left-handed guitarists of the 1990s.
4. Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney is best known as the bassist for The Beatles, but he is also an accomplished left-handed guitarist. He has played guitar extensively throughout his career, both with The Beatles and as a solo artist.
McCartney is often seen playing left-handed Epiphone Casino and acoustic guitars. His guitar work can be heard on several classic Beatles recordings, including “Yesterday” and “Blackbird.”
5. Albert King
Albert King was one of the most influential blues guitarists of the 20th century. A natural left-hander, he played right-handed guitars upside down without restringing them.
He is best known for playing Gibson Flying V guitars, which became a major part of his image. His powerful bends and distinctive phrasing influenced generations of blues and rock guitarists.
6. Dick Dale
Dick Dale was a pioneering surf rock guitarist known for his fast, aggressive playing style. He played left-handed using right-handed guitars flipped upside down, while keeping the strings in their original order.
Dale became closely associated with the Fender Stratocaster and helped shape the sound of surf guitar in the early 1960s.
7. Eric Gales
Eric Gales is a blues-rock guitarist known for his powerful playing and unusual left-handed technique. Although he writes with his right hand, he has played guitar left-handed since childhood.
Gales flips a right-handed guitar upside down without restringing it, leaving the high E string at the top. This distinctive setup has become a major part of his playing style.
8. Zacky Vengeance
Zacky Vengeance is the rhythm guitarist and co-founder of Avenged Sevenfold. He plays left-handed and is known for his aggressive rhythm work and dual-guitar partnership with Synyster Gates.
Vengeance has long been associated with Schecter guitars and has released several left-handed signature models with the company.
9. Elliot Easton
Elliot Easton is best known as the lead guitarist for The Cars. A left-handed player, he became known for melodic solos that added a strong guitar presence to the band’s polished new wave sound.
Easton has played a wide range of left-handed guitars throughout his career, including models from Gibson, Fender, and Gretsch.
10. Tim Armstrong
Tim Armstrong is the singer and guitarist for punk band Rancid, and was also a founding member of Operation Ivy. A natural left-handed player, he has been a prominent figure in punk rock since the 1980s.
Armstrong also has his own Fender Hellcat signature acoustic guitar, which is available as a dedicated left-handed model.
11. Al Mckay
Al McKay is best known as a former guitarist for Earth, Wind & Fire. His tight rhythm playing helped shape the band’s distinctive funk sound on many of their classic 1970s recordings.
McKay originally learned on a right-handed guitar played upside down. He later switched to left-handed instruments and became closely associated with a left-handed Gibson ES-335.
12. Omar Rodriguez Lopez
Omar Rodríguez-López is best known as the guitarist and bandleader of The Mars Volta. He also played with At the Drive-In and has built a reputation for experimental, effects-heavy guitar work.
Rodríguez-López plays left-handed and has used several unusual offset guitars over the years. Ibanez released a left-handed version of his ORM1 signature model, and he later worked with Ernie Ball Music Man on the Mariposa.
13. Barbara Lynn
Barbara Lynn is an influential blues and R&B singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She was one of the first left-handed female guitarists to gain national exposure on television and radio.
Lynn plays right-handed guitars upside down without restringing them. Her unusual technique combines rhythm and lead playing, often using a thumb pick and her fingers at the same time.
14. Mikey Demus
Mikey Demus is the guitarist for Welsh rock band Skindred. A left-handed player, he is known for combining heavy riffs with the band’s mix of metal, reggae, punk, and electronic influences.
Demus has worked with Manson Guitar Works on several signature guitars. His latest model, the left-handed MD-3, was released in 2025 and designed around his preference for heavy riffs and drop tunings.
15. Mdou Moctar
Mdou Moctar is a Tuareg guitarist and songwriter from Niger who has become known for his energetic blend of traditional Saharan music and modern rock.
As a left-handed player, Moctar struggled to find suitable guitars when he was younger and even built his first instrument himself. He now plays a left-handed Fender Stratocaster and is known for his fast, highly expressive lead playing.
16. Doyle Bramhall II
Doyle Bramhall II is a blues-rock guitarist who has worked extensively with Eric Clapton, Roger Waters, and the Arc Angels.
He plays right-handed guitars upside down without restringing them. This leaves the strings in reverse order, with the high E string at the top. Bramhall has played this way since learning guitar as a child.
17. Elizabeth Cotten
Elizabeth Cotten was an influential American folk and blues guitarist best known for writing “Freight Train.” She played a right-handed guitar upside down without restringing it.
Her unusual technique became known as “Cotten picking.” She played bass notes with her fingers and the melody with her thumb, reversing the approach used by most fingerstyle guitarists.
18. Courtney Barnett
Courtney Barnett is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist known for her distinctive indie-rock style. She has played left-handed since learning guitar as a child.
Barnett is closely associated with left-handed Fender Jaguars, including the Kurt Cobain Jaguar. She also uses Stratocasters and Telecasters, but has described the Jaguar as her go-to guitar.
19. Malina Moye
Malina Moye is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who blends rock, blues, funk, and soul. She plays left-handed on a guitar with the strings in reverse order, placing the high E string at the top.
In 2026, Kramer released the Malina Moye Pacer Deluxe signature guitar. It is available in a dedicated left-handed version and was designed around her distinctive playing style.
20. Michael Angelo Batio
Michael Angelo Batio is a virtuoso shred guitarist known for his speed, technical playing, and distinctive double guitar. He is naturally left-handed, but learned to play guitar right-handed because left-handed instruments were difficult to find when he was young.
He later became fully ambidextrous and can play both left and right-handed, sometimes at the same time on his double guitar – shown above!
Other Notable Left-Handed Guitar Players
These left-handed guitar players may not be quite as famous as many of the names above, but each has made a notable contribution to music.
21. Coco Montoya
Coco Montoya is an American blues guitarist and former member of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. He plays right-handed guitars upside down without restringing them, leaving the strings in reverse order.
22. Ali Campbell
Ali Campbell is best known as the longtime lead singer of UB40. He also plays guitar left-handed and has used a variety of left-handed electric and acoustic guitars throughout his career.
23. Atahualpa Yupanqui
Atahualpa Yupanqui was one of Argentina’s most influential folk musicians. He played guitar left-handed and developed a distinctive style during a career that spanned several decades.
24. Ben Howard
Ben Howard is an English singer-songwriter known for his fingerstyle playing and use of alternate tunings. He plays guitar left-handed and has used a range of left-handed acoustic and electric guitars.
25. Blake Schwarzenbach
Blake Schwarzenbach is the singer and guitarist for influential punk band Jawbreaker. He plays guitar left-handed and is known for the band’s distinctive mix of punk, alternative rock, and emo.
26. Dave King
Dave King is the singer and songwriter for Celtic punk band Flogging Molly. He also plays acoustic guitar left-handed as part of the band’s mix of traditional Irish music and punk rock.
27. Otis Rush
Otis Rush was an influential Chicago blues guitarist known for his powerful vibrato and expressive lead playing. He played right-handed guitars upside down without restringing them, leaving the strings in reverse order.
28. Cesar Rosas
Cesar Rosas is a guitarist and vocalist for Los Lobos. A left-handed player, he has been a key part of the band’s blend of rock, blues, Tex-Mex, and traditional Mexican music since the 1970s.
29. Greg Sage
Greg Sage is the singer and guitarist for influential punk band Wipers. He plays guitar left-handed and had a major influence on later alternative and grunge musicians, including Kurt Cobain!
30. Christian Savill
Christian Savill is the guitarist for British shoegaze band Slowdive. He plays left-handed and has been a key part of the band’s distinctive layered guitar sound since their early years.
31. Dave Wakeling
Dave Wakeling is the singer and guitarist for The English Beat and General Public. He plays left-handed and became closely associated with his distinctive left-handed Vox Teardrop guitar.
32. Bobby Womack
Bobby Womack was an influential soul singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He played right-handed guitars upside down without restringing them, leaving the strings in reverse order.
33. Ernie C
Ernie C is the lead guitarist and co-founder of heavy metal band Body Count. He plays left-handed and has been a key part of the band’s sound since its formation in the early 1990s.
34. Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus is an American country singer and guitarist best known for his smash hit “Achy Breaky Heart.” He plays guitar left-handed and has used both acoustic and electric left-handed models throughout his career.
35. Jonathan Butler
Jonathan Butler is a South African singer-songwriter and guitarist known for blending jazz, R&B, and soul. He plays guitar left-handed and has built much of his career around his distinctive guitar work.
36. Ragnar Þórhallsson
Ragnar Þórhallsson is a singer and guitarist for Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men. He plays guitar left-handed and is a prominent part of the band’s folk-rock sound.
37. Toronzo Cannon
Toronzo Cannon is a Chicago blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter known for his energetic electric blues style. A left-handed player, he has released several acclaimed albums through Alligator Records.
38. Babyface
Babyface is a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist who has worked with many of the biggest names in R&B and pop. He plays guitar left-handed and has even had his own Martin signature acoustic guitar.
39. Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist who helped bring reggae to a worldwide audience. He played right-handed guitars upside down with the strings in reverse order.
40. Seal
Seal is a British singer-songwriter who learned to play guitar left-handed on right-handed instruments flipped upside down. He used this approach while developing songs including his breakthrough hit “Crazy.”
41. Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber is one of the world’s best-known pop artists and has played guitar left-handed since childhood. He regularly performs with left-handed acoustic guitars, including custom models built for him by Taylor.
42. Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof is best known as the singer for The Boomtown Rats and the organizer of Live Aid. He also plays guitar left-handed, using right-handed guitars flipped upside down.
43. David Cook
David Cook is an American singer-songwriter who rose to fame after winning American Idol in 2008. He plays guitar left-handed and frequently performs with left-handed Gibson Les Pauls in particular.
44. Gruff Rhys
Gruff Rhys is the singer and guitarist for Welsh rock band Super Furry Animals. He plays right-handed guitars upside down without restringing them, leaving the strings in reverse order.
45. Karl Wallinger
Karl Wallinger was the singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist behind World Party. He also played with The Waterboys and performed guitar left-handed using right-handed instruments flipped upside down.
46. Amber Bain
Amber Bain is the singer, songwriter, and guitarist behind The Japanese House. She plays right-handed guitars upside down without restringing them, with the strings left in reverse order.
47. Gregor Mackintosh
Gregor Mackintosh is the lead guitarist and co-founder of British metal band Paradise Lost. A left-handed player, he has used custom left-handed guitars throughout his career.
48. Perry Bamonte
Perry Bamonte was a longtime guitarist and keyboardist for The Cure. He was a left-handed player and performed on albums including Wish, Wild Mood Swings, and Bloodflowers.
49. Robin Campbell
Robin Campbell is a founding member and guitarist for UB40. He plays left-handed and has used instruments including left-handed Gibson Les Pauls and Fender Stratocasters.
50. John Flansburgh
John Flansburgh is the singer and guitarist for They Might Be Giants. He plays left-handed and has used custom left-handed Fender Telecasters and Jazzmasters, along with Gibson semi-hollow guitars.
51. Eddy Clearwater
Eddy Clearwater was a Chicago blues guitarist known for playing right-handed guitars upside down. A natural left-hander, he learned this way because left-handed guitars were difficult to find when he started playing.
52. Slim Whitman
Slim Whitman was an American country singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive falsetto and yodeling. Although naturally right-handed, he taught himself to play guitar left-handed after injuring a finger on his left hand.
53. Graham Russell
Graham Russell is the guitarist and songwriter for soft rock duo Air Supply. He plays right-handed guitars upside down without restringing them, leaving the strings in reverse order.
54. Kris Roe
Kris Roe is the singer, songwriter, and guitarist for punk rock band The Ataris. Although naturally right-handed, he plays right-handed guitars upside down with the strings left in their original order.
55. Luke Morley
Luke Morley is the guitarist and main songwriter for British rock band Thunder. He plays left-handed and has used a wide range of left-handed Gibson and Fender guitars throughout his career.
56. Jo Callis
Jo Callis is a guitarist and songwriter best known for his work with The Rezillos and The Human League. A left-handed player, he also helped bring more guitar into The Human League’s synth-pop sound.
57. Andrew White
Andrew “Whitey” White is the guitarist for British indie rock band Kaiser Chiefs. A natural left-hander, he has played guitar with the band since its earliest days.
58. Cameron Liddell
Cameron Liddell is the guitarist for British rock band Asking Alexandria. He plays left-handed and has used custom left-handed Ibanez guitars, including the Darkstone DN500 and his CLM1 signature model.
59. Paul Raymond
Paul Raymond was a British guitarist and keyboardist best known for his work with UFO and the Michael Schenker Group. He played guitar left-handed during a career spanning more than five decades.
60. Jimi Goodwin
Jimi Goodwin is the singer, bassist, and guitarist for British rock band Doves. A natural left-hander, he has played right-handed instruments flipped upside down.
61. Ted Sablay
Ted Sablay is an American guitarist who has toured extensively with The Killers. He plays guitar left-handed and has also worked as a solo artist and songwriter.
62. Klaus Eichstadt
Klaus Eichstadt is the guitarist and co-founder of Ugly Kid Joe. A left-handed player, he helped write the band’s biggest hits and remains central to their heavy rock sound.
63. Glen Burtnik
Glen Burtnik is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for his time with Styx. A natural left-hander, he plays right-handed guitars upside down without restringing them.
64. Wallis Bird
Wallis Bird is an Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist who plays a right-handed guitar upside down. She developed this approach after a childhood accident left her with four fingers on her left hand.
65. Chase Bryant
Chase Bryant is an American country singer and guitarist. Although left-handed, he plays right-handed guitars upside down without restringing them.
66. Anton Cosmo
Anton Cosmo is a former guitarist and songwriter for Boston. He plays guitar left-handed and appeared on the band’s 2002 album Corporate America.
67. Nicolas Reyes
Nicolas Reyes is the lead singer and a guitarist for the Gipsy Kings. He plays guitar left-handed with the strings in right-handed order, placing the high E string at the top.
68. Little Jimmy King
Little Jimmy King was a Memphis blues guitarist and the older brother of Eric Gales. A natural left-hander, he played right-handed guitars upside down and helped teach Eric the same reversed-string technique.
69. Doctor Isaiah Ross
Doctor Isaiah Ross was a Mississippi blues musician known for performing as a one-man band. A natural left-hander, he taught himself guitar by turning a right-handed instrument upside down.
70. Ed Harcourt
Ed Harcourt is an English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is naturally left-handed and learned to play both guitar and bass upside down, later using instruments including a left-handed 1963 Fender Jazzmaster.
71. Ian Fowles
Ian Fowles is the guitarist for The Aquabats and has also toured with Gerard Way. He plays left-handed and has used a left-handed Fender Jazzmaster and a custom left-handed Kurt Cobain Jaguar.
72. Josey Scott
Josey Scott is best known as the former lead singer of rock band Saliva. He is also a left-handed guitarist and has played guitar alongside his better-known work as a vocalist.
73. Michael Zakarin
Michael Zakarin is the guitarist for American rock band The Bravery. He plays left-handed and has frequently performed with left-handed Gibson Les Paul guitars.
74. Paulo Morete
Paulo Morete is a Spanish rock and metal guitarist who previously played with InMune and now performs with Absenci. A left-handed player, he is also an official PRS artist and regularly uses left-handed PRS Custom guitars.
75. Ed Deane
Ed Deane is an Irish blues and rock guitarist known particularly for his slide playing. A natural left-hander, he plays dedicated left-handed guitars as well as right-handed guitars flipped upside down.
Uncommon Sound
If you want to discover even more left-handed guitarists, Uncommon Sound by John Engel is well worth a look. The book explores the stories of hundreds of left-handed players, including famous names and many lesser-known musicians.
I’ve written a full Uncommon Sound review, where you can learn more about the book and find links to buy a copy.
Who is the MOST Famous Left-Handed Guitarist?
Jimi Hendrix is generally considered the most famous left-handed guitarist of all time. Despite his short career, his innovative playing and unmistakable upside-down Stratocaster made him one of the most influential guitarists in music history.
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