7 Legendary Left-Handed Guitarists

The disparity of being left-handed extends even to musical instruments. This makes it more challenging for left-handed guitarists to find suitable equipment. Despite these challenges, many popular left-handed guitarists succeeded and also leveraged their unique approaches to become icons in the music world.

Here’s a look at some of the left-handed guitar legends who made their mark in the music industry:

Elliot Easton
Elliot Easton, co-founder and lead guitarist of The Cars, is a talented left-handed musician. His distinctive guitar solos played a significant role in the band’s success through their unique sound. Easton’s left-handed guitar skills added to the band’s popularity during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain, often a polarizing figure, was the left-handed frontman and guitarist of Nirvana. While some critics argue about his technical prowess, Cobain’s raw emotion and unique sound had a profound impact on the grunge movement. His songwriting and guitar playing, though not overly complex for many made a deep connection with many grunge fans.

Dick Dale
Known as the King of Surf Guitar, Dick Dale was a pioneer of the genre. His innovative playing style is characterized by rapid tremolo picking and the use of exotic scales. Dale’s preference for playing a right-handed guitar upside down without restringing it added to his distinctive sound. His contributions to music in the 1960s were groundbreaking, influencing countless guitarists who followed.

Albert King
Blues legend Albert King was another left-handed guitarist who stood out by playing right-handed guitars upside down. This unconventional approach forced King to develop his unique style. And even though he couldn’t reach the chords as right-handed players do, his powerful string bending and soulful phrasing made him one of the most influential blues musicians.

Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney, famously left-handed, is best known as the bassist for The Beatles. However, he also plays guitar, finding it easier to play left-handed despite being ambidextrous in other areas. McCartney’s left-handed playing style showed his versatility as a musician has earned him recognition as one of the greatest artists of all time.

Tony Iommi
Tony Iommi, the legendary guitarist of Black Sabbath, is not only left-handed but also plays with missing fingertips on his right hand due to a factory accident. This injury led him to develop a unique playing style, which became a defining feature of Black Sabbath’s heavy metal sound. Iommi’s innovative use of power chords and dark riffs made him one of the pioneers of heavy metal music.

Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix, arguably one of the greatest guitarists of all time, was also left-handed. As a child, he faced challenges due to societal biases against left-handedness, even being forced to use his right hand. Despite this, Hendrix mastered the guitar by restringing right-handed guitars to suit his left-handedness. His groundbreaking techniques and electrifying performances revolutionized rock music and left a lasting legacy.