Lefties were often frowned upon in the long-long ago. If you happened to hold a pencil with your left hand, you’d be whipped into submission, with right wing teachers linking lefties to to Satan himself.
Not only restricted to writers, painters or pool-hustlers, but guitar wielders are asked to pick a side from a ripe young age. Whether it’s because they’d already mastered the left sided art, wanted to mirror a right-handed hero or simply didn’t have access to an upside down guitar, here are some six-string superheroes who started on the dark side (left side).
1. David Bowie
The star-man himself was a leftie, but it seems he was forced to make some ch-ch-ch-changes.
2. Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins
Not only smashing pumpkins, but smashing open his genetic limitations.
3. Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits
One of the greatest guitarists to ever live, always using his fingers instead of a pick. Knopfler supposedly changed to right handed as it gave him the opportunity for stronger vibratos.
4. Elvis Costello
As Costello puts it on his own website “Its like the brain is not connected to the feet. I’m totally left-sided, I am completely left-handed, completely left-footed.”
5. Duane Allman, The Allman Brothers Band
Up until his tragic death at only 24, Duane Allman was a beast on guitar. Despite being so young, he’d already transitioned from left to right.
6. Joe Perry, Aerosmith
Perry’s Stratocasters are left-handed models, but he strings them in reverse, and holds them backwards. We’re not sure anyone else does that.
7. Al Anderson, The Wailers
You’d have to be damn good to tour with Bob Marley, and Al Anderson is no stranger to being damn good.
8. Janick Gers, Iron Maiden
Gers is one of three guitarists in the current Iron Maiden lineup, he replaced Alan Smith in 1990.
9. Noel Gallagher, Oasis
You may now think Noel is the evil brother after finding out he’s left handed.
10. Steve Morse, Dixie Dregs
Being left handed but playing right handed has its advantages and disadvantages “I hold the pick differently to most players. I also rotate my wrist around two axes instead of one.”
11. Gary Moore
Moore suffered from the classic case of ‘right handed guitar as a gift’ despite being left handed. Now he’s one of the greatest blues guitarists on the earth.
12. Kiko Loureiro, Megadeth
Watch the Megadeth guitarist talk through his technique of right handed guitar playing despite being a leftie.
13. Herman Li, DragonForce
Watch Li talk through his custom makes. It’s got to be custom when you want to play as fast as he does.
Billy Corgan 
