Always wanted to get a guitar, didn't have my eye on any one in particular. I was at a small local rock show and one of the bands were raffling off a Crate GX1200 head and 4x12 cab. I said what the hell and bought 2 tickets. You guessed it, I won that amp with not a guitar in my house! I went on vacation with my parents and there was a small shop next to our place... I went in the first day and played a few guitars... I went in every day for 4 days playing guitars in that store... I narrowed it down to a cherry sunburst Squier Strat and an Ibanez Artcore. I picked up the strat because it just spoke to me.
6 months and an '83 Fender Twin Reverb II later I bought that Ibanez from GC! The strat needless to say is pretty much retired now that I have my MW Tele and my Ibanez monster.