What age did you start playing guitar?

[WireLine]

Took classical and flamenco lessons age 5-6...even made it to the Spanish TV station in San Antonio for their Christmas show. After a year, blew it off to play sports.

Got back to it age 12, when I found out guitar was the missing element from the sex, drugs, rock n roll trifecta...perfect timing for the summer of 68. Dabbled off and on until high school, then the feverish addiction hit, and in spite of some time away, it's been an obsessive addiction. Seriously, walked away or turned down jobs, even careers, that potentially interfered with even the possibility of gigging.

All the folks who said I was crazy have either died or are living in old folks homes...Im still gigging. There's a certain sweetness to that

 

[BristolKeeno]

I remember being 6 or 7 and making a rudimentary slide out of a knife and making funny noises out of my dad's Yamaha acoustic
Next memory i was probably 11 or 12 having lessons with this dude who lived up my street and whilst I strummed acoustic, he was playing electric and I remember that the amp didn't have a plug on it, and the wires were kept in the plug socket with 3 matches (UK style plug) haha
And I remember the finger pain
First electric was a Marlin Sidewinder. Played a lot of Pink Floyd solos on that

 

[Gladhander]

18 and I bought it off my cousin. Thanks parents! I’m just kidding. They never bought me a guitar but I did play coronet for a year and a few piano lessons I should have stayed with.

 

[Mjark]

13. I wish I would have done nothing else for the next ten years but…

 

[toanhunter]

13 is when I started, before that I was a piano virtuoso, started playing piano age 3 and wrote my own compositions, gave it all up for rock n roll.

 

[hotraman]

13 years old. Thank God I was able to quit tenor banjo lessons and start guitar lessons.
Way back in 1969.

 

[red57strat]

I was 8. I still have my first guitar- a 3/4 size Harmony acoustic. I still have it. It has a wonderful, blues, honky, lo-fi sound. I like it so much that I bough a similar ladder braced full size Harmony acoustic a few years ago.

Me playing my cousin's guitar before I got my own.

My first guitar-

 

[brookdalebill]

To paraphrase :
I got a guitar at 9.
I could play a few clean chords by 12.
I started garage bands at 14.
I started gigging at 16.
I started gigging regularly at 18,
I’m still gigging, more than anyone in my circle, 50 years later.
I’m a dern addict!

 

[red57strat]

1960, Eight years old. Sears Silvertone acoustic. I still have it and it stays in tune well enough and still plays well.

I still have mine, but it was a Harmony and I got it in 1971 when I was 8.

 

[COOPSTER]

Drove em crazy with the dueling banjos lick for the hundredth time.

 

[Holy smokes]

I don’t remember . My older brother claims I stole his guitar . I do remember singing and playing for an audience. I was 9 It’s was a harrowing experience

 

[fsone]

At age 60, its been 11 years already, where does time go.

 

[blue metalflake]

Started mandolin at 9 (cause my mother played and there were 2 at home)
Moved onto guitar at 13 & got first Tele at 21.

 

[Call Me Al]

Bass at 20
Acoustic at 25
Electric at 40

 

[chulaivet1966]

By "when" I mean either

1) When you really started playing regularly with drive and passion

Mornin'....

When I was 22....right after my 4 year military picnic.
I started out on drums during high school.

Carry on.

 

[Lawdawg]

Grew up playing piano but fooled around with guitar on and off for years. 16 was when I decided to get serious about it.

I wouldn't say that I learned guitar just because the guitarist in my band did better with girls than I did, but I wouldn't not say it either!

 

[Thebluesman]

Grew up playing piano but fooled around with guitar on and off for years. 16 was when I decided to get serious about it.

I wouldn't say that I learned guitar just because the guitarist in my band did better with girls than I did, but I wouldn't not say it either!

no matter how good/musically poor you are..the ''inner pleasure'' it gives is PRICELESS & TIMELESS.The guitar becomes your best friend & More!Good/bad times..its all ways there and when you don't play for whatever reason..its so nice just to strum those strings like you've never been away=A perfect musical relationship.A love affair that never wains!

 

[tonepoet333]

Not until I was 19, due to poor self-esteem and putting guitar heroes on a pedestal, convincing myself that I could never ever be close to them ("I'm not worthy!!!)

For Christmas that year (1975) my Mother said to all of us "Pick one thing and not over $100". I found an Epiphone FT-145 acoustic on the wall of a local music store for $110 and talked Mom into the extra $10. Been playing ever since then.

tonepoet
www.jackshiner.com

 

[clydethecat]

10. First guitar was Christmas, 5th grade.

 

[msalama]

Think I was 6 or 7, not sure. But around that time, yeah.