How old were you when you got bit by the guitar bug?

[Meatwad]

I can't even remember how old I was, but it was a really, really young age - like 3 or 4.
I can remember acting like my sister's tennis racket was a guitar when I was just a tyke.
I don't remember this thing at all, but here's a pic.

We had a piano in the house, and both of my sisters played, but I didn't want anything to do with it. I wanted a guitar dammit!!

I got my first guitar when I was 6 for Christmas, 1971, and I've still got that plastic piece of crap.

 

[Minte]

I got my first guitar for my 9th birthday.. A Silvertone acoustic w/ f-slots. I remember it fondly even though the action was not great. There was probably 1/4"+ of air between the strings and the fretboard.

 

[Eric Duane]

I was around 7. My step dad played and had a cool ass Weston V. Still has it. I was told not to touch and would sneak in and pluck away. I didn't pick it up seriously until I was 18-19 then again at 30. Now I'm a father and hope it rubs off again.

What a fun life it is.

 

[Gin&Pentatonic]

I remember the day vividly...

I was in 5th grade, in my room, getting dressed for school. This was back when MTV had music videos playing both at night and in the mornings. All of a sudden I heard the most incredible sound I had ever heard. It was the debut of Foo Fighters' "Alone+Easy Target". I was mesmerized. Told my mom that morning that I HAD to get an electric guitar.

Thankfully I didn't have to wait long as my birthday was only a few weeks away. Dad surprised me with a black Fender MIM Stratocaster. I played the hell out of that thing.

 

[lancpudn]

50 years old I didn't even pick up a guitar until late in life.

 

[jeff_farkas]

I got the bug when I was around 10-11. Then I played guitar in my music class in High School. Had a blast but never really played until around 5 years ago and now I love it.

 

[jeff_farkas]

50 years old I didn't even pick up a guitar until late in life.

Same here. I love to listen to guitars in all kinds of music but I really never thought of learning to play one.

 

[danohat]

The first time I touched one. At 14.

 

[kfowler8]

I remember exactly the first time I picked up the guitar. I was 14 and we had a church youth function at our house, circa 1989. A bud brought over a red MIA start. He let me hold it. Of course I picked it up backwards. I was hooked from there. Got my first guitar a couple of months later.

 

[Lord High Warlock]

My dad got me my first guitar when I was 7 or 8. Unfortunately, we didn't mesh as student - teacher, so I lost interest until I was 13 or so. Got my first electric as an 8th grade graduation present.

 

[paruwi]

about 38 years ago at the age of 15.....

 

[Spiteface]

14. I was really into Oasis, and started "growing out" of Pop music and into more guitar/rock-oriented stuff. So Christmas 1997, I got my first guitar - a Squier Affinity Strat, with a 10-watt Squier Sidekick practice amp. My parents later told me that they argued back and forth as to whether to even get me that guitar for Christmas, thinking I might not stick with it for long. Obviously, I'm still playing guitar now.

 

[kfowler8]

One cool thing is my girls are growing up surrounded by guitars so they won't ever be able to answer this question.

 

[nuance97]

Older than many I'd suspect...18yrs old.

 

[duaneflowers]

7

 

[Eddie 70]

I just got my first guitar two Christmas' ago. My wife surprised me and was telling me "I have rocked your Christmas! You will never guess what it is!" She was right. I was 44 when I got my first and I have had a guitar in my hands every day since then. I am still an awful beginner but I really am lusting after more guitars!! I want a Gibson LP Trad Pro II for some reason.

 

[Laggspike]

when i was 16, i got bit by the fender bug

 

[gibsonguitar1988]

I got a late start compared to most of my heroes. 18 - back in January of 2007.

That kickstarted my whole love of classic rock and guitars.... Practicing 8+ hrs a day because you are disabled and have nothing better to do leads to fast progression...and here I am... I do wish I would have started in my early teens, it would have kept me from being depressed and down and out during that period, as it saved my life back in '07 as I was as low as one could get, then I heard Eagles' "Hotel California" and I suddenly had a vision of what I wanted to do, rather I became famous for it or not.

 

[old mark]

4 or 5. My grandfather had several 45 records by some guy named Les Paul and I LOVED that sound and nothing but an electric guitar would do it for me after that...I finally got a regular guitar about age 10 and started trying to learn how to make those sounds. Just turned 67 and I'm still learning.

 

[FUS44]

First gift I received as an infant was a wind up Micky Mouse guitar from my guitar slinging uncle. I still have it.

I was doomed from the beginning.