When were you given your first instrument?

[Meatwad]

I don't remember this at all, but I was always fascinated with guitars.

From that..........
To this.

 

[kfowler8]

Christmas Day - 1971.

Still got it.[/quote]

That's so awesome to still have it.

I was given my first acoustic when I was 14. My junior high youth pastor gave it to me. It was a beat up Gremlin. Real piece of crap. Action was like an 1" and tuners about broke your hand. That's being said it's what got me started and I really appreciated it.

I smashed on stage years later. That was stupid. I should have kept it and mounted it on the wall.

 

[coldsteal2]

Cool - My first guitar was a Kay Vanguard

same here mine was a Kay

 

[DHK68]

Started playing drums (yes) at 13. My brother started guitar few years later, so there was always a guitar lying around, and I would pick it up and fiddle. So I could play drums in the day time, guitar at night (less noise), bought a bass and messed around. Not an expert on any of it, but it at least gives me a better understanding of music as a whole, how all instruments need to work together, and how no instrument is any more important than another.

 

[LPSGME]

a Uke at three, banjo at 7, guitar at 8

Pretty much the same. But i it was a mandolin instead of a banjo; and I think my first uke had a crank on it.

 

[Joeydego]

Given? No one gave me shit. My first guitar was on lay away for 3 months in 1989. I paid for it, every penny. Pizza delivery money.

 

[dayguitar]

Never given a guitar, like many of us! But I bought my first guitar, a squier strat, when I was 11 with money I'd saved up and birthday money! Still got it, changed pups and repainted myself with a swirl effect. (Not that great looking but still haha)

 

[gibsonguitar1988]

I got a late start. My parents bought me a Gibson SG to start on in 2002ish. I was around 14. It never happened, LOL. I had an @ss for a teacher and I said screw this. The SG was put in the closet. Fast forward to Jan 2007 and almost 19 years old and I had a major life change and a song saved my life and made me dig the SG out, print off chords online, and get to it. And this time I truly took to it and music like nothing else before. I taught myself how to play. And it worked great and I STILL have the SG. It's a great guitar. I'm just more of a Les Paul guy.

I wanted a Gibson Les Paul to start on because a family friend had one, but my teacher at the time said LPs were too heavy for me, get him an SG if you want to get him a Gibson. So I ended up with the SG. Right around that time "School Of Rock" came out - and Jack Black had an SG so I thought "well at least it's a Gibson". It was a Faded Special Cherry.

And the rest is history! I played in a tribute band for 3 years, another small covers band (nowhere near as big as the tribute nor was it as rewarding both playing wise and financially), and now I just play off and on with some friends for random shows.

 

[12watt]

I bought mine at 16, I still have it.

 

[Deftone]

Given? No one gave me shit. My first guitar was on lay away for 3 months in 1989. I paid for it, every penny. Pizza delivery money.

This. Bought my own at 12 y.o.

 

[Rocco Crocco]

My first was a trumpet in 4th grade. I took to it very well and got to be pretty good. 2 years later I discovered that chicks dig guitars way more than trumpets, so my older brother bought me a "Lark" brand Les Paul copy that I learned on. It was a nice playing guitar.. bolt on I think.

I still have the trumpet, and in fact I took it out of the closet the other day to try and play it. I couldn't even get a solid note out of it because my lip muscles are so out of shape.

 

[poncho]

Musical family, so I was quite lucky in this regard. Both parents played acoustic, Pops played piano too. Took piano lessons for about two days back when I was, 6, maybe 7?

Moved on to drums a bit later, but that didn't stick either. Although it sure was fun! I have pictures somewhere of me playing the drums and my Dad playing his acoustic. Man, I'd love to be able to hear that now


Didn't get serious about guitar till high school. Still have my Mom's Gibson classical she bought way back in 68 or so. Beautiful git, and really sings too


Cool thread, although a tad bittersweet for me

 

[Bohacker]

Trumpet in the 6th grade. Stayed with that through college. Didn't pick up guitar until my late twenties. Ancient from what I can tell from most MLPers.

 

[Thermionik]

Lol; I've never been "Given" anything in my entire life, much less and instrument...

So you paid for tit-milk, diapers, laundry, food, your way through school...

 

[Actinic]

I got my first guitar as a freshman. Waited tables, and saved up money. Then the guitar was stolen from my room. The next two guitars were also purchased with hard-earned money, and are with me to this day. Moral of this story- keep your friends close to you, but keep your guitars closer.

 

[six-string]

my mama played a hawaiian-style acoustic slide guitar that she kept in a cardboard alligator case under the bed. i used to pull that thing out and fiddle with it when i was too young to know anything about music except that it was fun to make the sounds.
we always had a piano or some kind of keyboard in the house. and i messed around with that too.
bought my first acoustic (some sort of Martin off-brand i think? Sigma or Conservatore?) with paper route money when i was maybe 11-12 and my first electric at 15 (a Univox strat).
they are both long gone.

 

[barricwiley]

Still waitin' for that.

 

[duck2k]

Christmas of '73 I was nine. An acoustic guitar from Sears. Greatest present I got. Did not really start playing seriously until I was fifteen.

 

[KP]

Uke at 10, guitar at 13.