I started right around my 14th birthday, right before I went into high school. That was almost 34 years ago. The learning tools we had available back then for the self-taught guitarist were pitiful compared to what we have today. I wish the YouTubes and other internet and technology stuff had existed back then. I might have given a finger for the Amazing Slow Downer or a similar tool.
I gigged the NY metro area from 1988 to 1997, when I moved out west. April 1997 was the last gig I played with the last band I was in.
Through much of the 2000’s I played less and less – every time I played (after a few weeks or a month of not playing) I had lost more and more technique, and therefore fell into a spiral of discouragement.
In roughly 2009, I realized that I really didn’t want to be someone who “used to play guitar,” so I re-committed myself to practice and discipline and learning and playing and having FUN. It’s been great, and I’ve since gotten some dream guitars – in 2010 I got a Gibson Les Paul Traditional Pro II, and in 2015, I got a PRS Core 30th Anniversary Custom 24 (Quilted 10 top!).
I’ve recently started working towards finding a band, and after a few false starts, I’ve got something lined up that may work out and end my dry spell for gigs in 2018. I’m excited for it.