Welcome to the boards man. I didn't have the break in the middle like you, but I've been playing since I was 8, and I'm only just behind you in age.

Having a resource like this years ago would have been amazing - it was lessons one to one or sheet music - those were the options when I was learning. Then VHS of Vinnie Moore / Paul Gilbert etc came along...

The internet has made information so much more available... And here we all are trying to help each other along a bit