Guitarists who started play late in their lifes?

Hey!

Someone told me Michael Romeo started play guitar when he was 19, but thats a lie. He started when he was 12.. :confused:

But is there anyone else good, famous guitarist who started play at like the age of 19-20? My point is if it's possible to become good although you started when you were 17-18??

My second question is how old were you when you started to play? Did you begin with guitar or was it perhaps piano first?

I started out on the piano at the age of 9 (I think). played for 2-3 years then I got tired of that so I pretty much quit, which I regret to this day. then I played the trumpet in the school band in the 5th and 6th grade. then I picked up the guitar somewhere around the age of 14 (I think), and haven't been able to put it down since, I am now 24. The only problem is that I'm a visual learner, and can't find anyone to take lessons from, so I still can't play lead :( oh well, maybe I'll pick it up one of these day's.

i started at the age of 18 - pretty late i guess...

Nah, it's all relative. Start late, practice hard. Start early, practice hard. Depends on your background and how much effort you put into it. I think I remember seeing something about clapton spending only 3 years on gutiar before hitting the lights. I've got a **** load of musical experience from my musical parents other than guitar from too early to remember but I started guitar when I was 14, 10 years ago. I've changed complete playing styles 3 seperate times though which has its advantages and disadvantages.

I started playing back when I was 19 (almost 23 now). I got my first guitar when I was 16 but didn't stick with it. For a while I regretted losing out on these 3 years, but I think that when I finally did start, my learning curve was better than if I had kept with it at 16. So if my theory is correct that "lost" time was all relative.

I started when I was 15, now I'm 18 and still not any better.:D

Originally posted by Yngtchie Blacksteen
I started when I was 15, now I'm 18 and still not any better.:D

Then you must have been amazing when you started playing ;)

I started about a month before i was 16 and i'm now 17.

Cool

Yeah, perhaps you don't have any bigger chances just because you're young. But still, I remember the days when I was like 12-13 and saw those sport-talangs on TV. Guys, barely 18 who was our new hope in Swedish soccer. You could aswell sometimes see 15 year old guitarists who would become our new Yngwie.

That was when I was 12, and I thought that one day I would be on TV, promissed and extoled.

That didn't happened and serious, I get very stressed nowadays when I'm 20, watching new young hopes who's 15-16. They shredd like I think I never will, they can play behind their own backs and so on.. And I just think: What did I become?

But when I see that Azrael started when he was 18, there may be hope.. Even for me..

Originally posted by Death55
Then you must have been amazing when you started playing ;)

*blushes* :o

I started at 10........so I've been playing 15 years now......but I learn something new everyday.

I started at 27 so I don't really believe that there is much to the "he started too late" myths. I'm also left handed but am learning on standard right handed guitars but I find it helps with my fretwork.

Although I have to admit that I have a feeling I'm not going to have people say quotes like this about me any time soon. "Hey, remember that Andy Arsenault didn't start until he was 27 and that guy shreds!"

I started when i was 10, I am 13 now, so i think that is pretty early.

Listening to this, I feel like the stupidest person ever. My dad is a BIG fan of guitars and played them for like 20+ years. He had me begging me to play guitar for ages like when I was 4 or someting.
Now I am 14 years old and started when I was 12. I missed out on 8 or so years!!!!!!

I imagine you have to reach a certain level of physical and motor skill development before playing guitar is worth it. What do you guys think? Can an 8 year have the ability to master the fine motor skills necessary to play? Do we have an expert here? :p

I laughing at those child prodigies, the TV shows are always saying they will be the next so and so. 8 years later and half the time they are never heard of again. it not that they're not talented, they just don't live up to their own or other peoples expectations of them.

I imagine these child prodigies get pretty messed in the head from the attention given them and their lack of normal socialization at that early stage in life and fade from the spotlight because they want to - to rebuild their social skills and self-esteem and whatnot. It's got to be a freaking hard life after that. Or a confusing one.

I think the problem with these child prodigies is that they kick ass at technique.... thats why they're noticed. But as we all know, technique means nothing if it's on it's own. I figure that by the time they're old enough to start selling records, they can't write anything musically decent, and by that age their technique isn't so amazing, because they arn't the only ones who can play that good for their age.

Just a note on the post saying Michael Romeo started when he was 12 , he says he started when he was 14, but said he didn't start playing properly until he was about 18. In other words he started concentrating on the technical side. But yeah, I started when I was 10 on the classical, and now im 19, hope I can play like Romeo when im his age. I have the advantage of having normal sized fingers too, so he puts me to shame even more :)

- J

Originally posted by Jamiephofe
Just a note on the post saying Michael Romeo started when he was 12 , he says he started when he was 14, but said he didn't start playing properly until he was about 18.
- J

Maybe, but on symphonyx.com he says he got his first electric guitar (and before that he had a acoustic one..) when he was 12, but whatever.. I wonder what he means with "playing properly", probably when I would say I'm awesome.. :confused:

guess he means trying to better himself a a guitarist. For the first few years I played the guitar I would just sit down and play what I already knew, barre chords, or picking them out, simple lead lines but not understand what they were. I think he started listening to Yngwie and the more challenging stuff.

By the way, have any of you guys got the G3 in Denver DVD? I've heard mixed reviews, some say it kicks ass, so think Yngwie spoils the show by showing off as usual. Also I heard he overplayed little wing quite a bit, not that suprising though.

- J

let's see... I got my first axe at 16 played for a year, messed around really... started again at 20 and it lasted a year again...

I bought my strat at 29 and I'm 31 now, I find that I have more patience to learn the things I need to accomplish what I want as opposed to just learning "what's fun" when I was younger. So I think it's entirely possible for someone to start late and still become a great guitarist.. it just depends on how far you wanna take it... Azrael is a good example of this. According to his post, he started at 18 but wanted to do it so now he's recording things for bands and himself and if you've checked out his tricks.. the dude is bada$$!!!