Picking up an Instrument Later in Life

Skin flute.

I played the guitar--badly--when I was 16-21. I learned very slowly and got frustrated easily. USMC, marriage, kid, bills, life got in the way, and I stopped learning and playing. Fast-forward to my 35th year of life! After thinking about it for years, I bought another guitar and began relearning what I knew and continued learning new stuff. 3 1/2 years later, I am actually pretty good and learn new songs or techniques quickly and rather easily. I found it easy and enjoyable experiencing this at an older age. I appreciated it more.

Go for it!

I took an aptitude test and they said something similar. I tested higher in the sound differentiation and musical categories than any other category. They said, "while this doesn't necessarily mean you have to work in music, whatever profession you choose, and even in your hobbies, you should incorporate musical sounds somehow, as they really complement your strengths."

I totally agree and I have thought the exact same way. Would love to take up guitar soon. As a kid I thought myself songs on the piano, and I attribute it to that ability you describe.

You want electric or acoustic?


I'd just go to a pawn shop, you can get something pretty nice at most of them for cheap.

If you play for 6 or so months and enjoy it and think it's something you will stick with, upgrade to a new guitar. I recommend Fender if you're going Electric.

I've been wanting to do the exact thing. I'll be 40 this year and been itching to learn guitar all my life. Things like wife, kids and job just took up my time. Now kids are older and don't need dad's time as much, I'm feeling the guitar itch again.

It depends on the pawn shop. I have found really good deals at Pawn shops on guitars. I bought a Japanese made Telecaster for around 200 and got a beautiful Fender Jaguar for 400. Those two guitars are worth over 1,500 combined.

What I mainly play is a made in the U.S. Stratocaster. I got it new for my 12th B Day in 1996. It still plays perfectly well 20 years later despite quite a few drops. You get what you pay for when buying new most of the time.

Stay away from squires, that are crap.

If you can't find a good deal at a pawn shop I'd check Ebay or Guitar Center's online classifieds.

There are a few places online to find good used guitars.

I agree that, while it's the more expensive route probably since you have to buy a guitar and amp, electrics are much easier to play for a beginner.

* For a first instrument, I recommend buying a used guitar from the idea that not only will you benefit from depreciation, it will be easier to recoup the investment should you resell, whether you lose interest or choose to upgrade and reinvest that $$$ into the nicer instrument. Guitar depreciation doesn't typically compound through multiple owners.

* Before you buy from a pawn shop, online auction or classifieds, etc., compare the asking price to completed auctions on eBay for a more accurate street value assessment. Pawn shop and online pricing can be all over the place and not necessarily great deals.

* Particularly with used guitars, go in with the mindset you may end up paying a little extra after getting it for a pro set-up/maintenance/TLC visit with a good guitar repairman. Most "great deal" used guitars I see suffer from issues tied to lack of use or abundance of neglect and/or misuse that need to be addressed for optimum performance, which includes ease of play. Quite frankly, brand-new off-the-rack guitars, regardless of price range, typically benefit from similar service.

* Whether buying new or used, pay mind to countries of manufacturer as well as reputable brand names. I think most of us would agree American manufacturers have the best and deserved reputation for not only craftsmanship but quality of materials. The latter is a VERY big deal for guitars, particularly on acoustic instruments where the wood is the primary tone component. USA-made instruments across the board are best bets if you have a nice budget from which to work. I have similar respect for instruments made in Japan and Canada, which tend to be cheaper in cost. Korean manufacturers have really, really upped their game in recent years and true values abound. Chinese-made instruments can be hit-and-miss - good and lackluster examples are prevalent. The same, with more "miss" than "hit," is the case with instruments from Indonesia and Vietnam.

I would love to start playing the guitar. I need to bite the bullet and buy an acoustic guitar to pick around on.

I picked up my first instrument at 44. I hadn't played an instrument since middle school. I had always been fascinated with bass. So I bought one on craigslist. I joined a local club that teaches and gigs. I was an absolute noob. 6 months later I'm playing shows and can be quite serviceable. I have years left of learning but I started and now I can actually play it. I've picked up a few more basses and really enjoy it.