who started you playin?

[markD]

my earliest influences would probably be they skynyrd guys. my mom was a huge skynyrd fan. she also listened to UFO and rainbow a lot, so add schenker and blackmore to the list. those would have been the guys i was hearing as i was a tiny kid - 2, 3, 4, 5....up until i got into music on my own. once i discovered maiden it was done. dave murray and adrian smith MADE me want to play the guitar. i HAD to be able to do what they were doing.

later on, i got into others, but it has ALWAYS come back to what maiden is doing....classic period, modern-era - it doesn't matter. that is what has always made me want to play.

[Johnnyryche]

Ace Frehley was the first guitarist that got me interested in guitar and rock music. A lot of the players from the 80s, like George Lynch, Jake, Michael Wilton, Chris DeGarmo and Robbin Crosby really developed my interest and desire to play. But the main reason I picked up a guitar was Warren DeMartini. To this day, he is still my favorite guitarist. Oddly enough, today is Warren's birthday. So Happy B-Day, Warren!

[vector]

Jimi Hendrix and Ace Frehley got me playing and Van Halen and Steve Vai got me to try to do it seriously. 26 years later and too many influences to name herein, I still try and still suck. LOL

[thetruthguy]

Dad used to listen to Eagles and Stones a lot and I got into them ... and then Kansas's Leftoverture album ... just liked the solos and heavy guitars. Those types of influences probably got me into guitar. Warren DeMartini and Randy Rhoads were huge influences as well as seeing SRV on Austin City Limits when I was younger.

[Scooter]

Ted Nugent, Neil Schon, and Steve Howe got me interested about 9, Carlos Cavazo, Randy Rhoads, and Mick Mars got me to pick it up at 13, George Lynch, Jake E. Lee, and Jason Becker got me to learn at 15, Chris Poland, Dave Mustaine, and Marty Friedman got me to play hard and fast ever since. Quite a few others (Iommi, Lifeson, Gillis, Tommy Shaw, Tom Sholz, and a whole lot more that I enjoy hearing) in that mix too, but each set of three were the instrumental at each time.

[ulijdavid]

I might end up laughed off the forum for this but really for me it was first Roy Clark (Country legend)

No laughing here. Don't enjoy country music by any stretch of the imagination, but that guy just killed on any instrument he touched. He was freaking shredding back in the 70's on HeHaw.

[peabuddy]

WTF?! Am I the only bass player to reply? Lol I know we were outnumbered but jeez!

[peabuddy]

as for roy clark, awesome musician as Ricky Skaggs is too!

[fullmetalguitar]

The first three:

Phil Collen
George Lynch
EVH

[Hellbat]

My brother.
He was ten years older than me and he played. He had Les Pauls, an Explorer, a Flying V and several Strats. He even had a full Marshall stack stuffed in his closet. When my parents left the house, he would play the Marshall at extreme volumes (still in the closet) and I would listen for what seemed to be hours. He would let me listen to Zep & Jimi with him. For my 15th. birthday he got me a Peavey Decade amp, Van Halen I and Iron Maiden Killers.
I was fortunate that my high school offered a guitar class. Whenever the class performed in front of school, he would bring me a Flying V to play. He was always there to keep the spark alive.

RIP David!

Your brother was awesome. Mine would 'borrow' my guitar to pawn for cash.

[wilkinsi]

Emperor. It was 1992 I think.

[Hellraiser6502]

Ace Frehley & KISS 1975 ....'nuff said.

[sparky]

To add to my previous post. Ace Frehley made me want to play guitar....seeing Bruce Kulick on MTV with Kiss on the Animalize tour with his pointy headed guitar made me love Charvel / Jackson guitars!!!

[FloydRose4Prez]

EVH, Vito Bratta, and George Lynch.

Exactly.

Jake, Warren D, Neal Schon, Randy

[markD]

Emperor. It was 1992 I think.

you could actually hear the guitar?!?! damn! you have good ears