who started you playin?

[dimobag]

My first memory of wailing broom guitar was with Kiss so I would say Ace, but Dimebag had most biggest influence since I heard Cowboys. By the time I got my first guitar there was three guys who I tried to copy: Dimebag, Jimi Hendrix and Tony Iommi. Not far from those was Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth and SLAYER! R.I.P. Jeff!

[catzodellamarina]

Frampton = me too. My dad took me to a music store to by 2 of my own records so I would quit ruining their records on my cheap stereo. My 2 album choices caught him by surprise. They were double live albums and expensive:
Frampton Comes Alive
The Song Remains the Same soundtrack.

So my first guitar influences were Doobie Bros (Baxter, Johnson, Simmons), Frampton, and Page.

[cookiemonster]

huw Lloyd Langton, Adrian smith, glen tipton.

[akoch]

YJM for me, then Accept and ACDC

[Axegrinder]

EVH made me want to pick up guitar but Randy Rhoads made me want to play the thing.

[mr426]

KISS after I saw them in 1976 on tv. After that George Lynch really got me into playing more.

[holycross1]

I have to say after thinking about who got me started, I am stumped.
I have always loved the instrument. The first metal I learned was Iron Man, Crazy train and Lack of Communication.
So maybe Tony, Randy and Warren.

\m/\m/

[cullenszoo]

I guess for me, I was always interested in music. from birth to age 10 (71-81) I was pretty much a victim of everyone else. my father played classical in his man cave as I was growing up. my mother was a fan of Liberace, Tom Jones, The lettermen, Franky Lane (of raw hide fame)and of course Elvis.
my older sister was more into pop and rock and sometimes while pestering her I would hear Van Halen and the Eagles.
In 81 I started listening to my sisters records. Mostly Rick Springfield. he would the first guitar player/singer/song writer that inspired me.
for the second and third, I have to lump them together as "every big haired-spandex wearing-guitar shredding-player who ever burned up a fret board from 1982-1989"
I got hooked on Night Tracks, Friday Night Videos, and of course MTV. If somebody popped up with a guitar I perked up and listened for something different.

I've always loved EPIC guitar music. even transiberian railroad (sp) Dream Theater, Meatloaf.

I do have to give a hat tip to Buck Owens and Roy Clark. Hee Haw was a staple in my household. (Duh, a couple hours from Nashville and next door to the nursery of country music, Knoxville)

[Rupe]

I do have to give a hat tip to Buck Owens and Roy Clark. Hee Haw was a staple in my household. (Duh, a couple hours from Nashville and next door to the nursery of country music, Knoxville)

Roy Clark is a monster player. I recall channel surfing at some point in the early 80's (more like channel wading...I think we had maybe 10 channels) and seeing a close-up of somebody just tearing it up on a black Les Paul Custom. I was mesmerized as I watched this guy blaze...imagine my shock when the camera panned back and it was the dude I knew from Hee Haw! I've been a big Roy Clark fan ever since...the man can play!

This piece that he did for the TV show "The Odd Couple" is mind blowing to me...what a right hand!

[Cygnus X1]

See?

When names like Roy, and Rick Springfield pop up, then you know it's REAL.
I think most of the best at their craft were also the outcast, spending many lonely hours practicing.
While the "cool" kids were out chasing everything else, that is.

Even with my limited ability I was not running with the crowd during jr. high.
But when it was found out me and some of the other shunned ones could actually play, then we became
popular and accepted.
Fuggemz!

And no, we aren't going to play at your grad party for free, either!

[DonP]

Iron Maiden

[Joe_L]

Early Ted Nugent, Alvin Lee and Hendrix from Woodstock, Clapton and Townsend.

Also, in a small town in Louisiana, in a lower mid income neighborhood, not counting myself, there was 6 pro musicians within a rock throw of my house. We just thought it natural to play an instrument or sing.

[DK2M92]

James Hetfield got me to pick the thing up, then Mustaine and co (Poland,Young,Friedman) got me to actually play it and you can throw Alex Skolnick in the last section as well.

[Outlander]

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

Brad Paisley aint too bad neither !!!

[Outlander]

Les Paul and Mary Ford
Chet Atkins
and a instrumental group known as the ventures. I learned all their stuff the old way, with a record player. My poor parents I'm surprised they didn't kick me out.