Oh, and don't forget, when it becomes too hard when you do learn, (In low tone) you can always kill yourself and sell your guitar on ebay. But stay away from me when you are skilled enough to destroy monuments.

Haha that never gets old.

It all comes down to practice really. If you spend 6 hours a day practicing (effectively), you can be at a very respectable level in a year. But it also depends on what you want. Do you just want to rock out to some Metallica tunes or do you want to be playing Al Di Meola and John Petrucci stuff? The latter is a challenge, even if you started playing at age 8.

I've seen some kids that have been playing for a year or 2 pull off stunts on the guitar that amaze me, while I've been playing for years now. But then again I primarily play guitar for my own compositions and practice only when I need it for a song.

Anyway, give it a go! Sure you might never reach the pinacle of skill, but who cares.

If you want to play Al DiMeola stuff it is probably better for everyone if you don't pick up the guitar.

If you want to play Al DiMeola stuff it is probably better for everyone if you don't pick up the guitar.

O SNAP!!

Didn't Vai start at like fourteen or something?
And yeah. It's never too late.

Didn't Vai start at like fourteen or something?
And yeah. It's never too late.

Vai is like the Chuck Norris of Guitar. He started when he was born.

I just started myself. I'm 20. I have 0 aspirations to become the next Eddie Van Halen.... But getting to the skill to play rock songs such as SYL is my main goal. I have 0 skill in composition though

There's absolutely no problem with starting at 18. But mastering an instrument requires a lot of patience and commitment, mind that. A good teacher is a big help in any case.

I've been learning less than an year and can play better than a friend who's been at it for 3 years. It's probably because I found an amazing teacher. But maybe I'm just generally awesome.

I picked up guitar when I was 17... my parents wouldn't let me play it, so I played clarinet and saxophone from 12-18. then got a guitar and joined a band straight away. I'm 30 now and never had lessons, not the best guitarist but I get by pretty well.

I once heard that Adrian Smith started playing guitar past 20. Not sure if it is true though.