I truly do love the guitar.  It can be frustrating at times, but at others it's my best friend.  But it doesn't stab you in the back like your friends do, or bitch at you like your girlfriend would.  It's a great hobby, and a never-ending challenge, and I'm thankful that I took it up, and that I'll always have it.

To see some of the music that influenced me to play the guitar, check out MY MUSICAL BACKGROUND.

Heavy Metal is the primary reason why I wanted to, and will always want to, play the guitar.

I started playing the guitar in the middle of my Junior year in high school.  It was delayed by a few weeks, but my parents got me my first guitar and amplifier for a Christmas present.  On January 19th, 1987, my Dad and I went to Hollowood Music in McKees Rocks, and I got a good "starter" guitar.  Sadly, that's still the only guitar I actually own to this day.
My Dad knew one of the Hollowood brothers, so we got a good deal on the setup.  Don Hollowood showed me the guitar and played a few cool sounding things, and I was thrilled.  I couldn't believe that I'd soon be playing all the stuff I wanted to.  Don says "here, why don't you try it out".  Next thing you know, I'm sittin' there holding this guitar thinking "what the hell am I supposed to do?!".  I pushed the pick against the strings a few times, moved the fingers of my left hand a little, and the guitar emitted a couple scrapes and squeals.  Then I said "uh..ok, that's good".

Let me tell ya, I've come a long way since then!  Now I can make 8 different kinds of scrapes and squeals on the guitar.  Well, I'm being modest.  I've actually become a decent guitar player.  After 12 years of playing, I'm probably where someone good would be after maybe 3 or 4 years.  But I'm totally self-taught, never having a lesson.  I never was interested in learning theory and scales and all that shit, I just wanted to play songs that I liked.  In retrospect, learning some theory may have actually helped me play better more quickly.  I do know more about the guitar now than I did then, and I'm open to learning more things outside of just playing.

The first riffs I ever played were the opening line to Iron Maiden's "Wasted Years" (only at about half speed!), and Sabbath's "Iron Man".
Over the years, I learned more by playing songs from guitar magazines and books.

When I was in college, I wasn't into the whole frat and party scene (thank God!), so I spent many Friday afternoons/evenings jammin' on my axe after I came home from school.  Some people see that as being a loser, but I see going to the frat house, smokin' weed, drinkin' beer, and waking up with puke all over you as something done exclusively by losers!  If you disagree with me, FUCK OFF!

As any guitar player will tell you, there are times when you get into a rut with the guitar, and you feel like you're not progessing as a player at all.  In the early days, other than playing some chords and low-string riffs, I felt that I wasn't progressing at all.  Even though I had guitar players I liked, I didn't think of them as influences, because I couldn't play anything like them.

I don't know when it happened actually, but sometime in the early 90s, I started progressing as a player, finally!  By the mid 90s, I was able to play some slower type leads/solos, and maybe even fake my way through same medium or faster ones.  Either way, I did notice improvement.  There's nothing like seeing an improvement to give you the inspiration to want to play more.

Since the middle of 1998, I've noticed a big improvement in my playing.  Don't get me wrong, I'm far from being where I want to be, but I can actually see me getting really good someday.  I'm at the point where, with a little practice with other guys playing the bass, drums, etc., I can see me actually playing in a band.

I can be a competent rhythm player, and adequate lead player, depending on the actual lead of course!  I just wish my songwriting could come more easily.  I have some really cool ideas in my head, but I can't seem to transfer them out of my fingers onto the guitar.

It's unfortunate that I've never been in a band.  I'm sure that would have quickened my progression as a player.  The problem was, that I had so few friends that were really into the same music as me, and none or few of them played any instrements.
Because of this, I've rarely even had the opportunity to jam with other people.  My Brother played the bass one or two times while we jammed to some old Sabbath or AC/DC, but he's 11 years older than me, and really doesn't know any of the music I'm into playing.  I jammed several times with a bunch of guys I worked with at IKEA, which was fun, but again, no metal guys.  We ranged in age from 22 to 38, so we ended up playing stuff like Bad Company and Deep Purple, which is cool, but still not metal.
I jammed with a few students of mine (I'm a high school teacher by the way), and they at least knew some old Metallica, but they still weren't metal enough for me.

I do have a few friends now that are into the same music as me, and they do play instruments, but with work, school, chicks, friends, finding a place to jam, all thrown in, we haven't had the chance to play together yet.