I started playing (electric) in high school in 1981. I never really stopped playing altogether, but I would say from 1985 to 1997 I did nothing serious other than an occasional bit of noodling. I even gave away my amp to a fellow graduate student, though I kept my 1981 Epiphone Sheraton.
Around 1997 or so, a friend who was a much better and more serious player would occasionally pick my Epiphone up and noodle on it when he visited, and that gave me a drive to play again. So, with his advice, I bought my first acoustic guitar. We progressed from informal blues jamming to open mikes, and from there to new electric and bass guitars and two performing bands in Washington DC (one of them named "Lust Puppy") ... which is a good way to mess up a friendship. Fortunately, I bowed out of playing in public (I'm basically an introvert), our friendship was largely repaired, and I moved away to follow jobs.
Since then, I have completely gotten away from playing the electric - in fact, I don't even own one, and have no desire to. I prefer using my limited practice time on the acoustic guitar. Occasionally I wish I had an electric if only because there is so much you can do with one, but when those urges strike, I just convert a favorite electric tune to acoustic, and that drives it away.
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Tom
I own a guitar.
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