had one or two rented 'cellos for a wee while, then a rented violin, finally got me own fiddle for my 18th ("daisy"), complete with terrible korean bow - but then got a very sexy bow for my 21st!

first guitar - well, I borrowed my mum's for a year or so, okay-ish nylon-strung classical which I strummed (or tried to strum!) very loudly with a thick pick and hit all the wrong notes, and successfully jarred my 2nd yr uni housemates off enough that they walked around wearing ear plugs!

after uni I had no job and no money and spent the last £50 on my barclaycard on a cheap steel-strung little number I found in cash-generator ("clarence)! Niiiiiiice... still, I learned how to pick a bit better and strumming steel strings didn't sound quite as bad!

a couple of years later I took a trip to ireland and met a nice man in a music shop in kilarney, who I chatted to lots and in who's shop I tried out all the guitars (away from home for a month a la bicycle I was missing my own guitar and needed a fix). my attention focused on a rather nice seagull guitar (mmmmmmmm, tasty!) which - to cut a long story short - was eventually given to me for nothing by the music shop man :) such a charmer! that was 4 years ago and we're still in touch, and I still play that same seagull guitar that I strapped to my back and rode home on my bicycle with... thinkin' about getting pickups fitted as it's completely acoustic but a little worried I'll change the sound quality which is lovely at the moment.

one day I will think of a name for that one too... :)