After a few uninspiring years of childhood lessons on piano and trumpet, I chose the 5 string banjo at age 12 because:

1. It sounded cool

2. Dave Guard of the Kingston Trio played one and I wanted to be ready to step in when he left (didnt work out)

3. None of my friends played one, so I figured I would be in demand for group playing (which worked out better)

About 4 years later I started playing guitar because:

1. It sounded cool

2. Peter and Paul of PPM played one and I wanted to be ready ...

3. It seemed more versatile than banjo

4. My personality seemed a bit more in line with accompaniment than lead playing and guitar seemed better suited to that (I hadnt heard Doc Watson or other accoustic "lead" guitar players at that point)

5. Since no one I knew played banjo I found it a little hard to progress too far on my own after getting through Pete Seeger's basic book(ie no one to trade licks with etc), where as all my guitar playing friends were happy to show me everything they knew.

Over the course of the next few years I completed the transition from banjo to guitar and have been happy with that choice for the last 40 years, but once in a while I still get the old five string out