I got my first guitar at about 14, a real egg slicer. It was THE instrument back then. I now have several, most are cheap and nasty. OK so that matches my playing abilities. I have been looking for a new guitar for years but still not made the plunge. Maybe I WOULD practise more if I had a dececnt one. This could be the year as I am having one of those SIGNIFICANT birthdays. I got into recorders one time when I decided to learn more about those funny little black dots. Ended up with a soprano and a really nice Tenor of Pear with an ivory mothpiece. Along the way I have also picked up Two bagpipe chanters, several whistles, a 5 string banjo, a ukeklele, a mandolin, a piano, a concertina (needs more work to be playable) a mouth organ, a hammer dulcimer (also needs work), an accordion, a dumbec, a bodhran, many percussiony things. I can bash out at least one tune on most of the above. Auctions can be great places for cheap instruments unfortunately they can be worth every penny The thing I do the MOST is of course "Singing a cappella" with seven friends. We can even get paid to do that, which I probably never will for playing any of the instruments. So my most used best appreciated and cheapest instrument is the one which my parents gave me, you might say "I just found it in my Genes" JohnB