Well at 46 I picked up playing again. I take lessons, scour the internet, read, just about anything I can to learn. For me it was the bad habits that were hardest to get rid of, not saying that you have any but it will come about if you start taking lessons, and I found that it was laziness mostly. I have not played since I was like 25 so for me, let the learning begin. You are never too old to learn from someone else. Just thought of something else. If you don't know anybody that plays, maybe run an add in your local paper or check out the local colleges if available. Just a thought.

I do know a few friends who play...2 guitarists and a bass player...however the bass player like to play on occasion, the other two would rather stick with bluegrass, which I don't mind but I do like songs people know and will dance to...like rock
I have a good ear for music and have no problem keeping rhythm at all, cant shred for shit, but I dint mind, slowly trying to figure that out...

56 here. Started much the same as you. Played reed instruments through high school. Music HEAVILY in the family. Father was a promoter and played drums in one of the 40's "big bands." I took up guitar when I was 17. Self taught myself for a LOT of years before realizing that taking lessons means you learn different stuff than you can teach yourself.

Realize that anyone who is on top of thier game takes lessons. Tiger Woods has a coach. Name an NFL player, baseball player, basketball player, etc., who doesn't have a coach. I know a lot of pro musicians. They take lessons. Touring? Tommy Iomi would book lessons in every city he stopped in. Not that he needed them, mind you. But his view was that he might learn something new from it.

Nothing at all wrong with taking lessons. And you should be able to explain to your instructor just what it is you want to learn, so he's not wasting time trying to teach you lead.

I would agree to take a few lessons - just make sue it is not an instructor who simply shows you how to play songs. I would suggest getting into a band even more. Playing with others will push you and you will learn things qucker because you HAVE TO!! I remember the early days playing in bands I had no business being in - I really could not play at the same level as the others - but I would record the practice on a small tape recorder then go home a practice unil I eather learned the parts or my fingers bled. It forced me to step up my game and become a better player. To this date I still need to find ways to push myself - i.e. have show dates to be ready for - otherwise I get lazy.

I also started late and I do take lessons I also play with my younger brother. My main problem is I play more than I practise,so everything comes slow and sometimes I feel like I'm going nowhere but I am getting better. It doesn't bother me if I am playing outside of my main interest because there is always something that I can use plus truthfully it's hard to play outside of my interest because I love so many kinds of music and playing guitar is something beyond rock or country or jazz or anything else. I love the guitar and will try to play anything that is being played, it really doesn't matter to me

There's nothing you can learn from lessons that you can't learn on the Internet today. http://www.all-guitar-chords.com is a great site, it has a section where you can pick your root note, and just about any scale or mode known to man, and it will graphically show you it up and down the entire neck, same goes for chords, arpeggios etc... It has a jam machine, a section where you pick chords you want to use and it will show you what scales to use to solo to them, just a ton of guitar theory tools. And the people in the forums there are patient and nice, willing to help you with any questions... I'd say you should check it out, spend some time on there before you spend money and time on lessons.

There's far more you can learn from having someone watch you play and show you how to do it right. Got a website that will evaluate your technique for you? Didn't think so. How about one that can teach you the finer points of bending and muting and will TELL you each time you do it wrong? Not out there either... Hmmm...

Realize that while there is a plethora of information, GOOD information, on the internet, discussion groups, forums, etc., NOTHING can substitute for someone sitting across from you and pointing out what you're doing wrong and how to do it right, REAL TIME. Trying to learn from the internet is still teaching yourself and in reality is no better than buying a book. Except, you don't always have to pay for the information. That could be incentive enough for some people, but life is about getting what you pay for. Pay for nothing and you can't expect much more than nothing.

Keep in mind that there are a ton of people that teach guitar but there are not nearly so many guitar teachers. I know enough to teach guitar but I am in no way a guitar teacher. So when looking for a instructor don't be afraid to walk away from one and try another, it's just like school some of your teachers were good and could communicate with you and some couldn't for whatever reason get through on the level you needed them to be on.