I'd had some guitar lessons at a local shop when I was younger, but they didn't stick--my hand was too small, and the strings were way too far off the frets. Guitar kept calling to me, though, so at 13 I had saved up grass-cutting money to buy a Teisco tulip bass (two gold-foil pickups and no brand name anywhere), and started playing along to records. Actual real guitar-of-my-own came later, at which point I was self-educating in my chaotic way.

guitar: 14
drums: 41

Took piano lessons as a youngster, with several different teachers. Lasted for a while, until I gave it up in my teenage years. I relearned how to play several years back, I don't play so much anymore as my left hand has, in the last year, developed a condition where the thumb wants to move inwards to the palm (this happens when I type as well). It doesn't hurt, but it's a bit uncomfortable and I don't play or type as smoothly as I used to. Orthopedics can't fix it, I'm supposed to see a neurologist sometime but the appointment keeps getting pushed back.

Asked for an acoustic guitar as a birthday present when I was 20 and got one. Played off and on. I have a Fender Highway 1 Tele and a Yamaha Pacifica too.

Started taking drum lessons about 7 or 8 years ago. Asked for a kit one Christmas, got a practice pad instead. Invested in a used CB drum kit for about $400, which was useful in practicing. Upgraded to a Tama Starclassic a few years ago, I've been practicing a lot more since the lockdown last year.

Oh, and I sing, I did take some singing lessons in my early 30's which was very helpful in accessing certain areas of my voice.

I bought my first guitar when I was 19. I bought my first drum kit when I was 23, but I didn't really have a space to play consistently and really start learning until I was 29.

Pretty late, around eighteen for the bass guitar (joined my first regular band at that age too), and maybe twenty five for the guitar (the first actual fully functioning band I joined as a guitar player I did when I was 28, and that was Elma).

Interesting thread to read.

I grew up with a lot of guitars and records in the house but there was no pressure to do anything about it hah.
I was always making tapes from a mix of college radio and my mom and dad's records (their tastes could've have been more different) and doing little talking bit between every few songs like it was my radio station.

I got my first guitar around 10, a beautiful late 70's Cimar strat copy. When I wasn't immediately a virtuoso, I threw it in the closet with the phaser pedal and little "Doobie" practice amp. I remember around that time wanting to play drums but knowing it wouldn't fly so I asked to play piano,
Pianos were decidedly too big, too expensive and according to my mother (who had lessons as a child and hated it) we weren't a "Bourgeoisie" family.

Junior high, at 13 yrs I joined band class and really wanted to play drums. There were too many wannabe drummers so I reluctantly picked up trumpet.
I loved the trumpet and found a way to join another after school band where they let my practice rudiments on a snare.
If I had more exposure to jazz and classical at that time, I maybe would have stuck with both, but I lived in a place where you played hockey or you were "GAY".

Around 15-16, the summer after Jr high, I met some people who played music and started picking up my guitar again.
I was discouraged by how crazy talented these people were and so I focussed more on what I knew I could do - recording and "managing" their band.
Started getting proficient with prosumer tape recorders, DAT machine and eventually early computer recording.

At 21, I actually started playing guitar seriously and making a lot of shitty cassette four track music. Best feeling - still can't seem to write or record anything to does in my brain what those pieces of "music" did. Got into jamming with people and started joining bands the following couple years.
Started collecting and dabbling in every any instrument I could, from there on!

I always loved music, but there were no musicians in my family that I knew of. Still, anytime I got the chance to do something musical, I just had to try it.

Age 8 - Recorder. I still have it and annoy my friends.
Age 12 - Alto Saxophone. I only Sax'd for two years.
Age 14 - Electric guitar. First rock band at age 15. I actually started on a baritone ukulele that I found in my mom's closet at like age 12.
Age 16 - Drums. First band on drums at 18.
Age 26 - First band on Bass. I'd filled in for friends' bands and tracked demos of myself, but Replicator was the first time I joined a band as a bassist.

I'm generally most comfortable when I have an instrument in my hands. In this time of working from home, I'm generally noodling on a guitar anytime I'm muted and the camera is off.

Never got to as a kid. My old man was a jazz virtuoso so any instrument in the place would vanish for days as he went off on a private freakout. Once I flew the nest I was too entrenched in other stuff to have time for learning an instrument.

I do make music of a fashion, but it's super-primitive.

I made bounced recordings (as in, played from one boombox and recorded onto another) with household objects at a young age, like 6 or 7. One of the few tapes I wish I had saved!

Age 8 or 9 my parents rented me an alto saxophone. I taught myself a few things, but since we couldn't find a teacher or class in the area my parents took it back..

Saved up for some cheap guitars around age 11, and after ruining furniture around the house by drumming on it, my parents bought me a cheap drum set at age 14. I think I got a Tascam portastudio around that time too.

I started playing modular synth at age 45.