Quote Originally Posted by lateralus
I played for two or three years before I got lessons, and the instructor didn't teach me anything I didn't know. He basically just showed me how to play a bunch of Led Zeppelin songs. Complete waste of money.

P.S.: and the lesson room smelled like body odor.
I went in the opposite direction. When I was 16, I bought my first guitar and amp for $100 and three free lessons came with it. He taught me "Broon's Bane", the instrumental by Alex Lifeson, on the classical guitar, leading into "The Trees", on Exit...Stage Left by Rush.