in 1967 I was 5 years old- Dad took an old portable radio and made it a PA box for me- 2 D cell batteries a carbon microphone from a telephone handset. My first rig!
I was hooked. Soon after that I "took apart" desktop tube radios trying to make something. I failed :) but it was fun. I somehow found an old Harman Kardon Recital II mono Receiver which played CKLW- the Canadian AM rock station across the river. I was totally fascinated by this whole gear/music/interactive thing, That never changed.
By 1978 I had a Marantz 2215B (15 rockin' watts!) BIC Venturi speakers and a BIC turntable to spin my Bob Seger record (singular not plural- as in only 1 LP) all bought with my Detroit News paper route money.
Then it really happened: Absolute Sound in Birmingham MI had a D79 amp by Audio Research playing a set of Timpani Maggies. I thought I died and went to heaven. Not long later I had a set of MG-1s (first song on them was Jackson Browne Stay A Little Bit Longer) and the better gear followed as time went by.
I've stayed loyal to ARC mostly because of nostalgia.
I love music but to be honest I like fooling around with gear better. To me music is there to test and prove gear. Sacrilege! You can tell I'm not a musician LOL!!!