Contrary to popular belief you do not have to be master guitar player to make good money from playing guitar. There are many more important factors that come into play than your guitar playing skill.
When I was 13 I begged my parents for a guitar for Christmas. They were reluctant to take that path; I assume because of the expected ensuing noise, but they went ahead anyway and bought me a guitar and amplifier from JC Penney. Two years later I was playing in bars almost every weekend and making more money in one or two nights than my friends were making all week working the night shift at Burger King.
So at 15 was I a guitar virtuoso? No. I still basically sucked as did the band I was in. I mean we were horrible, yet sold out every night we played. Literally; it was standing room only even on weeknights, and we played almost every bar in a 25 mile radius. It was 1980 when it began and this band still packs them in anytime they play even though they still basically suck.
What was the secret? The leader of this band was a genius at giving people what they wanted. He knew what they wanted and found a way to deliver it. People want to be entertained. If you can entertain people you can make money playing guitar. It is that simple.
At the time Oldies were a big thing, and this band happened to fill a local void by dressing the part, acting crazy on stage, and playing the songs that people wanted to hear. At 15 years old I was signing autographs, fending off advances from older women and making money playing guitar. My first experiences making money playing guitar came from simply giving the audience what they wanted.
A few years later the whole Urban Cowboy thing happened and, I happen to get into another band that was jumping on the country bandwagon. By this time I had spent a lot of time learning how to play guitar and my playing and vocal skills had come along way. I had also learned what it took to be a valuable member of a band even though I still wasn