I got an acoustic guitar when a kid, and it sat there and did nothing, my folks got me a bass from a catalogue (Encore) when I was around 17 as I was mates with a dude in a band and that inspired me, but I did nothing with it and it sat there again.
Went to uni, took the bass, it sat there doing nothing until a few months in when someone down the hall showed me a song on it, then I went to the ELC, printed loads of tabs off and learnt them, the following academic year I joined a band with my mate I mentioned earlier (he was at the same uni) and that is how it all started.