Hi, and welcome to Guitar Inside Out.
My name is Andy Fraser, guitar obsessive and the owner of Guitar Inside Out.
I started Guitar Inside Out back in 2021 and have been playing the guitar since 2003. I say playing but even after all those years I’m very much still learning.
My Story
My aim with Guitar Inside Out is to share what I know and have learnt with the guitar community and other enthusiasts. Mainly it was built to encourage and help people understand the guitar a little better.
My time as a guitarist hasn’t always been smooth. Starting as a teenager I was like so many kids who just wanted to learn riffs and songs I knew.
Which meant I spent a few years just googling tabs and blindly hoping I could play songs way beyond my ability. If you’re wondering – that isn’t the most productive way to get better!
I did improve, albeit slowly. But ultimately frustration set in when I reached a ceiling in my playing that I couldn’t get past.
There were other issues too. I didn’t understand the guitar. I struggled hugely with theory and the instrument itself confused me.
There was so much in the way of terminology I couldn’t pick up. The whole world of guitars felt alien to me. Like a language I didn’t speak and couldn’t learn.
But I’m glad to say I stuck with it. I tried lessons, with mixed results. Over time I made progress though and began to understand the guitar better.
It wasn’t quick. In fact at times it was embarrassingly slow!
I’ve played in a few bands which were mainly the sort of music I liked at the time – pop punk and rock. They weren’t anything special but playing live definitely helps you to focus and doing your best not to embarrass yourself!
And eventually I switched to teaching, which I loved. Sadly ill health meant I was forced to give up that up.
But still having a desire to help others learn, understand and improve with their guitar playing I started this site. It gives me the opportunity to share the knowledge and passion I’ve picked up over the years.
I’m still a long way from being a great guitarist. But I have put in the hard work and effort, and I know what it’s like to struggle.
I hope part of that gives me a good insight into the process of learning the guitar and how tough it can be as it really didn’t come easily. I want to help
That can range from explaining the basics about the guitar and how it works, beginner lessons, gear guides and reviews and more.
Every piece of gear I review on here I will have played myself. You can usually see from my fairly amateurish pictures that I own whatever it is I’m talking about!
So I’m completely unbiased on what I say – I don’t accept any sponsorships from manufacturers or advertising freebies.
Guitar Advice and Help
The aim of this website is to bring those both new and experienced the help and guidance they need to understand and learn about the guitar and everything surrounding it.
Hopefully the information you find here will prove to be useful in getting to grips with the fundamentals of playing the guitar and finding the perfect gear.
Finding your Gear and Tone
Your basic understanding of the guitar, how it works, technique etc. combined with the gear you use is how you find your sound.
The gear you choose is important, especially when it can be so expensive. I wanted to offer proper reviews, guides and in depth looks at amps, pedals, guitars and more as an antidote to many other websites that clearly don’t have the guitarists best intention at heart.
If you’ve done even the smallest amount of research looking for reviews on guitar gear you will have probably found loads of websites that only offer ‘top 10…’. Which, for the most part, are pretty useless.
So hopefully the guides found here at Guitar Inside Out will actually help you understand the gear you’re looking at and give you the proper information so you can make a well informed decision.
Unbiased Reviews
Any reviews I do are 100% honest. I only recommend products I genuinely like and think will be of use to others.
I don’t have any relationship with guitar manufacturers and if I did I would make it clear within any article I write.
For more information read my affiliate disclosure.
Featured In
I’ve contributed and written for some awesome websites and publications.
Here’s a few examples:
Guitarguitar: Exploring the World of Distortion Pedals: A Comprehensive Guide
Lifewire: Line 6’s DL4 Mk2 Delay Pedal Is Better Than the Original
Contact Me
If you’ve read this far then I hope you’ve got a better idea about me and Guitar Inside Out!
It’s always a pleasure to hear from readers so if you have any suggestions or questions I might be able to help with then don’t hesitate to reach out using the contact page or email me at Andy @ guitarinsideout.com