Welcome to Really Simple Guitar!

Hi, Alan Furth here. I’m a long-time guitar enthusiast. I started playing guitar in my teens. But my love for music started much earlier.

For my sixth birthday, my parents gave me a copy of The Rock Album. It was an epic compilation album of rock songs of the late ’70s and early ’80s. 

One of them was Kansas’ “Dust in The Wind.” To this day, I fall into a dreamlike state whenever those magic acoustic-guitar vibes wash over me. 

The album also featured Toto’s “Hold the Line,” and Boston’s “More Than a Feeling.” Their power chords, twin harmonies, and blazing solos overwhelmed my young soul. 

Emotions bubbled up inside of me like a volcanic eruption.

And then I discovered that other “Eruption” — by Eddie Van Halen.

I got my first electric guitar when I was 14. I practiced like crazy and even played in a couple of bands.  Great times!
 
Unfortunately, when I started college, I found it very difficult to keep practicing.
 
Then I got a job and a mortgage. You know the drill.
 
At some point, I stopped playing altogether.
Van Halen concert in Caracas, Venezuela, 1983
Van Halen in Caracas, Venezuela 1983, where I was born and raised. I was too young to go to that concert, so my brother gave me this picture. I slept next to it for weeks 🙂
And it wasn’t until recently that I finally started playing again.
 
Back in the day, when I started playing, there was no internet. I know, it seems awful.
 
But at least I wasn’t utterly overwhelmed with information overload when I bought my first guitar — which is exactly what happened this time around.
 
Plus, I had a hard time trusting the information I found online. I kept bumping into anonymous, poorly written guitar-review sites that seemed to be written by people who had never been near a guitar in their lives.
 
Of course, I’m not a professional guitarrist. But besides being a dedicated enthusiast, I have 20 years experience in publishing and media. 
 
So I decided to create a top-notch editorial team to create content that will really help you achieve a smooth guitar journey.

My mission on this site is to help busy folks like you become the best guitar players you can be

The Really Simple Guitar Team

Andrew Dodson

Andrew is an award-winning journalist and writer who lives in Northern Michigan. 

When he’s not writing, he loves playing jazz guitar and saxophone. More recently, he has been learning his 3-year-old son’s favorite songs. Mostly “Jingle Bells”… all year long. Andrew owns a Martin 00-17S acoustic and a D’Angelico EXL-1 Deluxe archtop

Kyle Baker

Kyle has been a guitarist, music teacher and full-time musician for almost a decade. He also loves to write about all things guitar-related. He began his musical journey working in a guitar store selling and repairing instruments, then moved on to studying the art of guitar-making and repair with a luthier. Through the years, he has played in bands ranging from blues to flamenco to reggae to rock, all the while teaching guitar and constantly improving his craft.

James J. Griffin

James J Griffin | CopyProphet

James is a freelance writer based in San Diego, CA and Manchester, UK. His love affair with the guitar began like so many have before — as a way to meet girls as an awkward teenager. While it didn’t help at the time, his relationship with the guitar has blossomed into one of his most successful to date. When he’s not strumming chords, he’s trying desperately to import a proper burrito from his native town to his adoptive one. Find more at CopyProphet.com

What's in it for you?

Do you want to make the most out of the resources you invest in your guitar-playing journey?

Then you’ll want to be one of our readers.
 
In other words, you’ll most likely enjoy our content if you agree with these statements:
 
  • You want to manage as best as possible the precious free time you invest in learning to play.
  • You want to get the best bang for every hard-earned buck you invest in a guitar and related gear.
  • You want advice based on actual, up-to-date customer experience — not on marketing materials.
If all this resonates with you, I look forward to seeing you around, reading our guides and reviews!
 
Here are a couple good places to get started:
 

Alan Furth

Founder of Really Simple Guitar