Hey, I’m Fatih – engineer by day, guitar nerd by night.
I’m a mechanical engineer who spends a lot of time tweaking amps, pedals and headphones trying to get “that” feel under the fingers – especially at home-friendly volumes. The Guitar Side is my corner of the internet where I write everything I wish I had found when I first got serious about tone.
For years I bounced between cheap practice amps, YouTube hype, and forum rabbit holes. Some gear sounded great in demos and terrible in a real apartment. Some was the opposite. I kept thinking: “Why is nobody explaining this stuff in a simple, honest way – with real use cases and not just specs?” This site is my answer to that.
What you’ll find here
On The Guitar Side, I focus on:
- Real-world, home-level testing – gear is tested the way many of us actually play: in a bedroom, small room, or home office.
- Clear, no-BS reviews – what sounds good, what doesn’t, and for who. Not every pedal or amp is for everyone.
- Practical tone guides – how to get usable clean, crunch and lead tones without needing a studio or a wall of gear.
- Beginner-friendly explanations – written as if I’m helping a friend who already plays guitar, but doesn’t want to drown in technical jargon.
I’m not trying to be a “guru” or the final word on anything. I’m just sharing what actually works for me, with the kind of detail I’d want if I were on the other side of the screen.
How I test gear
Because I’m an engineer, I like structure and repeatability. When I test amps, pedals or headphones, I usually:
- Use real-world volumes you can actually get away with at home.
- Try multiple tones: clean, edge-of-breakup, classic rock crunch, and higher gain when it makes sense.
- Pay attention not only to sound, but also feel, noise, ergonomics and how easy it is to dial in.
- Compare gear with other options in the same price range, not with some unrealistic “perfect” reference.
If a product is great, I’ll say why and for which type of player. If it has weaknesses, I’ll say that too. The goal is not to convince you to buy more stuff, but to help you avoid bad or mismatched purchases.
Who this site is for
If any of these sound like you, you’re in the right place:
- You mostly play at home, but still care a lot about tone and feel.
- You’re tired of marketing fluff and want honest, practical info.
- You like understanding why something sounds or feels a certain way, not just “this is good/bad”.
- You want help choosing between real options with real budgets, not just “dream rigs”.
If you’re a touring pro with a tech and a truck full of vintage amps… you’re still welcome, but this site is mainly built for the rest of us.
A quick note on honesty
Some links on this site may be affiliate links, which means I might earn a small commission if you buy through them – at no extra cost to you. That said, I don’t recommend anything just because it’s popular or “good for clicks”.
If a piece of gear is here, it’s because I genuinely think it can make sense for a certain type of player and use case. My promise is simple: real experience, clear context, no fake hype.
Thanks for being here
If you’ve got questions, want help choosing between two pieces of gear, or just want to say hi, you can always reach out via the contact page.