
Matt McCracken
Matt is a Junior Deals Writer here at Guitar World. He regularly tests and reviews music gear with a focus on guitars, amps, pedals, modelers, and pretty much anything else guitar-related. Responsible for over 60 buying guides, a large part of his role is helping guitarists find the best deals on gear. Matt worked in music retail for 5 years at Dawsons Music and Northwest Guitars and has written for various music sites, including MusicRadar, Guitar Player, Guitar.com, Ultimate Guitar, and Thomann’s t.blog.
A regularly gigging guitarist with over 20 years of experience playing live and writing and recording in bands, he's performed everything from jazz to djent, gigging all over the UK in more dingy venues than you can shake a drop-tuned guitar at. When he's not holed up in his home studio recording new songs or tweaking pedal settings, you'll find him making a racket with northern noise punks Never Better.
Latest articles by Matt McCracken

Guitar World deals of the week: save $500 on an ESP LTD, bag a Universal Audio interface with a discount and free plugins, plus your last chance to save on a Vintera II Tele with a gigantic $360 off
By Matt McCracken last updated
Your weekly digest of the best deals on guitar gear from all corners of the web, hand-picked by Guitar World's team of guitarists

Best guitar audio interfaces 2026: get better recorded guitar tones
By Matt McCracken last updated
My pick of the best audio interfaces for guitar will have you up and recording in no time

I didn’t think the Amazon Presidents’ Day sale would be any good for guitarists, but I’m happy to admit I’m wrong – here's 6 stellar savings on great guitar gear, including Boss, Fender, D'Addario, and more
By Matt McCracken published
Amazon doesn’t always have the best deals for guitarists, but there are some great savings on guitar gear this Presidents’ Day

Score a vintage spec Fender with $600 off this Presidents' Day thanks to some gigantic Vintera II discounts over at the official Fender store
By Matt McCracken published
Bag a saving on a period-correct Fender guitar sans the humongous price tag

“Delivers surprisingly good amp models and one of the best AI practice tools I’ve ever used”: JBL BandBox Trio review
By Matt McCracken published
The first foray into guitar amps from JBL combines room-shaking volume with the ability to dismantle your favorite tracks in real-time

Best guitar amp headphones 2026: practice playing your guitar in peace
By Matt McCracken last updated
From studio stalwarts to fully-fledged amps you wear on your head, these are the best headphones for use with guitar amps

There's no need to wait for the weekend to find your dream guitar – Musician's Friend just slashed prices by up to 60% off in their early Presidents' Day sale
By Matt McCracken published
Celebrate National Guitar Day with a big saving on some fresh gear in the early Presidents' Day sale at Musician's Friend

Best classical guitars 2026: nylon-string guitars for every budget
By Chris Corfield last updated
From classical, flamenco and crossover, to acoustic-electric models and beyond, these are the best nylon-string guitars around right now

Best bass amps for practice 2026: top combos for working on your chops at home
By Chris Schwarten last updated
Get the most out of your playing at home with one of these great bass practice amps

Best beginner bass guitars 2026: top starter basses for beginners
By Jonathan Horsley last updated
The best beginner basses for young players, newcomers, and the budget-conscious, picked by our experts – featuring Yamaha, Squier, Ibanez and more

Best guitar picks 2026: my choice of tried-and-tested plectrums to upgrade your playing
By Matt McCracken last updated
My expert guide to the best picks for electric, acoustic, and bass guitar covering new players through to guitar veterans

"Gives you more features than the comparable Boss and Line 6 units": HeadRush Flex Prime review
By Matt McCracken last updated
Review update with audio demos to include 5.0 Firmware - "Overall, it’s a brilliant update"

Best guitar wireless systems 2025: set your playing free, from the rehearsal room to the stage
By Jonathan Horsley last updated
Fed up with cumbersome cables? Here's my pick of the best wireless guitar systems for every budget

Best multi-effects pedals 2026: replace your rig
By Alex Lynham last updated
Our pick of the best multi-fx pedals from Neural DSP, Kemper, Line 6, Boss, and more

Best headphone amps for guitar 2026: silent practice solutions
By Matt McCracken last updated
You don’t need to sacrifice tone to practice quietly with my expert pick of the best headphone amps for guitar players

“For James Hetfield fans, this guitar is a no-brainer”: Epiphone Explorer 80s EMG review
By Matt McCracken published
Epiphone's latest Explorer delivers the ultimate unofficial tribute for Metallica fans

Best FRFR speakers 2026: transparent tone for multi-effects and amp modelers
By Richard Blenkinsop last updated
Get the most out of your digital modeler with the best FRFR speakers, from on-the-go options to arena-filling mammoths

Best guitar amps 2026: tube, solid-state, and modeling amplifiers for all levels and budgets
By Chris Corfield last updated
These are the best combo amps and heads from Orange, Fender, Marshall, Boss, and more

Best guitar tuners 2026: my road-tested pick of chromatic, polyphonic and strobe options
By Ross Holder last updated
Stay in tune whatever your budget, with my tuner must-buys from Boss, Korg, TC Electronic, D’Addario and more

Best pedalboard power supplies 2026: juice your ‘board with my pick of pro-grade power for every budget and size of 'board, fully tested
By James Grimshaw last updated
I put budget-spanning pedal power supplies from Fender, Cioks, Walrus Audio and more through their paces – these were my standouts

Best impulse responses: the secret sauce of great recorded guitar tone
By Matt McCracken last updated
Take your recordings to another level with these high-quality cab IRs from York Audio, GGD, Ownhammer, ML Soundlabs, and more

Best delay pedals: our pick of the coolest delay pedals for your pedalboard
By Alex Lynham last updated
Whether you prefer digital or analog delay pedals, the options in this round-up will help boost your creativity on the guitar

Best reverb pedals: from spring to shimmer, these are our top picks for your pedalboard
By Michael Astley-Brown last updated
Take a deep dive into the cavernous world of 'verb and explore the best reverb pedals for every budget
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!


