Latest articles by Matt McCracken
Best practice amps 2026: hone your chops at home
My tried & tested pick of the best guitar practice amps to get your playing up to speed without any noise complaints, plus video demos of my top choices
Guitar World deals of the week: get a Gibson Les Paul for less than a grand, bag a first-time discount on a five-star rated overdrive pedal, plus some great deals on budget-friendly guitars
Your weekly digest of the best deals on guitar gear from all corners of the web, hand-picked by Guitar World's team of musicians
"The build quality is outstanding, and the number of features gives younger and new players plenty to grow into": Boss GX-1 review
Boss' new entry-level multi-effects delivers pro-level features on a bedroom budget
The best electric guitars under $500
Our top cheap electric guitars that deliver killer tones, slick playability, and serious bang for your buck from Squier, Epiphone, Yamaha and more
Best acoustic guitars under $500 in 2025: get more for your money
These sub-$500 acoustic guitars are ideal for everything from folk and indie guitar to blues and country
Best beginner electric guitars 2026: top electric models for new players, reviewed and demoed by experts
So you're a budding guitarist? Get started with our pick of the best beginner electric guitars from Squier, Yamaha, and Epiphone
Best looper pedals 2026: options for practice, songwriting, and live performance – tried and tested by an expert
My pick of the best loop pedals across every budget, including full reviews, in-depth testing, and buying advice
Best patch cables 2026: tidy up your pedalboard with my pick of the best patch leads
I put 14 different patch cables to the test to find out which is the perfect match for your pedalboard
Best guitars for kids 2026: top electric and acoustic guitars for children
The top kid’s guitars available today and everything you need to know to get your child started with the guitar
What's the best guitar cable in 2026? These are the tried & tested options I'd recommend to any player
There's a lot of snake oil when it comes to the top guitar cables – I'm a professional guitar gear reviewer and I've tested 11 of the best to help you find your perfect match
Best acoustic guitars 2026: 10 top options for guitarists of all ages and abilities
Guitar World’s pick of the best acoustic guitars from Fender, Gibson, Martin, Taylor, Epiphone and more
What’s your pedalboard persona? Find out with my pick of stompboxes to match your player identity
16 awesome pedals for any type of guitar player, but what does your pedalboard say about you?
"The neck really doesn’t feel all that different from my Fender Telecaster": Fender California Standard Monterey E review
An acoustic-electric for beginners that won't break the bank – or your fingertips
The Guitar World reviews team's gear of the year 2025
Platinum Award-winners, forward-thinkers and new classics from our favourite guitars, amps, effects, plugins, bass gear and more
I've been playing guitar for 24 years, and this care package is what every new guitarist needs for 2026
I've assembled the essential kit every new guitarists needs to jumpstart their playing in 2026
“A utopia of modeled guitar tones that will suit pretty much any guitarist out there”: Universal Audio Paradise Guitar Studio review
Universal Audio's debut multi-amp plugin offers effortless, world-class sound with some of the most iconic amps of all time
"The Quad Cortex has solidified itself as the modeler to beat": Neural DSP Quad Cortex review
Review update: Including long-term testing and an overview of the latest CorOS 3.3 release
“One of the best-sounding headphone amps for guitar I’ve had my hands on”: Blackstar Beam Solo review
Blackstar enters a very busy market with their take on the ubiquitous headphone amp for guitar
Sweetwater Cyber Monday deals 2025: bag up to 50% off guitar gear
Cyber Monday is over, but Sweetwater just launched a fresh sale for Cyber Week
Cyber Monday Fender deals 2025: Last chance to save on a Fender
Cyber Monday is over, but you can save on iconic Fender gear
Musician's Friend Cyber Monday deals 2025: You can still score up to 65% off music gear - but be quick!
Our pick of the epic deals you need to check out in the Musician's Friend Cyber Monday sale
Guitar Center Cyber Monday deals 2025: there's not much time left to save up to 40%
Cyber Monday is over but there's still a last chance to save – here's how to secure today's best guitar gear discounts while you still can
Cyber Monday guitar deals 2025: all the biggest savings that are still live at Sweetwater, Guitar Center, and more
Find out where and how to still grab the biggest savings on guitar gear this Cyber Monday
Cyber Monday guitar deals 2025 LIVE: all of today's biggest savings at Sweetwater, Guitar Center, Fender, Amazon and more
I'm rounding up all the hottest guitar, amp, pedal and accessory deals in the Cyber Monday sales. Stick with me for all of the biggest news, savings, tips and tricks for getting more for less
