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 hounds JACKALS.
Latest articles by Matt McCracken
Best beginner bass guitars 2024: starter basses for beginners
By Jonathan Horsley last updated
The best beginner basses for young players, newcomers and the budget-conscious – featuring Yamaha, Squier, Ibanez and more
Best headphone amps for guitar 2024: turn it up while keeping it down
By Matt McCracken last updated
You don’t need to sacrifice tone to practice quietly with our expert pick of the best headphone amps for guitar players
Best guitar tuners 2024: chromatic, polyphonic, and strobe options
By Chris Bird last updated
Find the best guitar tuner whatever your budget, with our top picks from the likes of Boss, Korg, TC Electronic and D’Addario
You can now get the coveted sound of a Gibson Les Paul for a whole lot less - save a mammoth $600 in the Musician’s Friend Guitar Fest sale
By Matt McCracken published
Get big money off huge brands like Gibson, Fender, Boss, Line 6 and more in this impressive sale
Best multi-effects pedals 2024: top do-it-all guitar effects units
By Alex Lynham last updated
The best floorboard FX modelers on the market for all budgets, including gear from Line 6, Boss, and Neural DSP
Should you replace or upgrade your guitar? Fender just gave you the answer with a whopping 20% off official parts and pickups
By Matt McCracken published
Here are the four discounted upgrades we'd choose from the official Fender shop
Best guitar amps 2024: 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 cables 2024: recommended instrument cables for electric, acoustic and bass guitar
By Richard Blenkinsop last updated
Plug in with confidence using our expert guide to the best guitar cables from Planet Waves, Mogami, Ernie Ball, George L’s and more
Fender Play is the cheapest we’ve ever seen with this one-day-only deal - get a year’s worth of top-quality lessons for just $29
By Matt McCracken published
Fender’s leap-day deal gives you a year’s expert tuition for less, but it’s only available for one day
“A powerful tool for recording guitars, and there’s plenty to grow into”: Universal Audio Apollo Twin X review
By Matt McCracken published
This premium audio interface is packed full of pro-level features, but is it overkill for recording guitar at home?
5 brilliant pedals I rate as a guitar gear reviewer are on sale for Presidents’ Day, including my favorite octave pedal the Electro-Harmonix POG
By Matt McCracken published
These powerful tone shapers will have your guitar tone sounding much better for less
Did Fender just drop the best Presidents' Day guitar deal? Score an impressive 50% off gear and a huge $399 off one of our favorite models
By Matt McCracken last updated
From fresh guitars to powerful pickup upgrades there are some superb offers at the official Fender shop - but you better move fast, the sale ends 02/19
Musician’s Friend just dropped their Presidents’ Day sale more than a week early – massive up to 40% savings on gear
By Matt McCracken published
Grab yourself an early deal on some fresh guitar gear with this Presidents’ Day sale
“Everything the modern musician needs to record great sounding guitars”: Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen audio interfaces review
By Matt McCracken published
We deep dive with the 2i2 and 4i4 4th Gen models to find out if Focusrite’s latest audio interfaces are a good fit for guitarists
Best classical guitars 2024: 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
Boss GT-1000 Core vs HX Stomp: which amp and effects modeler should you pick?
By Matt McCracken published
Which of these pedalboard-sized amp modelers should you choose? We deep dive into the fine details to find out
Looking for a sign to finally go digital? Line 6 just slashed $200 off the price of Helix Floor and LT
By Matt McCracken published
If you recently bought one don't worry, most retailers will refund you the difference
Best acoustic guitars under $500 in 2024: get more for your money
By Chris Bird last updated
These sub-$500 acoustic guitars are ideal for everything from folk and indie guitar to blues and country
Best desktop guitar amps 2024: our top desktop amps for portable practice
By Nick Guppy last updated
The desktop guitar amp market is getting crowded, but our top picks from Yamaha, Blackstar, Fender, and more might just be the finest money can buy
Best patch cables 2024: tidy up your ‘board with our pick of the best patch leads
By Alex Lynham last updated
Need to organize a messy pedalboard? Patch cables are a simple and creative cable solution for your guitar pedals
Fender Jaguar vs Mustang: What’s the difference?
By Richard Blenkinsop published
We dive into the nitty gritty of differences and similarities between Fender’s unique Jaguar and Mustang models
Best gifts for bass players 2024: the ultimate gift guide for the lovers of low-end
By Daryl Robertson last updated
Show your bass-playing buddy, parent, or partner some love with these brilliant gift ideas for bass players
P90s vs humbuckers: Which pickups should you choose?
By Matt McCracken published
We deep dive into the differences and similarities between these two powerful pickup options
Best volume pedals 2024: control your tone with these essential pedals
By Matt McCracken published
Turn it up with our pick of the best guitar volume pedals from Lehle, Ernie Ball, Boss, and more
Squier Paranormal Baritone Cabronita Telecaster review – a bargain baritone that can get properly heavy
By Matt McCracken published
The Squier Paranormal range’s only baritone offers some unusual sounds for explorative players at a bargain price, but is it more jack of all trades than master of one?
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