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 ukuleles 2025: Acoustic and electric ukes for all budgets and playing styles
By Chris Corfield last updated
Get started with our pick of the best ukes from Mahalo, Martin and Cordoba, plus a cool Fender Jazzmaster ukulele

Best Squier guitars 2025: Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jaguars and more for the budget-conscious player
By Rob Laing last updated
From budget Teles, to vintage-spec’d Strats, we look at the best Squiers available today

“Two stone-cold classics that provide effortless playability and iconic guitar tones at a pretty reasonable price”: Fender Player II Stratocaster & Telecaster review
By Matt McCracken published
Fender's best-selling Player Series guitars receive a much-awaited update, but is it revolutionary or evolutionary?

Best Martin guitars 2025: we rank the legendary acoustics of an industry icon
By Matt McCracken last updated
Our expert pick of the best Martin acoustics from one of the oldest instrument makers on the planet

Do I need a different guitar cable for studio, live, and practice?
By Matt McCracken published
We look at how your choice of guitar cable can affect your tone, and demystify the misinformation around cable lengths, capacitance, and tone suck

Instrument cable vs speaker cable: what’s the difference?
By Matt McCracken published
Not all cables are created equally. Here’s how to avoid damaging your amp or impacting your tone

“A handy addition to your pedalboard if you're playing shows with poor monitoring”: Cloudvocal EverSync Wireless IEM review
By Matt McCracken published
This reasonably priced in-ear-monitor system aims to offer live guitar players the monitor sound they’ve been dreaming of

Guitar Center just dropped their Fourth of July sale more than a week early - get massive savings of up to 30% off gear
By Matt McCracken published
Save yourself hundreds of dollars on gear with this amazing sale at Guitar Center

Best compressor pedals 2025: tame your tone's dynamics with compression
By Jonathan Horsley last updated
With great options from Boss, Keeley, MXR, and more, there has never been a better time to add a comp pedal to your 'board

Best guitar stands and guitar hangers 2025: options for single and multiple acoustic and electric guitars
By Chris Corfield last updated
Hang about! These are the best stands and hangers for your guitars right now

Best guitars for small hands 2025: compact, thinline and slim-necked options for all ages
By Richard Blenkinsop last updated
Our pick of compact electric and acoustic models from Fender, Taylor, Epiphone and more

Best acoustic guitars under $1,000 in 2025: get great tone for less
By Rob Laing last updated
Enjoy superb playability and sound with our guide to the top mid-priced acoustics

Best 3/4 acoustic guitars 2025: small-bodied, short scale sensations from Taylor, Martin, Fender and more
By Matt McCracken last updated
From beginner nylon string models to solid electro-acoustic travel guitars, there’s a 3/4 option here for every style of player

Best Yamaha acoustic guitars 2025: our pick of Yamaha acoustics to suit all players
By Chris Corfield last updated
Our top picks from perhaps the most under-rated of the big acoustic brands

Best mini amps for guitar 2025: power up your practice with these tiny towers of tone
By Matt McCracken last updated
Short on space? Practice anywhere with these small guitar amps that pack a punch

Best guitars for beginners 2025: epic entry-level acoustic and electric guitars
By Chris Corfield last updated
Start playing today with our pick of great beginner guitars from Squier, Ibanez, Yamaha and more

8 ways to make your beginner acoustic guitar play and sound better
By Matt McCracken published
Our expert tips will help unlock the full potential of your beginner acoustic

Best travel guitars 2025: top acoustic and electric travel guitars for portability and performance
By Rob Laing last updated
Top travel guitar choices and buying advice for musicians on the move

Best reverb pedals 2025: 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

Show your dad he rocks this Father's Day with Positive Grid and up to 40% off the Spark, Spark Mini, Spark Go, and more
By Matt McCracken published
Save big on smart amps with the perfect gift for dads that rock this Father’s Day

I review pedals for a living and Sweetwater’s awesome Memorial Day pedal sale has got my attention – here are the 5 pedals you should be looking at
By Matt McCracken last updated
Sweetwater’s super pedal sale is the place to shop for effects lovers with a huge selection of pedals from EarthQuaker Devices, Walrus Audio, Catalinbread, and loads more

Best Memorial Day guitar sales 2025: today's most epic deals on acoustic and electric guitars, amps, effects and more
By Chris Barnes last updated
Explore all the best Memorial Day guitar savings in one place – massive savings from Guitar Center, Musician's Friend, Sweetwater, Positive Grid and others

Musician’s Friend's up to 40% off Memorial Day sale just dropped 6 days early – save big on Schecter, Electro-Harmonix and more
By Matt McCracken published
Grab yourself some super savings on guitars, pedals, accessories, and loads more
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