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
I've looked through all 99 pages of the Guitar Center Black Friday sale – these are the 5 guitar deals I'd take home today
By Matt McCracken published
Guitar Center’s biggest sale of the year is finally here with up to 40% off loads of guitar gear from Schecter, Epiphone, EarthQuaker Devices, Boss, and loads more
Best guitar pedals for beginners: kickstart your pedalboard
By Alex Lynham last updated
Don't know your RAT from your Whammy? Your Tube Screamer from your Big Muff? We're here to help you take your first steps into the world of guitar effects
Here are 5 Black Friday-beating deals from Guitar Center’s holiday sale that I rate as a pro guitar tester
By Matt McCracken published
I either own or have reviewed every one of these products
Black Friday has officially landed at Positive Grid with massive Spark savings and a huge 60% off BIAS software
By Matt McCracken published
Positive Grid has gone early with super savings on desktop amps, software, and accessories, but you'll need to be quick as stock is limited
$100 savings on Player Plus guitars and $50 off the Player series is like Black Friday come early - but only while stocks last
By Matt McCracken published
Fender just slashed the prices of their affordable yet playable guitars with everything from the Stratocaster to the Meteora seeing a healthy discount
Beat the early Black Friday sales with up to 20% off Positive Grid smart amps and accessories over at Amazon
By Matt McCracken published
Everyone’s favorite smart and desktop amplifiers just got that bit better with money off in the Amazon Prime Big Deals Day
Forget Amazon, Fender’s official shop is the place to shop today – get up to $350 off electric guitars and basses
By Matt McCracken published
There’s huge money off top-of-the-range Aerodyne and vintage-inspired Vintera models, making the Fender shop the best place to bag a deal today
10 recording mistakes every guitarist makes
By Matt McCracken published
Whether you’re recording at home or heading into the studio, these are the biggest recording blunders and how to avoid them
Bag yourself a free copy of BIAS FX 2 Standard courtesy of Positive Grid – for one day only
By Matt McCracken published
To celebrate today's International Day of Peace PG is offering a complimentary download for all guitarists, giving you the gift of great tone
Best fretless basses: get more vibrato and texture from your bass guitar
By Richard Blenkinsop published
From electric to acoustic, modern to vintage, we take a look at the best fretless basses on offer
DigiTech Trio+ review
By Matt McCracken published
With this band in a box, who needs a bassist and a drummer anyway?
Fender Pro Junior vs Blues Junior: which should you buy?
By Matt McCracken published
We put Fender’s two tiny but mighty tube amps head to head to find out which is the real small-combo king
Fender drops its massive Labor Day sale super early, offering up to 30% off guitars, accessories, and more
By Matt McCracken published
The big ‘F’ is dealing out the discounts on a huge range of guitar gear this Labor Day
Best impulse response loaders 2024: professionally recorded guitar tones on the go
By Matt McCracken published
Take your perfect tone everywhere with our pick of the best cab IR loaders from Two Notes, IK Multimedia, TC Electronic, Boss, and more
Best impulse responses 2024: the secret sauce of great recorded guitar tone
By Matt McCracken published
Take your recordings to another level with these high-quality cab IRs from York Audio, GGD, Ownhammer, ML Soundlabs, and more
Orange Box review
By Matt McCracken published
The legendary British amp maker takes a detour into the saturated product space of Bluetooth speakers. How does it measure up to the competition?
Get a massive 20% off select Fender Vintera guitars – but only while stocks last
By Matt McCracken published
These vintage-inspired guitars have got some mega discounts over at the Fender shop
Best left-handed guitars: Top electric and acoustic choices from Fender, PRS, Squier and more
By Matt McCracken last updated
We’re showing the lefties some love with our expert pick of the best left-handed guitars. Read on to find your perfect match…
I write about guitar gear for a living - these are the 5 Prime Day pedal deals I'm considering
By Matt McCracken last updated
Amazon’s big sale is a great way to top up your pedalboard for a lot less
Tired of endlessly scrolling for Prime Day savings? Try our AI-powered chatbot to find a great guitar deal fast
By Matt McCracken published
Ask PrimeBot to find you a top deal on music gear
Get your summer strum on with a massive 20% off select Fender ukuleles
By Matt McCracken published
Grab yourself some serious savings on ukuleles over at the Fender website, but only whilst stocks last
Positive Grid Spark GO review
By Matt McCracken last updated
Positive Grid enters new territory with its pocket-sized amp that's packed with features
Types of guitar bridges explained
By Matt McCracken published
Everything you need to know about the different types of fixed bridges and tremolos available for your guitar – plus the pros and cons of each one
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