Latest articles by Matt Owen
Guitar Center CEO Gabe Dalporto aims to defy skepticism with his new house brand
The CEO’s Guitar Labs ambition – to create an in-house guitar brand that’ll last a century – has its detractors, but Dalporto argues his crowd-sourced approach is essential in achieving such a lofty goal
Fender just announced its biggest mid-year gear drop yet – here’s everything you need to know
A complete pedal range overhaul, the return of the Nocaster, a new Silent System for Strats and Teles, plus some – dare we say – awfully Silver Sky-looking finishes
My pick of the best new guitar gear launched this week – and the new drops you might have missed
My personal highlights from a week filled with Fenders, Epiphones, pedals and more. Have a highlight of your own? Let us know in the comments
Fender's limited edition Player Fusion range has taken its entry level electrics in a radical hard rock direction
High-output pickups, Floyd Rose bridges, baritone Jaguars – the Player Fusion range might be the final piece in the Player puzzle
Matt Pike quits doom-metal icons Sleep – and his surprise replacement has been announced
Pike's departure comes alongside the band's first new single since 2018, which debuts a new-look lineup ahead of a North American tour
The teenage blues sensation hailed as the next Stevie Ray Vaughan has had his main guitar stolen
Rhys John Stygal has received support from Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jared James Nichols and Gary Glark Jr. after his guitar and pedalboard were stolen in Austin, Texas
Fender CEO addresses Strat cease-and-desist backlash
Edward 'Bud' Cole discussed the company's controversial legal campaign at a recent dealer event in the US
John Osborne on the time he got warned off the B-Bender – even though he didn’t have one
Osborne couldn't afford a B-Bender at first, so instead he got good, really good, at emulating the pedal steel sound without one
What are your thoughts on the new Polyphia single?
Tim Henson and co have released a surprise new single that ushers in a whole new genre – and CAN YOU FEEL IT has got guitar fans talking
Polyphia have invented a new genre with their rave riffing new single, CAN YOU FEEL IT
Dance-djent becomes a thing as Polyphia gear up to release their hotly anticipated new record – and as they promised, it’s sounding heavy
Lenny Kravitz on the time he blew Prince’s mind with his guitar tone
Kravitz's straight-into-the-amp setup – which has been at the core of his sound for most of his career – left pedal fan Prince with his jaw on the floor
Dean Guitars owner files for bankruptcy
Armadillo Distribution Enterprises and Concordia LLC have jointly filed for a court-supervised reorganization as they look to safeguard their future
Epiphone launches hotly anticipated reissue of Alex Lifeson’s iconic ES-355 – just in time for Rush's return to the stage
The original ES-355 was Lifeson's main guitar for decades, featuring on almost every Rush record before it was sold at auction in 2022
When Fender went to court and lost – revisiting the 2009 court ruling that failed to trademark the Stratocaster
In 2009, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board denied trademark protections to the Strat, Tele and P-Bass. How did it arrive at its judgement? And what’s different this time?
This week's hottest new guitar gear – including an AI-powered amp that wants to change the way you create tones
Fresh new drops from Epiphone, JHS Pedals, Fender, Positive Grid and more...
Tom Misch on the time his guitar hero reached out of the blue and offered to join him on stage
The jazz-funk guitar star was on his way to play the Crossroads Guitar Festival when Mayer messaged him
The story of John Mayer’s Fender fallout – and how it gave birth to the Stratocaster’s biggest rival
Mayer left Fender after his wishes for an elevated S-style fell on deaf ears – and he found the perfect partner in PRS and the Silver Sky
Is Joe Bonamassa warming to modeling amps?
If a recent social media post is anything to go by, the tube amp traditionalist may be coming around to digital guitar tech
Positive Grid Reactor 100 Intelligent Guitar Combo Amp review
Positive Grid is branching out from the market-conquering Spark family with a bold new lineup that could spell trouble for the Boss Katana
May 2026 Guitar World Editors' Picks
From The Rolling Stones to Julian Lage, Tamikrest to the Warning, this month's guitar greatness spanned many generations of players
Fender Vintera III Early '60s Bass VI review – is this oddball offset really worth the hype?
Fender's cult classic offset, beloved by The Beatles and beyond, is back and supposedly better than ever
PRS has been hit by a cease-and-desist from Fender
This has now become the highest-profile case of the entire dispute, and could well be one of the most hotly contested
Steve Morse on how a gear nightmare lead him to Ernie Ball
Morse has become one of Ernie Ball’s most loyal and high-profile endorsers – and it all started with a broken volume pedal
Fender is finally speaking out on its cease-and-desist strategy
Fender might not be declaring war after all – but if its legal campaign succeeds, the guitar market will change forever
6 reasons why Fender won’t win its Stratocaster legal campaign – according to the lawyer who beat them before
Ron Bienstock, the attorney who defeated Fender's previous attempt to trademark the Strat, has been hired to defend a firm hit by recent cease-and-desist letters – and Guitar World has seen a redacted response
