Latest articles by Matt Owen
“Steve Vai goes, ‘I’ve been thinking about this a long time. He’s a really good guitar player.’ That’s unusual’”: Paul Reed Smith on the time John Mayer was hailed by a shred hero – and why he found it strange
Smith recalls Vai singling out Mayer for praise – and reveals what Mayer’s songwriting background means for his overall guitar style
Glastonbury 2025: the iconic guitar moments that stole the show at one of the world's biggest music festivals
Pop icons with pointy metal guitars, oddball Masterbuilt Fenders, historic Martins and more – Glastonbury was a dream weekend for players, and here are the pictures to prove it
Here is all the new gear that has caught my eye this week – including an affordable replica of a $1 million Les Paul
PRS ushers in a new era of shred with its Herman Li signature model and Epiphone honors a great
Jeff Beck’s iconic Oxblood Les Paul made history as the most expensive LP to sell at auction – and now it’s been revived as an Epiphone signature model
The legendary 1954 LP starred alongside Beck for much of his career and sold for more than $1 million at auction. Now, Epiphone has launched a $1,200 replica
Guitar Center CEO Gabe Dalporto is on a mission to raise store standards – and says he’s not above scrubbing restrooms
Dalporto took a trip to assess the on-scene situation at one of his stores – and ended up getting hands-on with the cleaning
Here is all the new gear that has caught my eye this week – and, yes, that's a pink Jazzmaster
A blockbuster drop from Line 6 and a raft of new instruments from the Fender family of brands headline a busy week in the world of guitar gear
Squier rolls out its 2025 Classic Vibe collection – and heads into unexpected territory
Some surprising hardware setups and unorthodox configurations head up the drop – which sees Fender commit to its beloved Classic Vibe family
Jackson officially launches its affordable Surfcaster reissue
The surprisingly budget-friendly offset finally arrives after it was first unveiled back at NAMM this year
Line 6 ushers in a bold new era of amp modelers with the Helix Stadium
Brand new modeling tech, gear capturing capabilities, an overhauled interface, and the ability to control your entire live performance with your feet – the Helix Stadium has set a new benchmark in the amp modeler arms race
Guitar World Discussion: What’s your greatest guitar hero encounter?
Ever bumped into your favorite player at the grocery store, or crossed paths with your six-string hero at the guitar store? We want to hear all about it – and don’t spare us the details
Guitar Center CEO Gabe Dalporto is facing new competition from brands in the retail space – but it isn’t fazing him
New Gibson and Fender stores on three continents present fresh challenges for the store, but Dalporto says “bring the competition on”
Strandberg is working on a headless acoustic guitar – and you may have already seen a prototype
The firm unveiled what many believed to be a gag instrument a few years back – but it turns out it wasn’t just for laughs
May 2025 Guitar World Editors' Picks
It's been another incredible month for new guitar-driven music – our favorites include a 12-minute funk/soul/country blowout from U.S. Girls, twisty greatness from Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, and Tony Iommi's collaboration with... Robbie Williams?
Chris Bird, Guitar World Lessons Editor and former Total Guitar Editor, has died aged 48
Our friend and colleague first joined Total Guitar in 2007 and spent nearly two decades sharing his passion and knowledge for the craft with readers
The unlikely origins of Strandberg’s innovative EndurNeck
The angular, trapezoidal design defies convention in favor of ergonomics – but inspiration came from an unlikely source
Guitar Center CEO Gabe Dalporto lays out one of the store's biggest priorities – and it isn’t selling gear
Dalporto has already discussed his desire to improve the quality of gear that Guitar Center stocks – but he's also got his eye on avenue for growth
“The surgeon said I actually died on the operating table”: Thin Lizzy’s Scott Gorham recovering after suffering near-fatal health scare last year
The guitar hero developed sepsis following a kidney operation and is now taking some time out to recuperate. But he's itching to get his “buns” back out on tour
These are the gear releases that have caught my eye this week – and the essential launches you might have missed
New drops from JHS Pedals, Fender, Victory, and more that need to be on your radar this week
Stone Temple Pilots’ Dean DeLeo announces One More Satellite – a new collaborative project that stars a host of special guests
Drummers Eric Kretz and Brian Tichy, as well as UK vocalist Pete Shoulder, were brought onboard for the record, which will arrive this summer.
“As a compact amp modeler/cab simulator/Capture device, this is perhaps the best option out there, screen or no screen”: Neural DSP Nano Cortex review
The follow-up to the game-changing Quad Cortex is here at last, and with its ultra-powerful Nano Cortex, Neural DSP has set its sights on challenging IK Multimedia and Kemper to offer the ultimate all-in-one rig solution
Rick Beato weighs in on the Giacomo Turra controversy – and discusses their ill-fated collaboration
Turra was accused of plagiarizing other player's songs for his own content earlier this year
"A very cool guitar with a lot of style, and fortunately, it has the substance to match its good looks": Squier Limited Edition Paranormal Offset Telecaster SJ review
On paper, a Telecaster/Jazzmaster hybrid sounds like an absolute winner. But can the Squier Paranormal deliver the goods?
Mike Dawes has transformed a Sleep Token song into a solo acoustic guitar masterclass
The acoustic virtuoso has already tackled Foo Fighters, Van Halen, and Jimi Hendrix – now he's taking on the hottest act in metal
Fender Japan assembles all-star group of elite Masterbuilders for its most ambitious builds yet
The four high-end builds, inspired by each suit from a deck of cards, represent the pinnacle of Fender Japan's guitar artistry
32 years ago, Jeff Ament rented a ’61 Jazz Bass from Norman's Rare Guitars to record Pearl Jam’s Vs. – and now he’s been reunited with it
Ament recently reconnected with the vintage four-string more than three decades after using it to track Vs in the early 1990s – and he immediately played it on stage
