
Matt Owen
Matt is the GuitarWorld.com News Editor, and has been writing and editing for the site for almost five years. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 19 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. During his GW career, he’s interviewed Peter Frampton, Zakk Wylde, Tosin Abasi, Matteo Mancuso and more, and has profiled the CEOs of Guitar Center and Fender.
When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt performs with indie rock duo Esme Emerson, and has previously opened for the likes of Ed Sheeran, Keane, Japanese House and Good Neighbours.
Latest articles by Matt Owen

These are the gear releases that have caught my eye this week – and the essential launches you might have missed
By Matt Owen published
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
By Matt Owen published
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
By Matt Owen last updated
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
By Matt Owen published
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
By Matt Owen published
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
By Matt Owen published
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
By Matt Owen published
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
By Matt Owen published
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

April 2025 Guitar World Editors' Picks
By Janelle Borg, Jackson Maxwell, Matt Owen, Matt Parker published
From Turnstile’s transformation from hardcore caterpillar to psychedelic New Wave butterfly, to a show-stopping Joanne Shaw Taylor solo, an emo slam dunk from Slow Joy, and a slice of acoustic wizardry from Salif Keita, this month had a bounty of guitar brilliance

How Mike Campbell and Tom Petty developed their Heartbreaker sound – with the help of some choice early gear picks
By Matt Owen published
Though Petty was in need of a decent electric, the two Heartbreakers quickly landed on a sound that would define their guitar partnership

Epiphone expands its high-end Inspired by Gibson Custom Collection
By Matt Owen published
Open book headstocks, Gibson USA pickups and a handful of sought-after upgrades headline the 2025 expansion pack

Tyrone Vaughan descends from blues greatness – and SRV helped him start his guitar journey early
By Matt Owen published
Stevie Ray Vaughan turned up at young Tyrone's birthday party with a special gift that would help him follow in the footsteps of his relatives

These are the gear releases that have caught my eye this week – and the ones you might have missed
By Matt Owen published
An amp modeler update that players have been waiting months for, a sustainable build from Martin and a premium collaboration between Gibson and Serj Tankian headline this week's action

Dave Navarro has chosen the guitar he’s using to record his first post-Jane’s Addiction material – and it’s a historic build
By Matt Owen published
Navarro will be taking a milestone six-string from PRS into the studio with Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins

Neural DSP’s Nano Cortex had one major drawback – but now it’s been addressed with a huge free firmware update
By Matt Owen published
An expanded utilities list with 47 new effects and improved control over the signal chain headline the free update

Guitar World Discussion: Who is the most underrated guitar player of all time?
By Matt Owen published
Which overlooked, unsung or under-appreciated guitar talent do you wish had more love? It's time for you to have your say…

“A new signature for Misha Mansoor, but not the one we’ve been waiting for”: The essential guitar gear releases you might have missed this week, from Chase Bliss and PRS to Jackson and Fender
By Matt Owen published
An emotional tribute to the King of Tone overdrive, an upgraded take on one of the top versatile high-gain amp heads out there, and another exclusive Guitar Center big-brand collaboration are all on the agenda this week

The hit ’60s single that was supposed to feature Jimi Hendrix… but ended up with Jimmy Page
By Matt Owen published
Donovan tried to recruit Hendrix when he went in the studio in the late 1960s, but ended up working with the soon-to-be Led Zeppelin guitar great

Jimmie Vaughan says your fretboard choice doesn’t make a difference – and SRV is his proof
By Matt Owen published
SRV played Strats with rosewood and maple fingerboards, and although he's more commonly associated with the former, his brother says he performed the same on both

The freak injury that changed the way Chris Poland played guitar – and informed the sound of Megadeth’s Rattlehead
By Matt Owen published
The former Megadeth guitarist had a stand-off with a 200lb oak door, resulting in an injury that would forever change how he plays guitar

Mark Tremonti’s PRS signature amp is one of the best affordable high-gain amps on the market – and it just got one major upgrade
By Matt Owen published
An all-new Archon Classic and 4x12 "mega-sized" cab have also been released

This metal fan ordered a new guitar from Sweetwater – but it ended up with the Slipknot guitarist
By Matt Owen published
Root randomly received a new Jackson that was destined for another player, after it went missing for a number of weeks

How a heckler helped J Mascis unlock his Dinosaur Jr. guitar tone
By Matt Owen published
Mascis first started playing guitar as a means to write and perform with Dinosaur Jr., but his tonal awakening came mid-gig thanks to a rather critical listener

Fender’s elevated Player II Modified line brings the firm’s most sought-after guitar upgrades to the masses
By Matt Owen published
Speedy satin necks, upgraded pickups, expansive electronics and Floyd Rose tremolos headline the drop, which lifts the humble Player II line to new heights
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