Latest articles by Matt Owen
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
April 2025 Guitar World Editors' Picks
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
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
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
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
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
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
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?
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
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
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
