Latest articles by Matt Owen
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
Jimmie Vaughan says your fretboard choice doesn’t make a difference – and SRV is his proof
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
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
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
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
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
Speedy satin necks, upgraded pickups, expansive electronics and Floyd Rose tremolos headline the drop, which lifts the humble Player II line to new heights
John Mayer has been spotted playing a Neural DSP Quad Cortex live for the first time – could this be his new amp modeler of choice?
Mayer swapped his usual Fractal for a Quad Cortex for his guest performance with Zedd at Coachella
The guitar gear releases you might have missed this week, from Martin and Fender to Tone King and D'Angelico
A double dose of signature guitars, a highly anticipated pedal amp from Tone King and a comprehensive Martin Junior series overhaul headline this week's drops
Bring Me the Horizon’s Lee Malia is no stranger to signature offsets – but he wasn’t too fond of his first
Years before launching one of 2025's most desirable builds with Jackson, Malia partnered with Epiphone for a range of signature guitars back in 2014
Giacomo Turra used their solos note for note for his own viral content. Now the guitarists who had their songs “stolen” are speaking out
Turra was accused of lifting solos for his social media output, and responded to the allegations in an apology video – but guitarists are continuing to find evidence of his repurposed playing
This 12-year-old heavy metal prodigy never expected to be mentored by a former Megadeth guitar player – but that’s exactly what happened
Vox Realis has already starred on The Kelly Clarkson Show, amassed thousands of social media followers and jammed with a big-name shredder
Martin’s Junior Series has been given its most significant upgrade yet
Updated electronics, solid tonewoods and new models make up the 2025 edition of Martin's humble Junior series, which starts from $699
Fender and Mike Campbell recreate the Red Dog – The Heartbreaker’s heavily modded 1972 Telecaster
Campbell bought the Red Dog from one of his students, and used it across his career on some of his most notable works
Popular social media guitarist Giacomo Turra accused of stealing other musicians’ songs for content
The funk and R&B guitarist has responded to the accusations
Dave Allen, former Gang of Four bassist and post-punk heavyweight, dies aged 69
Allen’s work on Gang of Four’s first two albums would inspire generations and influence the likes of Nirvana, REM, and Flea, who has paid tribute to the late bass icon
Ritchie Blackmore suffered a heart attack last year
The Deep Purple legend is set to play six shows in the US this Spring, but has been told not to fly by his cardiologist
Billy Corgan on why he plays off-the-shelf Reverends – and isn’t fussed about playing expensive guitars
The Smashing Pumpkins frontman plays his stock signature guitars for the band's biggest gigs
Phil Manzanera tried to relearn one of his classic riffs after it was sampled by Kanye West and Jay-Z – and even the Pink Floyd hero couldn’t help him
The Roxy Music legend was ultimately saved by a younger player, who helped him get to grips once again with the iconic hook
The incredible untold story of the mystery Martin that was specially commissioned in 1973 – and went viral with John Mayer 50 years later
Mayer's viral performance with Sheryl Crow in 2023 sent the guitar world into a frenzy when he took to the stage wielding on unidentified small-bodied 12-string acoustic – now its astonishing history has finally come to light
