Latest articles by Matt Owen
The Darkness’ Dan Hawkins blasts Yungblud, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry for their VMAs Ozzy Osbourne tribute
Yungblud led an all-star cast of music greats for a medley of Prince of Darkness classics – but Hawkins wasn’t impressed
The one time David Bowie ordered Earl Slick to swap his Fenders for Gibsons
Slick went into the recording of 2003's Reality armed with a Telecaster, but his guitar of choice didn't cut it with Bowie
All the new guitar gear that has caught my eye this week – including the most extravagant acoustic you will see all year
A $99,999 SJ-200, two Randy Rhoads tributes, and some visionary electrics from Ibanez – here are all the gear launches that you might have missed from the past seven days
Phil Demmel’s new Jackson Polka Dot signature King V pays homage to his first Randy Rhoads Jackson model – and the guitar god himself
The Rhoads-honoring model serves as a full-circle moment for Demmel, who acquired his first Jackson – also a Randy Rhoads V – under some sketchy circumstances
David Gilmour remembers the first time he ever saw Hendrix play
A broke, pre-Pink Floyd Gilmour rocked up to a free jam evening at a music club – and had his entire guitar world rocked
Sterling by Music Man and Tosin Abasi bring the futuristic Kaizen to a new low price point
Three years after the boundary-pushing build was first unveiled, the long-awaited Sterling spin-off has arrived
Brad Gillis remembers the moment he got the Ozzy Osbourne gig
The Night Ranger guitarist stepped in to help Ozzy complete his tour after the tragic death of Randy Rhoads
Blackstar’s Beam Solo takes on Fender and Boss – is this the new headphone amp to beat?
Blackstar is calling the Beam Solo the ultimate headphone amp for guitarists. But what sets it apart?
MXR’s latest Randy Rhoads Distortion is inspired by another of the guitar great’s iconic axes – the Jackson Concorde
The second pedal honoring the Ozzy Osbourne guitarist was painstakingly spec’d from Randy’s original Distortion+
For Spinal Tap’s reunion, Nigel Tufnel needed an amp that went beyond 11 – so Marshall made him one that goes to Infinity
Tufnel has a new amp – and some new guitars – to showcase in the forthcoming Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
How Ibanez became the one of the biggest metal guitar makers on the planet, beloved by players and pros alike
Sponsored by Ibanez
The RG, RGA, RGD and IronLabel guitar collections are at the foundation of Ibanez's metal guitar efforts
Gibson’s Certified Vintage manager on his most memorable guitar safari discovery (and it wasn’t a guitar)
Mitch Conrad paid a visit to a guitar fan who was in the possession of a vintage Gibson SG – but ended up finding more than he bargained for
Behind the rise of Strandberg, the firm that ushered in a headless guitar revolution – and changed the concept of guitar design in the process
Sponsored by Strandberg Guitars
Ola Strandberg has had an interest in guitar building for his whole life, but when he started developing his own designs in his small workshop, he paved the way for an electric guitar that has since changed the indsutry
How Blackstar shook up the amp establishment – and cemented its place in the upper echelons of the industry
Sponsored by Blackstar
Founded by four former Marshall employees in 2007, Blackstar tows the line between tradition and innovation – resulting in a first-class amp lineup that spans fire-breathing stacks to pedal amps
How Laney went above and beyond with its LFR range to create the ultimate speaker solution for guitarists with digital rigs
Sponsored by Laney
Laney has amassed one of the most respected and sought-after lineups of FRFR speakers on the market, beloved by players and pros alike – here’s how
All the new guitar gear that caught my eye this week – and is that a new Epiphone double-neck?
New launches from Boss, PRS, Fender and Third Man Hardware headline the biggest guitar gear drops this week
August 2025 Guitar World Editors' Picks
With killer cuts from Deftones, Lorna Shore, Big Thief, Young Dervish, Paco Peña, and many more, there was plenty of guitar greatness to pick from this month
"A solid player that looks a million dollars and doesn't sound too far off": Squier Classic Vibe Duo-Sonic HS review
The long-awaited return of the oddball Duo-Sonic heads up Squier's Class of 2025 Classic Vibe family and largely exceeds all expectations
Paul McCartney guitarist Robbie McIntosh on the time he mistook John Mayer’s guitar playing for Slowhand’s
McIntosh joined Mayer’s band and played a starring role on his acclaimed live album, Where the Light Is
Boss crams 16 beloved effects into the convertible PX-1 Plugout FX
Boss unveils its answer to the Line 6 HX One and TC Electronic Plethora X1 as it seeks to revolutionize the compact pedal experience
Misha Mansoor has got another custom shop Jackson Surfcaster – and we could be creeping towards a potential signature run release
Mansoor might have reached the peak of his Surfcaster experiments with his third Custom Shop model
“It seems the age of touchscreen guitar amps is advancing faster than I ever imagined”: All the new guitar gear that caught my eye this week – including the return of my favorite Fender offset
The guitar amp of the future, more passengers on the PRS party train, and Squier’s newest Classic Vibe collection – all that and more headline this week’s gear round-up
"I can tell you how to become a virtuoso very easily”: Steve Vai on how anybody can become an elite guitar player
Vai – who had a gruelling practice routine growing up – has shed some light on what it takes to become a virtuoso
