Latest articles by Matt Owen
When John Mayer was unhappy with his famed Black One Strat, he had a bizarre method for trying to fix it
Mayer worked closely with the Fender Custom Shop to design and build his “main guitar”, but it took a bit of tweaking before it reached its playing potential
Fender Japan unveils the Starmaster – a Jazzmaster/Starcaster hybrid that could be the most divisive Fender offset of them all
The Starmaster is even available in Antigua – one of the most loved/hated finishes in Fender history
Two Notes’ reimagined Reload II seeks to end the reactive load box debate – and quash the competition from Universal Audio and Boss in the process
The Reload II is set to take on the Universal Audio Ox Amp Top Box and Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander Core as it aims to become to go-to recording tool for tube amp players
Tosin Abasi once said he wanted to release a blues album – is that still on the cards?
We asked the progressive metal innovator for an update on his prospective blues record, which he teased back in 2022
John Mayer acoustics, Brad Paisley amps, a signature Slash model: A fake Wylde Audio website has been taken over by AI – and it’s utterly bizarre
An official-looking website claiming to belong to the Zakk Wylde-fronted brand has surfaced online – and you need to steer well clear
Gibson unveils the Clapton 1958 Les Paul Custom – a recreation of the Disraeli Gears LP that now belongs to Albert Lee
The Murphy Lab-aged LP faithfully recreates the original model, but Clapton has added a few personal modifications to the reissue
Mike Stringer is one of the hottest metal guitar talents right now – and he has an unlikely hero
The celebrated Spiritbox riffer has singled out one of his biggest non-metal inspirations, and he’s dished out some serious praise
Blackstar muscles in on the wireless system market with AIRWIRE i58 – but how does it stack up against the competition?
The wireless guitar system market is becoming more competitive than ever, and Blackstar’s flagship offering looks set to become a key player
Brian May’s first Gibson signature is here – and it’s got nothing to do with the Red Special
When the Queen legend announced he’d be working with Gibson, many expected a Custom Shop Red Special – but first, we have a 12-string SJ-200 that’s like no other
Eddie Van Halen apparently left Peavey because it signed a second superstar shredder – Joe Satriani
Van Halen had developed his Wolfgang and 5150 with Peavey, but the firm’s current CEO reckons Satch’s arrival ultimately convinced him to leave
We asked Tim Henson and Tosin Abasi who is blowing their minds right now. They both named the same guitarist
This progressive virtuoso has already been labeled shred’s next hope – now he’s been tipped for greatness… and a Polyphia guest spot
Post Malone proves his guitar hero credentials once again as he fronts Nirvana reunion and nails Smells Like Teen Spirit at SNL50
The under-appreciated guitarist took on lead and vocal duties for the one-song performance – and the internet absolutely loved it
Billy Corgan names himself and two other ’90s guitar gods as the ‘metal Yardbirds’
The Smashing Pumpkins frontman shared near-identical early experiences with two other players close to his local area, but they all ended up going down different avenues – not unlike the Yardbird legends
That time Joe Satriani took a Surfing With The Alien encore a little too far
One Halloween, Satch decided to emerge for his customary encore wearing a headpiece appropriate for the holiday – but he quickly realized it was a bad idea
Gibson and Johnny Marr have recreated the 1984 Les Paul that underpinned The Smiths legend’s entire career
Exclusive to the Gibson Garage London to mark the store's first anniversary, only 20 examples will be made, and each will be hand-signed by Marr himself
The Boss Katana:GO headphone amp is back after it was discontinued – but not as you remember it
The first-edition Katana:GO was pulled from production mere months after it was unveiled. Now, the second generation is finally here, and it has been given a few tweaks
James Tyler Guitars will become more affordable than ever as the boutique builder announces China-made JTG Series
Two distinct JTG models will be made in China, and each will come loaded with a range of surprisingly premium appointments – from high-quality tonewoods to onboard preamps and custom hardware
I played the last Overdrive Special that Dumble worked on – and it completely changed my perspective on the amp of my dreams
The Dumble Preservation Society went to NAMM with a hall-of-fame amp display, and playing through one of its Overdrive Specials was an eye-opening experience
Eric Johnson broke new ground with his semi-hollow Strat – but he’d take inspiration from Gibson if he made another
Johnson’s 2018 signature model was the first to combine a semi-hollow design with a contoured Strat body, but it didn’t take long for him to settle on a concept
Brian May issues health update after suffering ‘minor stroke’ last year
The Queen guitar hero suffered a health scare late last year, which left him briefly fearing he might not be able to pick up the guitar again
Phil X confirms new Bon Jovi material will feature one seriously ripping solo – and a tour is also in the works
Guitar World caught up with Phil X to discuss rumors of a new Bon Jovi record, and the guitar ace dished out some spoilers on one of his standout contributions
Ozzy Osbourne announces his final-ever live performance – featuring an original Black Sabbath lineup reunion and some of the biggest names in heavy music
Osbourne will be returning this summer for his final show, and is sharing the history-making bill with Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, Anthrax and many, many more
When Chris Buck played a museum-grade Martin from 1928, a high-profile Hollywood guitar scandal played heavy on his mind
The blues rock ace demoed a five-figure Martin 0-42 in the new issue of Guitarist, and couldn't help but think of that infamous Hateful Eight guitar smash
