Matt Owen

Black Friday guitar deals 2025 LIVE: all the biggest savings at Sweetwater, Guitar Center, Fender, Amazon and more that are still live

By Michael Astley-Brown last updated 30 November 25

I'm rounding up all the hottest, still-live guitar, amp, pedal and accessory deals in the Black Friday sales. Stick with me for all of the biggest news, deals, tips and tricks for saving money

I've never modded a guitar but now the cheapest Squier Strat on the planet is even cheaper – so I think I've found the perfect DIY project platform

By Matt Owen published 30 November 25

For $208 you get a Fender-backed Strat as part of a killer starter kit, including an amp, gig bag, and instructional DVD

David Gilmour’s iconic Black Strat sold at auction for nearly $4,000,000 – but you can get one that looks the part for just $649 thanks to Guitar Center

By Matt Owen published 30 November 25

We think the Player II Strat is one of the best Strats you can buy – and this one is a dead-ringer for Gilmour’s iconic Fender and doesn’t cost six figures

Black Friday Fender deals 2025: last chance to save big on Fender and Squier guitars

By Daryl Robertson last updated 30 November 25

This Cyber Weekend, we're seeing some fantastic Fender deals crop up across the web, including discounted Player II guitars

Black Friday guitar deals 2025: Don't miss out on the greatest savings for guitar players

By Daryl Robertson last updated 30 November 25

Here are the best savings still live this Black Friday, from Sweetwater, Guitar Center, Positive Grid, and more

This is the perfect time to be a beginner or young guitarist – you can currently score more than $250 off our fave entry guitars from Squier, Epiphone, Yamaha and more

By Matt Owen published 29 November 25

Some of our favorite beginner guitars – electrics and basses – have been given some healthy discounts for Black Friday

The TONEX One is the best-selling amp modeler and you can bag it for $149 at Guitar Center – trust me, this is one deal you don’t want to miss

By Matt Owen published 29 November 25

See what all the fuss is about and pick up the most popular new amp modeler for a steal at Guitar Center

“The perfect marriage of Aerosmith and the Cult. An Aerocult, if you will”: November 2025 Guitar World Editors’ Picks

By Michael Astley-Brown, Jackson Maxwell, Matt Owen, Matt Parker, Janelle Borg published 28 November 25

The new guitar music that GW editors have been obsessed with this month: fresh names, old hands and trailblazing players

I played a John Mayer Silver Sky for the first time ever this year and it blew me away. With 20% of all PRS SE and Core guitars at Guitar Center for Black Friday, I’m *this close* to getting one of my own

By Matt Owen published 28 November 25

Yes, the five-star SE NF 53 – already one of the best sub-$1k guitars on the market – is also included

My bandmate gigged this Walrus Audio amp simulator and his tone was better than mine. Now its upgraded successor is $90 off for Black Friday and I’m about to join him

By Matt Owen published 28 November 25

You can also score an insane $200 off some of Walrus Audio's First Gen Mako Series pedals – including an R1 High-Fidelity Reverb for just $149.99

Steve Vai has reimagined Brian May’s Red Special in his own vision with the help of a UK boutique guitar builder

By Matt Owen published 27 November 25

The 'Vai Special' puts a distinct spin on May's legendary guitar, and was meticulously spec'd by Vai himself – with a few Ibanez JEM inspirations to boot

All the guitar gear that has caught my eye this week – including the unmissable Black Friday gear discounts I’m eyeing up

By Matt Owen published 27 November 25

The Kilt celebrates its 10th birthday, Fractal goes up against IK Multimedia and Line 6, and Tom DeLonge reaches for the stars (literally)

Neural DSP just gave players 2 huge reasons to switch to the Nano and Quad Cortex

By Matt Owen published 27 November 25

Neural V2 Capture ushers in a whole new era of amp modeling for the company

Fractal goes up against IK Multimedia and Line 6 with the AM4 – its most affordable and user-friendly amp modeler to date

By Matt Owen published 25 November 25

With a new UI and Axe-Fx III at its core, the AM4 becomes the perfect entry point to the Fractal ecosystem

Joe Bonamassa’s new signature amp has landed – and it’s been built by a renowned disciple of Howard Dumble

By Matt Owen published 25 November 25

The Fuchs JB-ODS was originally conceived as a go-to gigging combo for small club shows – but it developed into something more

Great White guitarist Mark Kendall reveals Stage 4 cancer diagnosis

By Matt Owen published 25 November 25

Kendall says he's being treated by a world class team of doctors and early signs are positive

Wolfgang Van Halen names the 2 classic rock tracks he plays to test any electric guitar

By Matt Owen published 24 November 25

Forget the forbidden riffs and the flashy taps. Wolfgang finds it's better to keep things simple...

All the guitar gear that has caught my eye this week – including a reissue of one of Gibson’s most sought-after signature models

By Matt Owen published 23 November 25

Mark Lettieri's irresistible Fiore gets an HH makeover, John Petrucci's baritone signature makes its long-awaited return, and the Line 6 Helix Stadium XL finally arrives...

Dave Grohl’s DG-335 is one of Gibson’s most in-demand signature models – and now it’s back in an elusive new finish

By Matt Owen published 20 November 25

The wildly popular Trini Lopez/ES-335 hybrid is back – and it's styled after the model Grohl has been playing on stages since 2021

Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, legendary Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist, dies

By Matt Owen published 20 November 25

The influential bassist, who helped shape the groove rock scene of the 1990s, had announced a tour days prior to his death

First images of a Gary Moore tribute statue have been released

By Matt Owen published 20 November 25

The project, which has been in the works for the past few years, is nearing completion