Latest articles by Matt Owen
February 2026 Guitar World Editors’ Picks
Two generations of virtuosos – Steve Vai and Matteo Mancuso – join forces, Midwest Emo GOATs American Football return, Anna Calvi works wonders with her Telecaster, Mateus Asato gives us long-awaited instrumental bliss, and Angine de Poitrine deliver, uh, “Dada-Pythago-Cubist Mantra-rock” – all this and much, much more
All the guitar gear that has caught my eye this week – including a firm-first from my favorite pedal brand
New drops from Gibson, Ernie Ball Music Man, JHS Pedals and more
"A successful first foray into amp and effects modeler floorboards for the firm, which has a really bright future in the space": Blackstar ID:X Floor One review
Blackstar becomes the latest in a long line of companies to develop a floorboard-based amp modeler rig solution – and it's gone about it in the perfect way
Michael Anthony on how the new Van Halen album should be finished
The former VH bassist has had his say on the upcoming record, which is being worked on by Alex Van Halen and Steve Lukather
Iron Maiden, Oasis, Jeff Buckley and Melissa Etheridge lead Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2026 nominations
Billy Idol, INXS, Joy Division and Shakira are also up for induction
Metallica announces Sphere residency – and they’ll be spared from the issues all other guitar bands have faced so far
John Mayer, Bob Weir, Trey Anastasio and The Edge have all been confronted the same issue when playing at the Sphere – but it should be a smoother ride for Metallica
All the guitar gear that has caught my eye this week – including the most metal Jackson out there
A full-circle signature for Gary Clark Jr., as well as a potentially game-changing innovation from 3rd Power, headline this week's round-up
Alex Van Halen says a new Van Halen record was virtually finished before Eddie passed away
The Van Halen drummer has also shed more light on Steve Lukather's involvement in the project
Why Nile Rodgers and John Mayer’s collaboration was derailed – because of a Rolling Stones album
Rodgers and Mayer swapped albums ahead of a potential partnership – but their differing tastes at the time meant it all fell apart
John Mayer opens up on his early Dead & Company insecurities
The Grateful Dead icon, who passed away in January, became one of Mayer's closest collaborators during the latter years of his career
"A triumphant first all-analog pedal from Strymon, which will inject your rig with some impressively usable and versatile drive tones": Strymon Fairfax Class A Output Stage Drive pedal review
Strymon's unexpected departure from its usual DSP-led design is a recreation of Randy Bachman's Garnet Herzog – and the result is something rather stellar
Joe Satriani’s amp builder has released a potentially game-changing pickup system – which gives players the power to choose where their gain is created
3rd Power's MagFRAG system has been channeled into two new pickup lines that could give players unprecedented tonal control
All the new guitar gear that has caught my eye this week – including a long-awaited Lamb of God Les Paul
All-new drops from Kiesel, Manson, Gibson, Eastman, Taylor and more…
Manson releases like-for-like recreation of Matt Bellamy’s main Muse guitar – complete with all the onboard effects
Three Black Edition models have been released, each paying tribute to the Muse maestro's go-to guitar – but you’ll need to start saving up...
Warren Haynes on the time he missed the chance to play with B.B. King
Haynes had witnessed the King play live years earlier – but when he first got the chance to jam with the blues icon, nerves got the better of him
Painted Neck Stratocasters? These Fender Custom Shop models put a distinct – and divisive – twist on the traditional template
Candy Green, Ice Blue Metallic and Shell Pink are just some of the finishes on offer in Music Zoo's exclusive Custom Shop drop
Brian Robertson sets the record straight on his Thin Lizzy exit
Robertson left Thin Lizzy amid conflict with Phil Lynott and a serious hand injury – but came back as a session hand on future albums and tours
Manowar founding guitarist Ross ‘The Boss’ Friedman diagnosed with ALS
Friedman has been diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease
Fractal goes up against Neural DSP and IK Multimedia with ICONS – its first-ever plugin
ICONS is the first of a series of plugins, and offers 36 Fender-style amps and a load of effects lifted from Axe-Fx
Fred Smith, influential Television and former Blondie bassist, dies at 77
Smith helped define the proto-punk pioneers' sound, and had plans to return to the stage later this year
One of Scotland’s most popular guitar retailers set to return under new ownership
Kenny's Music closed its doors in later 2025 despite strong sales stats, against a bleak backdrop for brick-and-mortar guitar stores
Chris Buck responds to the backlash against his “Strat baggage” comments
The British guitar ace says the baggage is his own burden to bear
“An incredibly powerful, immensely versatile pedal that crams gold-standard modeler experiences and sounds into the smallest form factor possible”: Neural DSP Quad Cortex mini review
Neural DSP's third hardware launch is the one everyone has been waiting for. But what does a stripped back control layout mean for the overall playing experience?
