Latest articles by Matt Owen
JHS’ Flight Delay bucks the trend of complicated delays by delivering 3 effects in a simple pedal
Delays inspired by classic EHX, Boss and Line 6 units have been crammed into the easy-to-use stompbox, which promises to give you “easy access to sounds almost immediately”
Why Joe Bonamassa has started playing Dumbles again – years after he sold his original collection
Bonamassa has begun buying Dumbles after he sold his first three examples back in 2016 – and recently purchased Lowell George's mythical Overdrive Special Reverb
Line 6 gives its bargain POD Express a metal makeover with new Black edition – designed specifically for heavier players
A handful of amp models and effects tailored to metal guitar tones have been lifted from Line 6's Helix collection to produce the new-look POD Express
Fender’s new Buck Owens signature guitars honor the late country great and revive some of his oldest custom guitar designs
The Bakersfield Sound pioneer and influential country icon was known for playing his custom red, white and blue guitars – and now they're officially back
Gibson’s Jimmy Page SJ-200 is a five-figure signature model based on an acoustic he borrowed to record Led Zeppelin’s debut album – before it was stolen
According to Gibson, the new acoustic has been “rendered to Page’s exacting recollection”, owing to the apparent absence of the original model
Eddie Van Halen’s soloing takes center stage once again as the last song he ever wrote with his brother is released
Unfinished is a powerful, mournful instrumental epic that sees the late guitar legend let loose on six minutes of guitar action
How Truetone’s game-changing 1 Spot Pro series is continuing to provide pro pedalboard power to the masses with the new CS11 and XP5
Sponsored by Truetone
First launched in 2015, the firm’s 1 Spot Pro lineup has now been bolstered by some new units, which build on the range’s hugely convenient pedalboard power supply design
Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson bring their A games for electrifying Crossroads jam in first pro-shot footage of G3 2024 tour
The original G3 trio recently reunited for this year's tour, and now a preview of an upcoming live album has been shared
Jerry Cantrell shares his thoughts on digital modelers – and why he’s “not there yet”
The Alice in Chains icon uses a Kemper while tracking demos, but he’s not ready to take them into the studio – and onto the stage – just yet
The 16 most expensive guitars of all time
Fenders owned by Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan, Martins belonging to Kurt Cobain and David Gilmour, and one independently made axe headline the list of most profitable guitars sold at auction
Furch challenges Gibson, Ibanez and Taylor acoustic innovations with the Booster Soundport
The new approach follows similar secondary soundhole designs adopted by some other big-name brands, but does it in a rather unique way
Gene Simmons on why technical skill doesn't really matter
The Kiss bassist values memorable music over displays of virtuosity – and singled out jazz to hammer home his point
Epiphone’s honors Takahiro Matsumoto with a hugely desirable 1955 Les Paul Goldtop signature
The founder of legendary Japanese rock act B’z has helped develop an Epiphone recreation of his vintage 1955 Les Paul
Friedman and Jake E. Lee’s signature IR-J looks to deliver the guitar tones of “two great eras” in a single pedal amp
Lee's newest signature Friedman unit offers decades-spanning guitar tones from the comfort of a tube-loaded preamp pedal
Gretsch honors Depeche Mode's Martin Gore with a signature based on one of his prized vintage guitars
The electronic rock pioneer's lifelong affinity for Gretsch guitars comes full circle with a Two Tone Smoke Green semi-hollow six-string that refurbs the classic Center Block design
I’ve spent years searching for the perfect Strat strings – and after playing John Mayer’s Silver Slinky set, I think I’ve found them
Mayer's promise of a string set that offered an ideal in-between gauge, great tone, and uncompromising nimble bends spoke directly to my own trials and tribulations as a Strat player. Fortunately, it wasn't too good to be true
Fractal unveils the VP4 – an effects-only pedalboard replacement launched to take on the Line 6 HX Effects
Fractal's new compact multi-FX pedal drops amp modeling in favor of all-out effects, and offers over 400 examples based on the Axe-Fx III
Fender’s new American Ultra II guitars offer its most advanced take on classic shapes
Upgraded pickups, a new neck profile, and a suite of high-end specs make up the all-new American Ultra II family, representing Fender's most cutting-edge guitar designs
Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Twin Reverb amp, used in sessions for Texas Flood and David Bowie is up for sale
The 1967 Twin is fitted with distinctive Electro Voice SRO 'coffee can' speakers, and was used by SRV during his Las Colinas rehearsals with David Bowie
Joe Perry on why the age of the guitar hero might be over
Perry is confident there's more to explore on the fretboard and players will continue to push the boundaries of guitar music – but the individual feats of guitarists might not be viewed in quite the same way
Universal Audio takes its Edge-approved amp sim pedals to the digital realm with $299 plugin packages
The UAFX Dream ’65 and Ruby ’63 pedals – which The Edge used during U2's Sphere residency – have been digitized alongside the Marshall-inspired Lion ’68
Fender Japan gives the Cabronita Telecaster a radical mini-humbucker revamp with new high-end pickups
The Big F has given the quirky Tele a tonal overhaul by swapping the hi-fo Fidelitrons for DiMarzio pickups
John Mayer ends years-long search for his ultimate string set with the Ernie Ball Silver Slinky
Over the past few years, Mayer has been using and refining his custom Silver Slinky set, which offers a unique in-between gauge and a custom core-to-wrap ratio
Alex Van Halen reveals the unease Eddie felt with being labeled the best guitar player on the planet in new excerpt from tell-all memoir
Brothers, which will “set the record straight on Edward’s life and death”, has been previewed by an audio clip that finds Alex paying tribute to EVH's guitar talents
Gretsch and Jack Antonoff combine the Jazzmaster with an oddball vintage Gretsch to create his “dream” signature guitar
He's produced for the likes of Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter, and fronts the influential indie rock outfit Bleachers. Now, Antonoff has been honored with his first signature guitar
