Matt Owen

Matt Owen

Senior Staff Writer, GuitarWorld.com

Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.

Articles by: Matt Owen

FOMOfx vOL PRO pedal and Virtual Jeff Pro whammy bar

“Set to completely change how guitars are played forever”: This bold new guitar innovation lets you control your volume with a whammy bar

By Matt Owen published

FOMOfx's latest gadget builds on the company's existing Virtual Jeff Pro digital whammy bar setup – and also acts as a clean boost

Richie Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi perform during the 33rd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Public Auditorium on April 14, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio

“He wasn’t kicked out, he quit. And he hasn’t made any great overtures about coming back”: Jon Bon Jovi says a reunion with Richie Sambora isn’t happening any time soon

By Matt Owen published

Sambora left the band in 2013, and rumors of his potential return have been circulating over the past few years

Rocky Athas and Brian May playing live

“Brian walked up to me and said, ‘I dig that.’ I was finger-tapping with my right hand. He says, ‘I'm going to nick that from you!’” The mystery virtuoso who inspired Brian May to two-hand tap recalls the exact moment it happened

By Matt Owen published

The Queen guitarist credited an unnamed Texan guitarist as the player who inspired him to hone his two-hand tapping chops. Now, after much speculation, his identity has been confirmed

Orangewood Juniper

Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Bob Dylan are all fans of the rubber bridge guitar. I played one for a month to find out what the hype was about – and it wasn’t at all what I expected

By Matt Owen published

It’s one of the biggest gear phenomenons of recent years, and now the $395 Orangewood Juniper has made the rubber bridge guitar more attainable than ever. What makes this plucky lo-fi creation so darn popular?

Fender Japan Cyclone

“A unique look and function”: Fender Japan has revived the cult classic Cyclone – and it might be the most desirable Fender offset of the year

By Matt Owen published

The Mustang-esque model has been brought back to life with a few choice upgrades

Lenny Kravitz and Prince playing live on stage

“I jammed with Prince once, and he was like, ‘What is that effect you have on your guitar?’ I said, ‘Nothing.’ He couldn’t believe it”: Lenny Kravitz on the time he blew Prince’s mind with his guitar tone

By Matt Owen published

Kravitz's straight-into-the-amp setup – which has been at the core of his sound for most of his career – left pedal fan Prince with his jaw on the floor

Gibson Les Paul Studio in Ebony with a top-wrapped tailpiece

“It breathed new life into a guitar I hadn’t played in years”: I top-wrapped my Les Paul to find out whether it actually made a difference – and I wish I’d done it sooner

By Matt Owen published

Wrapping guitar strings over the top of a guitar's bridge or tailpiece is said to lead to more sustain, better playability and a slinkier feel. Is any of that really true?

Kiesel HyperRig

“Set out to blow your wildest expectations of how your guitar can sound and feel”: Kiesel’s first all-in-one amp and effects plugin looks to shake up the world of digital guitar tones

By Matt Owen published

Featuring “the world's fastest transposer” and an assortment of tones on tap, the HyperRig sets Kiesel on its journey into the ever-growing realm of digital guitar rigs

Fender Nashville HQ

“There’s nowhere on the planet that these cats would be in the same room together for such a cool low key hang”: Fender just opened a mega new Nashville HQ – and Music City’s finest guitarists were all in attendance

By Matt Owen published

Billy Gibbons, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Chris Shiflett, Guthrie Trapp and many more attended the grand opening of the new location – and some sat round for a jam

Boss Katana Gen 3 amplifier series

“Katana Gen 3 elevates the lineup, providing a playing experience that goes where no other amps can”: Boss has launched the latest evolution of the Katana range – and it’s more versatile than ever

By Matt Owen published

7 amp models usher in the new Katana era, bringing with them choice tonal, functional and software updates that take the market-leading amp family to new heights

Tyler Bryant playing his Fender Stratocaster, next to a photoshopped picture depicting him playing a Fesley Les Paul copy

“I do not endorse your product or any company who uses artificial BS to bamboozle people”: Tyler Bryant calls out guitar company for Photoshopping his picture to promote a Les Paul copy

By Matt Owen published

The Stratocaster loyalist was faked playing an LP replica by a brand bidding to market its own model

Paul Reed Smith playing guitar on American Music Supply

“‘I’ve never picked one up and it’s never moved me’ – that’s not fair”: Paul Reed Smith hits back at critics who say PRS guitars are “too perfect and have no soul”

By Matt Owen published

The guitar engineer designs some of the finest instruments money can buy – but for some, they're just “too good”

PRS David Grissom DGT 15

“This is one of our most feature-laden designs to date”: PRS’ new David Grissom signature tube head looks to rival classic vintage amps – and elevate their performance in the process

By Matt Owen published

The DGT 15 is the latest release from the pair's decades-long partnership – and channels the spirit of his high-end Custom 30 head, with some choice engineering tweaks

Nile Rodgers with CHIC performs on stage at Fremantle Prison on October 27, 2023 in Perth, Australia

“I went for the lowest-priced one. My heart broke as I handed my jazz box over. However, as soon as I pulled that Strat down, sadness was replaced with joy”: Nile Rodgers on how he found The Hitmaker – and how the Fender Strat changed the world

By Matt Owen published

The funk guitar superstar looks back at trading in his old Barney Kessel for the budget Strat that would go on to become The Hitmaker – the fabled instrument heard on Get Lucky, Le Freak and countless others

Aguilar Tone Hammer 500, Tone Hammer 700, AG 500 and AG 700

“Designed to meet the exacting standards of today’s bassists”: Aguilar has overhauled some of its most iconic bass amps with some choice upgrades

By Matt Owen published

The bass amp specialist has brought its Tone Hammer and AG Series amps into the modern age with some indispensable updates

Slash and B.B. King performing live

“I have probably modeled myself after that. I go, ‘Well B.B. did it, so I can do it!’” Slash reveals one of the biggest lessons he learned from his blues hero, B.B. King

By Matt Owen published

Slash was into B.B. King's music before he even thought about picking up the guitar – and the blues great would have a huge impact on the Guns N' Roses guitarist's mindset and style

Guitarist Phil X (L) and frontman Jon Bon Jovi of Bon Jovi perform during a stop of the band's This House is Not for Sale Tour at T-Mobile Arena on March 17, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada

“This record is a return to joy”: Bon Jovi reunite with the talk box and roll back the years for a new comeback single that will give you serious Livin’ On a Prayer vibes

By Matt Owen published

Living Proof previews the band's upcoming album Forever, and Phil X's riff has a distinctly familiar talkbox swagger about it

Sam Ash

“In today's post-COVID environment, the challenges to our brick-and-mortar business have necessitated a restructuring”: Sam Ash Music files for bankruptcy after announcing the closure of all its stores

By Phil Weller published

The family-run retailer has reportedly started the procedure of auctioning off its assets

Walrus Audio Canvas Power

“A new standard in simplicity, modularity, and performance for powering pedalboards”: Walrus Audio unveils Canvas Power range of linkable pedalboard power supplies – and one of them is a 22-outlet beast

By Matt Owen published

Available in four sizes, the Canvas Power units promise low-noise operation and can be linked to accomodate ever-growing rigs

Jim Root of Slipknot performs in concert at the Ericsson Globe Arena on February 21, 2020 in Stockholm, Sweden

“This is sort of sacrilegious. I might have fibbed and said 'never' with the digital modeling…” Jim Root has switched to the Neural DSP Quad Cortex for some Slipknot shows – and plans on pulling his PRS guitars out of retirement

By Matt Owen published

Despite once saying he'd stay clear of digital tech, Root has started dabbling in the amp modeling world – and recently used the Quad Cortex at a high-profile festival performance

EVH SA-126

“If Ed were here today, he would not stop talking about this guitar. He would love this guitar”: Wolfgang Van Halen’s long-awaited EVH SA-126 signature model is officially launched – after 3 years of development

By Matt Owen published

Named after Eddie's birthday and taking cues from the Bumblebee, the SA-126 was developed from a desire to build a guitar that didn't yet exist – and arrives with a new Wolfgang Van Halen demo video

Fender Limited Edition Masterbuilt Joe Strummer Telecaster

“This is a very iconic guitar. It’s one of the harder guitars I’ve ever had to replicate”: Fender’s latest Joe Strummer tribute model is a meticulous Masterbuilt Custom Shop creation that costs $20,000

By Matt Owen published

The forensic replica is said to reproduce “every aspect” of the Clash trailblazer’s 1966 Telecaster, including all the scrapes and scars of the original model

Kiki Wong

“I gave up hope on any future tours. I threw together a resume and sent it in, thinking it probably would get lost”: Kiki Wong reveals how she nailed her Smashing Pumpkins audition ahead of 10,000 other candidates

By Matt Owen published

The Instagram shredder was recently announced as the alt-rock icons' newest guitarist following a lengthy worldwide open audition

Vito Bratta, of the group White Lion, performs onstage at the Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, Wisconsin, May 29, 1989

“It was all automatic Eddie Van Halen comparisons. I wanted something different”: Vito Bratta explains why he switched from Stratocasters to his iconic Steinberger

By Matt Owen published

The shred trailblazer recalls how links to EVH's Frankenstein – and a fondness for high-tech gear – prompted his switch to a headless alternative in the '80s

Epiphone Coronet

“A legendary Epiphone original comes home”: Epiphone’s updated Coronet revives one of its earliest solidbody electric guitars – and, for the first time in decades, it’s made in the USA

By Matt Owen published

The no-nonsense workhorse boasts period-correct appointments and modern tweaks, and will be crafted in Nashville, Tennessee