Matt McCracken
Matt is a Junior Deals Writer here at Guitar World. He regularly tests and reviews music gear with a focus on guitars, amps, pedals, modelers, and pretty much anything else guitar-related. Responsible for over 60 buying guides, a large part of his role is helping guitarists find the best deals on gear. Matt worked in music retail for 5 years at Dawsons Music and Northwest Guitars and has written for various music sites including MusicRadar, Guitar Player, Guitar.com, Ultimate Guitar, and Thomann’s t.blog.
A regularly gigging guitarist with over 20 years of experience playing live and writing and recording in bands, he's performed everything from jazz to djent, gigging all over the UK in more dingy venues than you can shake a drop-tuned guitar at. When he's not holed up in his home studio recording new songs or tweaking pedal settings, you’ll find him making a racket with Northern noise hounds JACKALS.
Latest articles by Matt McCracken
Save up to 40% on a huge range of guitar gear with the Musician’s Friend Memorial Day sale
By Matt McCracken published
These Memorial Day deals see hundreds of dollars off top brands like Fender, Gibson, PRS, Boss, Universal Audio, and more
Best resonator guitars: our pick of the best dobro guitars for blues, bluegrass and country
By Matt McCracken published
Release your inner hound dog with these super strummers from Gretsch, Epiphone, Fender and more
Best electric guitar pickups: upgrade your tone with single-coils, P90s, humbuckers, and more
By Jonathan Horsley last updated
We’ve rounded up the best electric guitar pickups available on the market right now for a range of budgets, including models from Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, and more.
Best guitars for shredding: unleash your inner guitar god with these supersonic six strings
By Matt McCracken published
Shred the competition with our pick of the finest face-melting axes from Ibanez, Charvel, ESP, Schecter, and more
Guitar Center’s Guitar-A-Thon has landed, promising up to 20% off the hottest guitar gear
By Matt McCracken published
Get your hands on some super savings with Fender, Gibson, Epiphone, and loads more
Strymon BigSky vs Strymon BlueSky: which reverb is best for your 'board?
By Matt McCracken published
We put two of Strymon’s top-tier pedals head to head
Best guitar apps: top choices for learning, tuning, recording and more
By Matt McCracken last updated
Enhance your technique with our pick of the best guitar apps for the modern player
Here's your last chance to save a massive 50% on Line 6 Helix Native in its spring software sale
By Matt McCracken published
Get your paws on some of the best amp and effects modeling software around with these tempting spring deals
Guitar neck profiles explained: find your perfect playing partner
By Matt McCracken published
Discover more about how your guitar neck profile affects your guitar’s playability
Save big on Player Series bundles with up to $180 off in Fender’s Spring Sale
By Matt McCracken published
Take a tasty discount when you bundle Fender’s renowned Player and Player Plus guitars with some awesome accessories
5 alternatives to the DigiTech Bad Monkey that you can actually afford
By Matt McCracken published
Swerve the hype and bag yourself a bargain whilst everyone's attention is elsewhere
Vidami Blue review
By Matt McCracken published
Not your usual kind of guitar pedal, this Bluetooth-powered stompbox streamlines your workflow with rapid-fire guitar tracking and intuitive video learning
Get a month of Guitar Tricks online lessons for just $1
By Matt McCracken published
This exclusive offer for Guitar World readers gives you access to over 11,000 lessons – all for less than the cost of some new guitar picks
Best pickups for metal: our guide to upgrading for high gain heaven
By Amit Sharma last updated
Looking for more firepower? Our round-up of the best pickups for metal guitarists has you covered…
Don't miss out on a huge $300 off the excellent Universal Audio OX Amp Top Box at Guitar Center
By Matt McCracken published
Get perfect guitar tones for less with this powerful reactive load box that’s ideal for studio and stage work
The Musician’s Friend Presidents’ Day sale has just dropped, with up to 40% off an array of amazing guitar gear
By Matt McCracken published
Get yourself some serious discounts on big brands like Fender, Gibson, Line 6, Jackson, and loads more
Best amps for pedals: maximize your tone with our choice of the best pedal platforms
By Matt McCracken published
Unleash the potential of your pedalboard with these high headroom amplifiers from Fender, Roland, Orange, and more
Unlock 50% off Fender Play annual subscriptions and get a two-week free trial with this mega-deal
By Matt McCracken published
Master the guitar with Fender Play’s expert tuition, now at half price for a year’s worth of lessons
Best octave pedals: fast track your way to fat guitar tone with these powerful pedalboard additions
By Matt McCracken published
Make your riffs slap harder and solos fly higher with our expert selection of the best octave pedals you can buy today
Positive Grid OMNYSS review
By Matt McCracken published
Designed for sonic explorers, Positive Grid’s OMNYSS takes your guitar tone to hitherto unimagined realms
Best budget reverb pedals: wallet-friendly ‘board buys for the thrifty guitar player
By Matt McCracken published
Get your hands on a cheap reverb pedal with offerings from Fender, TC Electronic, JHS, Electro Harmonix and more
Save up to $200 on a stylish, top-performing electric, bass or acoustic guitar with these Cyber Monday-beating Epiphone deals
By Jackson Maxwell published
Save big on a wide range of the company's models – from basses to 'Bursts
Quick! These 8 Harley Benton guitars just got even cheaper for Cyber Monday
By Matt McCracken published
Save even more on these brilliant-value guitars in Thomann’s Cyber Week sale – electrics, acoustics, and bass included
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