Latest articles by Matt Owen
Stevie Nicks pinpoints the moment she knew Lindsey Buckingham had to be axed from Fleetwood Mac
Buckingham's departure in 2018 was initially reported as being due to “a disagreement over the band’s upcoming tour”
Gretsch gives three hollowbody designs a Professional Collection reboot
A range of high-end appointments and Gretsch's newly engineered Arc-Tone Bracing system head up the new crop of elegant single-cuts
Fender Japan doubles down on its newfound affinity for sandblasting by putting an irresistible spin on its black-out Hybrid II models
Fender's experimental branch introduced some sandblasted Hybrid II instruments earlier this year – but they've been trumped by these stealthy designs, which all flaunt that unusual finishing technique
Kenny Wayne Shepherd on why starting out with a budget guitar is the best way to go
Shepherd now plays some of the most desirable boutique gear money can buy, but his own personal guitar journey started with a cheap Yamaha
Martyn LeNoble on how his ill-fated stint with Jane’s Addiction came to a close after a clash with Perry Farrell
The Porno for Pyros co-founder was brought onboard to record bass for Jane's Addiction's third studio album, but was replaced at the last minute
Fender’s first-ever official 7-string Stratocaster has become a reality
Chris Garza of Suicide Silence has just received the first-ever hardtail seven-string Fender Strat – it’s taken almost seven years to make, and he has big plans for the design
Boss throws down the gauntlet with the GX-10 – a compact, touchscreen-equipped HX Stomp challenger that costs $399
With the GX-10, Boss has brought the amp modeler fight to Line 6 and Neural DSP – could this be the new compact rig replacement to beat?
Blackstar gives its brand-defining Series One amp an extensive modern reboot for the first time in nearly 20 years
Over 30 circuit modifications and voice tweaks have been rolled out to the new-and-improved Series One amp, which is joined by a matching cab
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
