Matt Owen
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.
Latest articles by Matt Owen
![Jackson Diamond Rowe signature guitar](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dMPamfmnuukZTQiCfrdKcf-320-80.jpg)
Tetrarch’s Diamond Rowe becomes Jackson’s first female signature artist with the launch of her new ground-breaking signature guitar
By Matt Owen published
The metal trailblazer was announced as a Jackson artist earlier this year, and now she's been honored with a history-making signature model
![Martin O'ahu HG-28](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wat2hrGkYtsDgjZeLjVBGA-320-80.jpg)
Martin has introduced an all-new body shape that delivers dreadnought tones from a smaller build
By Matt Owen published
In honor of the Hawaiian music craze of the 1920s and 1930s that influenced the “Golden Era” acoustic boom, Martin has unveiled the O'ahu HG-28
![Gibson ES-330](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tZTj64So48crQoJoYHSism-320-80.jpg)
Gibson has brought back the ES-330 – reviving one its most iconic hollowbody models for the first time in years
By Matt Owen published
A distant cousin of the Epiphone Casino and a sibling to the more popular ES-335, the ES-330 has been out of the limelight for quite some time – but now it's officially back
![PRS electric guitar](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hDr6KSwEe6hsZ7MKrvuAd4-320-80.jpg)
Paul Reed Smith explains why the country a guitar is made in doesn’t matter
By Matt Owen published
Though the provenance of a guitar can have a huge sway on its price and perception, the PRS founder himself has leapt to the defence of overseas builds
![A collection of three Harley Benton guitars](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/M6aoottnFA7CMJg4JQBDRm-320-80.jpg)
Harley Benton is now shipping direct in the US for the first time via a new Reverb store
By Matt Owen published
The champion of cheap gear is extending its influence overseas, and will be shipping directly to US players through a new virtual storefront
![Mick Thomson of Slipknot performs in concert at the Ericsson Globe Arena on February 21, 2020 in Stockholm, Sweden](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gHNTdbo32q2GVFovCnWPBS-320-80.jpg)
Mick Thomson explains why his solos were erased from Slipknot’s debut album – and how he reacted
By Matt Owen published
25 years ago, Slipknot dropped a debut album that changed the face of heavy metal – but one of the guitarists who helped write it had his solos completely removed
![Epiphone Joe Bonamasa 1955 Les Paul Standard](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SREf5e5WciPf5XcJ2NLBhf-320-80.jpg)
Joe Bonamassa’s 12th Epiphone signature guitar is his first with P-90s – and features one of the rarest Les Paul finishes ever made
By Matt Owen published
Only three Copper Iridescent 1955 Les Paul Standards are currently accounted for – and Bonamassa owns two of them. Now, the quirky single-cut has been revived
![Squier Limited Edition Classic Vibe ’60s Telecaster SH](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YGLhTT2qVXiipBYXdyq8Yc-320-80.jpg)
“It passed almost every test with flying colors”: Squier Classic Vibe 60s Telecaster SH review
By Matt Owen published
A stealth contender for the nicest-looking (and best-performing) Squier of the year, this budget stunner has serious Andy Summers vibes – and versatility written all over it
![Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers performs at All Points East Festival 2023 at Victoria Park on August 25, 2023 in London, England.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nMRhLsgteiwv88tPYL356J-320-80.jpg)
“I have convinced myself that they are the best actual rock band in the world at the moment”: September 2024 Guitar World editors' picks
By Michael Astley-Brown published
Your monthly round up of the freshest new cuts from the world of guitar courtesy of Tetrarch, The Cure, Larkin Poe, Amyl and The Sniffers, Dayglow, and many more
![Steve Vai of BEAT performs on stage at Humphreys Concerts By the Bay on September 17, 2024 in San Diego, California](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/x7nQEWMBBrSsZ4KZ4GfbFN-320-80.jpg)
Why Steve Vai kept his guitar playing a secret when he first started
By Matt Owen published
Vai didn't tell anyone when he began learning the guitar, but eventually announced his new-found fretboard abilities in quite spectacular style
![Kris Kristofferson performing at the Park West in Chicago, Illinois, July 29, 1982](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tyQzHTZQk2c3cHVcjdmE44-320-80.jpg)
“You can look at Nashville pre-Kris and post-Kris, because he changed everything”: Kris Kristofferson dies aged 88
By Matt Owen published
The actor, songwriter and country giant was lauded by Bob Dylan, had his material covered by Johnny Cash and Janis Joplin, and joined a supergroup with some of country music's biggest names
![Manuel Gardner Fernandes with his Ibanez MGFM10](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Hq2pfZ7eioiwcaJB7enR6f-320-80.jpg)
Ibanez finally honors prog guitar hero Manuel Gardner Fernandes with his first signature model
By Matt Owen published
The percussive fingerstyle heavyweight has swapped AZ Superstrats for the ergonomics of the Quest range, resulting in Ibanez's finest headless guitar yet
![Kemper Profiler Player](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NFY7DxPFnDdjcpTtSf6KAX-320-80.jpg)
Kemper responds to the Neural DSP Nano Cortex with not one, but two new upgrades for its Profiler Player – but you'll have to pay
By Matt Owen published
The compact rig replacement has been elevated to a whole new level with two impressive upgrades, which offer an effects explosion and popular Kemper functions – but they don't come cheap
![Gibson 'Orphanage Burst' Les Paul](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FQ3Qxjxbg2biZR4TAwG74e-320-80.jpg)
Gibson unearths the forgotten history of Joe Staunton’s mystery “Orphanage Burst” – a ‘59 Les Paul like no other
By Matt Owen published
The blues legend – also known as 'The Left-Handed Wizard' – first purchased the LP in 1969, and used it throughout the course of his career as he helped shape the Irish music scene
![Fender Monster Hunter Telecaster](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aHzLrvPKFgxMPXuvaGrg6H-320-80.jpg)
Fender partners with video game franchise Monster Hunter for a wild Telecaster that glows red in the dark – and has a literal scratchplate
By Matt Owen published
Fender's latest foray into the world of video games has resulted in one its most striking special-edition Teles yet
![Epiphone Grabber](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/63tcX5S79Jjj33cTtRXW2B-320-80.jpg)
Epiphone has brought back its quirky cult classic 1970s Grabber bass beloved by Gene Simmons, Krist Novoselic and Mike Dirnt
By Matt Owen published
The double-cut four-string was a hit back in the 1970s, and finally makes a triumphant return in the form of a more affordable Inspired by Gibson Epiphone reissue
![Keith Urban and John Mayer](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/icErfh6PZmyQ5MPgfXzKXC-320-80.jpg)
Keith Urban on what it’s like to play through the Dumble that John Mayer used during his blues trio days
By Matt Owen published
Urban is in possession of the Overdrive Reverb that helped Mayer launch his blues trio project back in the early ’00s
![RAINBOW THEATRE Photo of Eddie VAN HALEN and VAN HALEN, Eddie Van Halen performing on stage, full length](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7Y345j284sd3EktPEaLPwb-320-80.jpg)
New Eddie Van Halen documentary traces the guitar journey that led him to create the Frankenstein – and it's narrated by the man himself
By Matt Owen published
From Van Halen's first $40 Teisco Del Ray to the Univox 12-string that featured Eddie's first successful mod, The Journey to Frankenstein tells the story of the instruments that came before one of the most legendary guitars of all time
![Keeley Octa Psi](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BS3whFXs8dea8JPbvzCjDo-320-80.jpg)
Keeley spent three years crafting the Octa PSI – a crazy 3-in-1 octave/pitch shifting/fuzz pedal
By Matt Owen published
With versatile switching, a wealth of voices and some smart functionality, the Octa Psi could be the only pitch/octave/fuzz pedal your ’board could ever need
![Gibson B.B. King 'Rumble in the Jungle' 1974 ES-355](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vqmhq4HNFVMDLv2g897xmR-320-80.jpg)
Gibson honors one of B.B. King’s greatest live performances with knockout ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ ES-355
By Matt Owen published
Before Gibson officially launched its Lucille model in 1980, King favored a 1974 Walnut ES-355, which was by his side during his iconic ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ set
![Kenny Wayne Shepherd with the Izabella Fender Stratocaster](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/f9qzGeGDoj9zwPqpqXXBue-320-80.jpg)
Jimi Hendrix’s iconic ‘Izabella’ Woodstock Strat is going on the Experience Hendrix tour
By Matt Owen published
Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Eric Johnson have both already played the iconic Strat, which was one of the last guitars Hendrix played before his death in 1970
![Universal Audio UAFX Enigmatic '82](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/j9VjEksmbG8U4psFVtCYBe-320-80.jpg)
Universal Audio’s Enigmatic ’82 is now the Dumble pedal amp to beat
By Matt Owen published
The latest UAFX pedal was made after the firm closely inspected a host of Overdrive Special amps, and offers in-app tweakability for a Dumble replica like no other
![Dave Mustaine and Peter Frampton playing live on stage in two separate pictures](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dTfoaQp7jBEZ7DAuHiVS2B-320-80.jpg)
Megadeth fire back at Peter Frampton – who claimed the band damaged a stage during their soundcheck
By Matt Owen published
After Megadeth and Frampton were both forced to cancel live dates at the same venue, Dave Mustaine has issued a strongly worded response to Frampton's claim it was the heavy metal group's fault
![John Mayer performs onstage during Day 1 of Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival at Crypto.com Arena on September 23, 2023 in Los Angeles, California](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9mZGUv5kdcvdMTMrhF7uxG-320-80.jpg)
John Mayer shouts out top-tier lead effort from young Berklee grad as one of this year’s best guitar solos
By Matt Owen published
Mayer used his SiriusXM radio show to highlight the guitar talents of a British Berklee graduate, who's currently working as a session player in Nashville
![Ibanez acoustics](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vy3j5kNEoFYB4Lop8v58zn-320-80.jpg)
How Ibanez is flipping the script on everything you think you know about acoustic guitar design
By Matt Owen published
In association with Ibanez
A commitment to innovation and a forward-thinking philosophy have helped Ibanez lead the way in a new era of high-performance mainstream acoustics
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!