Matt Parker
Matt is Features Editor for GuitarWorld.com. Before that he spent 10 years as a freelance music journalist, interviewing artists for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.
Latest articles by Matt Parker
“I hate modeling, I think it’s wack. You can hear it right away”: IDLES explain why recording with an amp modeler risks messing with your tone, your head – and probably your dog
By Matt Parker published
UK post-punk heroes Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan reckon modelers are best consigned to the role of live backups – and you shouldn’t let them near your recordings
“This song presents a kind of revisionist history where guitar solos were cool after all in the early noughties”: February 2024 Guitar World editors' picks
By Michael Astley-Brown published
From neoclassical tapping clinics to cosmic, spaghetti western-esque guitar soundscapes, this month has provided an embarrassment of six-string riches
“Vintage Firebird specifications at an accessible price”: Epiphone’s $1,799 Inspired by Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V has landed – offering a high-spec take on Gibson’s first neck-through body build
By Matt Parker published
The Chinese-made model also comes in a hardtail Firebird I variant and features Gibson’s USA Firebird mini-humbuckers and a faithful nine-ply mahogany/walnut neck-through construction
“The camp is very protective, and has extremely high standards”: Fender says gaining the EVH endorsement was a crucial benchmark for the Tone Master Pro
By Matt Parker published
Fender’s EVP of Product Justin Norvell tells us that getting the EVH endorsement – the first of its kind on a modeler – was important to the team
“I could finally quieten down this noise in my head... the best in the room is sitting over there – and it doesn’t have to maybe be me”: John Mayer says that when Jeff Beck was in the room, he felt he could finally relax about his guitar playing
By Matt Parker published
Mayer has described a sense of a weight being lifted when in the presence of the formidable guitar talent
“I chipped my tooth – my mom was so mad at me!” John 5 says playing a Jimi Hendrix-inspired version of Star Spangled Banner with his teeth as a kid led to a dental mishap – and shows he can still nail the tooth-picked tune
By Matt Parker published
The Mötley Crüe member has appeared guitar in hand (and mouth) on the Howard Stern Show to demonstrate AC/DC, Queen and Rush riffs
“We talked about things like dampening, creating contrast, hand positions... There’s a bit of detective work involved”: Megadeth’s Teemu Mäntysaari explains the skillset that enabled him to leap into one of the most challenging roles in metal
By Matt Parker published
Stepping into shoes previously filled by the likes of Kiko Loureiro and Marty Friedman is no mean feat. The metal guitar hero-in-the-making tells us how he did it
“Rest in peace, Bobby”: Veteran vocalist and guitarist Bobby Tench – who worked with the likes of Jeff Beck, Peter Green, Humble Pie, Ginger Baker, Van Morrison and many more – dies, aged 79
By Matt Parker published
The British musician played with everyone from Peter Green to Freddie King and Ginger Baker yet never got the limelight he deserved
“We walked into your house, you had the case on the floor and you handed it to me – and then said, ‘No Stairway to Heaven!’” Gibson announces new multi-guitar series with Jimmy Page, kicking off with the signature 1971 EDS-1275 double neck
By Matt Parker published
The firm broke the news at a star-studded opening ceremony for its new Gibson Garage London space – and the partnership is launching with the ultimate symbol of stadium-rocking excess
“The question was, ‘Where would you go to get the ultimate Gibson experience?’ The answer was it didn’t exist – we had to create it”: We went behind the scenes at Gibson Garage London to find out why it’s unlike any other guitar store
By Matt Parker published
The guitar giant has opened the doors of its first flagship store outside of the US, and we’ve spent some time snooping around…
“It’s such a cool guitar in terms of history”: Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley has bought the ’68 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop used on some of Ozzy Osbourne, Hole, Korn and Social Distortion’s most iconic recordings – and it seems it holds a few secrets
By Matt Parker published
The Les Paul previously belonged to super-producer Michael Beinhorn but it looks like it might have a secret past, beneath its celebrity skin...
“The higher end the guitar, the more robust the demand is”: Why are guitars getting more expensive? We spoke to the world’s biggest guitar companies to find out
By Matt Parker published
From $50k acoustics to eye-watering ‘premium offshore’ prices, the cost of big-name new guitars has felt like it’s spiraling. So how did we get here? And how do we get out of it?
“I was forced to play fretless because it was the cheapest bass available”: Paul Simon’s Graceland bassist Bakithi Kumalo defined the 1980s fretless bass sound – but the session pro says he knew nothing about it before making the album
By Matt Parker published
The South African bassist helped create one of the most distinctive tones and techniques of the era, but maintains the decision was a very happy accident
“One of my top favorite guitars of all time”: Epiphone debuts the Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom – and it's got a Gibson-style headstock
By Matt Parker published
The Tool man’s signature model follows the Kirk Hammett Greeny Les Paul in featuring an ‘open book’ style headstock, plus a classy Custom Shop-tier neck pickup
“It’s probably the only time in my career I bowed out, because I knew it was going to be a fight… most of that heavy guitar was lost”: Brian May says David Bowie removed his electric guitar riffs on Under Pressure – and he never liked the results
By Matt Parker published
The Queen guitar legend says the song originally sounded more like a Who-style rocker, but Bowie had other ideas…
“Can’t spell Usher without H.E.R.”: Armed with a newly-customised Fender signature Stratocaster, H.E.R. performs a scene-stealing guest guitar solo – amid a rollerskating Usher – at Super Bowl LVIII
By Matt Parker published
The guitarist dropped in to offer the six-string centerpiece of this year’s Super Bowl halftime show
Two years on from their landmark battle over body shapes, Gibson and Armadillo are back in court as the Dean producer seeks to appeal 2022 jury decision
By Matt Parker published
The initial decision ruled in Gibson’s favor and prevented Armadillo from producing any more V or Z-style builds based on the classic outlines
“This cherished model has now been refined”: Gibson’s sleek Les Paul Modern Studio brings the Modern line’s player-friendly features to a proper mahogany body and maple cap USA build – and all for under $2K
By Matt Parker published
The latest take on the Les Paul Studio looks to offer some of the best bang for your buck of the whole USA-made line-up
NAMM 2024: the 10 biggest things we discovered at this year's show
By Matt Owen, Matt Parker published
From a new wave of star-studded semi-hollow signature guitars, to the AI invasion, these are the things we saw, heard, and thought at the music-making event of the year
“I had the cast on, my fingers were set about a centimeter apart... I got a plectrum and glued some thick rubber either side so I could hold it”: The Stone Roses’ reclusive guitar hero John Squire says he once feared he’d never play again
By Matt Parker published
The guitarist is back with a new album with Oasis’ Liam Gallagher and has recalled the injury that a few years ago led to new ways of playing
“Staggering”: Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Collection has sold at auction for over $11 million – with a record-breaking ’59 Burst sale and 28 guitars fetching over $100k
By Matt Parker published
The 122 lot sale included the Dire Straits man’s Money for Nothing Les Paul and Walk of Life Schecter, alongside his custom Suhr guitars
“This is affordable and accessible… and it gives you a beautiful playing experience”: The Gretsch boygenius Broadkaster Jr. is a 3 -in-1 Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers supergroup signature guitar that costs less than $700
By Matt Parker published
The limited edition player-friendly platform sees the trio prize accessibility and simplicity, albeit with considerable flair...
NAMM 2024: “It’ll raise the tonal game of guitarists the world over”: Palmer’s Supreme Soaker is an all-in-one loadbox, speaker simulator and connection hub that could solve all sorts of problems
By Matt Parker published
Want an effects loop or headphone output for your old tube amp? Palmer’s got you covered...
NAMM 2024: “This pedal facilitates an alchemical dance”: Pigtronix’s Philosopher’s Tone 2 is the sequel that looks set to top the original – adding footswitchable grit to the world-class compressor pedal
By Matt Parker published
A new Grit channel and a choice of Germanium or Silicone clipping add the magical final touch to the firm’s revamped compressor
NAMM 2024: Dean Guitars is preparing to come back fighting – and we got an exclusive preview of its killer 2024 line-up, including its new affordable Kerry King signature, Slime Green finishes, and serious mid-price metal guitar contenders
By Matt Parker published
It's set to be a big year for Dean, and Guitar World has been given a sneak preview of the firm’s extensive new 2024 range from president Patrick Schuleit
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