Matt McCracken

Matt McCracken

Junior Deals Writer

Matt is a Junior Deals Writer at Guitar Player and has been playing guitar as his main instrument for well over 20 years. He also plays drums, bass, and keys producing out of his home studio in Manchester, UK. He has previously worked for Dawsons Music, Northwest Guitars, and freelanced for various magazines and blogs, writing reviews, how-to's, and features. When he's not downloading the latest VSTs or justifying yet another guitar pedal purchase, you'll find him making music with Northern noise hounds JACKALS.

Latest articles by Matt McCracken

Two electric guitars and a bass guitar on a turquoise background

Get Up To 20% Off Loads Of Great Music Gear In Guitar Center’s Massive Guitar-A-Thon Spring Sale

By Matt McCracken published

Grab yourself some huge savings on all your favorite guitar brands with Fender, Gibson, Epiphone, and loads more

Gretsch G2220 Junior Jet Bass II on a dark background

Best Bass Guitars Under $500/£500 2023: Brilliant Budget Basses For Every Kind Of Player

By Matt McCracken published

Get low with our picks of the best bass guitars under £500/$500 from Squier, Epiphone, Yamaha, and more

Three Fender Player guitars on a blue background

Spring Into Big Savings With Up To $180 Off Fender Player Series Guitar Bundles

By Matt McCracken published

These excellent value-for-money guitar bundles offer big savings on guitars with some amazing accessories

A Fender Telecaster and Gibson Les Paul leaning against a Vox amplifier, with an MXR overdrive pedal in between them

The Musician’s Friend Presidents' Day Sale Is Now Live With Up To 40% Off A Massive Range Of Guitar Gear

By Matt McCracken published

Get yourself some amazing deals on all the big brands with Fender, Gibson, Vox, MXR, and more

Man plays travel guitar with a mobile phone on a tripod

Start Learning The Guitar With 50% Off Fender Play’s Annual Subscription And A Two-Week Free Trial

By Matt McCracken published

Take advantage of playing the guitar for less with this amazing new year’s deal from Fender Play

Best Practice Amps: Laney practice amp on wooden floor

Best Practice Amps 2023: The 10 Best Amps For Guitar Practice

By Matt McCracken last updated

Keep your chops in tip-top shape with the best practice amps from Fender, Marshall, Boss and more

Best Guitar Straps: Leather guitar strap on a Fender Stratocaster

Best Guitar Straps 2023: Comfort And Support For Electric, Acoustic And Bass Guitars

By Matt McCracken last updated

Make sure your guitar is secure when you step up to the stage with the best guitar straps

Best Bass Guitars: Ibanez Talman bass on dark blue background

Best Bass Guitars 2023: Great Four And Five-String Options For Every Budget

By Matt McCracken last updated

Time to get deep with the best bass guitars from Fender, Epiphone, Yamaha, and more!

Best Guitar Amps Under $500: Boss Katana 100 on a wooden floor with white brick background

Best Guitar Amps Under $500 in 2023: Earth-Shattering Tones That Won’t Break The Bank

By Matt McCracken last updated

Get the tone you want for reasonable outlay, with amplifiers from Boss, Marshall, Fender, Orange and more – all under $500

Best Acoustic Electric Guitars: Martin DJR-10E acoustic guitar on a chair

Best Acoustic Electric Guitars 2023: The Best Of Both Worlds At Your Fingertips

By Matt McCracken last updated

Get yourself gig-ready with the best electro acoustics from Taylor, Martin, Fender, and more

Best Guitar Amps Under $1,000: Supro Delta King 12 on a wooden floor with pedals and cables behind

Best Guitar Amps Under $1,000 in 2023: Great Guitar Tones Without Breaking The Bank

By Matt McCracken last updated

Make your move into serious amplification territory with the best sub-$1,000 guitar amps

Best Acoustic Guitar Strings: Closeup of the steel strings on a Sigma acoustic guitar

Best Acoustic Guitar Strings 2023: Our Top Picks From Budget To Boutique

By Matt McCracken last updated

If you’re serious about your unplugged performance, make sure you have a set of the best acoustic strings on your guitar

Best Acoustic Guitars Under $1,000: Three of the best acoustic guitars under $1,000 on a wooden floor

Best Acoustic Guitars Under $1,000 in 2023: Our Top Picks For Great Sound And Value

By Matt McCracken last updated

Pro playability and superior tone are within your grasp with the best acoustic guitars under a grand

Image of two epiphone guitars with a Supro amp and TC Electronic pedal

These 23 Massive Black Friday And Cyber Monday Deals Are Still Available - But For A Limited Time Only

By Matt McCracken published

Missed out on a Cyber Weekend bargain? Grab yourself a great deal on some top guitar gear whilst they're still live

Man plays guitar with Positive Grid Spark amp on white sofa

Best Desktop Guitar Amps 2022: Portable Practice Solutions For Modern Living Spaces

By Matt McCracken last updated

Keep your chops in tip-top shape with the best desktop guitar amps from Positive Grid, Fender, Boss, and more

Best Guitar Cables: Closeup of some Evidence Audio guitar cables with straight and angled jack plugs

Best Guitar Cables 2023: Hard-working Cables That Will Preserve Your Tone

By Matt McCracken last updated

Make sure your guitar tone stays pure and unfiltered with our pick of the best guitar cables

Best Electric Guitar Strings: Close up of Jimmy Page Telecaster strings

Best Electric Guitar Strings 2023: Freshen Up Your Sound

By Matt McCracken last updated

Get your guitar playing to its potential with our pick of the best electric strings for all styles and budgets

Other versions of this page are available with specific content for the following regions: