Latest articles by Matt McCracken
One of my favorite sub-$500 guitars just dropped to an even sweeter price with $136 off – here’s why I think it's the ultimate affordable workhorse
I didn’t think this Squier Tele could get any better for the price, then Guitar Center knocked 27% off for Prime Day
Whether you've got $200 or $2,000, the Fender Summer Sale is still going strong with up to $550 off guitars – here are my top 3 picks for any budget
Fender’s Summer Sale is one of the best around, with some massive discounts on Fender and Squier guitars
Guitar Center just cranked their 4th of July sale to a wild up to 60% off, including a massive $850 off Music Man guitars
Guitar Center has pumped up the discounts in their 4th of July sale, offering even more superb savings on guitar gear
I’ve scored some of my best used guitar gear finds at Reverb, and right now there's up to 66% off in their summer sale
To celebrate being independently owned again, Reverb is offering up to 66% off new, B-stock, and used gear
Best jazz guitars 2025: Great jazz guitars for traditional and modern players
My pick of the best electric guitars for jazz from Ibanez, D'Angelico, Fender, Gibson, and more
Best distortion pedals 2025: Dirty up your tone with my top choices
It's time to get heavy with my top-rated distortion pedals for metal, rock, bass, and more
Best beginner acoustic guitars 2025: start as you mean to go on
My pick of tried-and-tested beginner acoustics from trusted brands including Taylor, Fender, Epiphone, and more
Best overdrive pedals 2025: Saturate your guitar tone
Push your sound to break-up with the best OD pedals from Boss, TC Electronic, JHS, Ibanez and more
Best Klon clones 2025: unobtainium overdrive tone for the masses
Get killer Klon-tones from these excellent and affordable adaptations, including clones by Wampler, Warm Audio, Way Huge, and more
If World String Change Day isn’t enough to convince you to change your strings, how about 25% off D’Addario XS packs at Guitar Center?
Dead string begone with this awesome deal on D’Addario XS coated guitar strings
Best pedal amps 2025: Power up your pedalboard with an amp simulator pedal
Save on visits to the chiropractor with my pick of the best amp modeling pedals
Sweetwater is skipping the Memorial Day sale this year - but you can still get up to 50% off guitar pedals and amplifiers
There might not be a Sweetwater Memorial Day sale this year but for guitarists, there are some great deals to take advantage of
Best PRS Guitars 2025: PRS models for every playing style
From the iconic Custom 24 and top-of-the-range signature guitars to budget-friendly SE models
Best electric guitars 2025: top quality electrics for all budgets
My pick of the finest electric guitars at every price point from the likes of Gibson, Fender, PRS, Reverend, Music Man, Jackson, and more
Best acoustic guitars 2025: My pick of the very best beginner, intermediate, and top-end acoustics
From high-quality entry-level models to top-of-the-range collector’s pieces, I look at the best acoustic guitars available today
Musician’s Friend is leading the charge for guitarists with up to 50% off for Memorial Day – get $450 off a Gibson Les Paul and over $1,000 off a Taylor acoustic
From premium acoustic guitars to budget-friendly offsets, Musician's Friend is the place to be if you want an early Memorial Day deal on guitars
Best tube amps 2025: My top tube amps for the ultimate guitar tone
Whether you're a tube traditionalist or chasing a more modern sound, these are the best tube amps from Fender, Marshall, Vox, and more
Fender just fired up its Memorial Day sale early with up to 20% off – these are the 5 best guitar and accessory deals I’m grabbing
Grab an early deal well ahead of Memorial Day with this excellent sale over at the official Fender shop
Best wireless guitar systems 2025: unshackle yourself from cables, it’s time to go wireless
Unlock the freedom of the stage with our pick of the best wireless guitar systems from Boss, Line 6, AKG, Behringer, Sennheiser, NUX, and more
Best pedalboard power supplies 2025: quiet and efficient power for your pedals
Say goodbye to unwanted hiss and ground loop hum as we hand-pick the best guitar pedal power supplies for every budget
Best bass amps 2025: low-end tone machines
Our pick of the best bass amp combos and heads from the likes of Fender, Blackstar, Orange, Darkglass and more
Best guitar slides 2025: my picks to unlock classic slide tone
Achieve the ultimate slide sound with the best slides for guitar on the market from Dunlop, Fender, MojoTone, Rock Slide and Shubb
Best Telecaster pickups 2025: Expert recommendations for perfecting that unmistakable Tele twang
From traditional tones to modern high-gain options, these should be your go-to pickups to breathe new life into your Telecaster
