Matt McCracken

Matt McCracken

Junior Deals Writer

Matt is a Junior Deals Writer here at Guitar Player. He regularly tests and reviews music gear with a focus on guitars, amps, pedals, modelers, and pretty much anything else guitar-related. Responsible for over 60 buying guides, a large part of his role is helping guitarists find the best deals on gear. Matt worked in music retail for 5 years at Dawsons Music and Northwest Guitars and has written for many music sites including MusicRadar, Guitar World, Guitar.com, Ultimate Guitar, and Thomann’s t.blog.

A regularly gigging guitarist with over 20 years of experience playing live and writing and recording in bands, he's performed everything from jazz to djent, gigging all over the UK in more dingy venues than you can shake a drop-tuned guitar at. When he's not holed up in his practice space jamming new songs or ogling yet another guitar, you’ll find him making a racket with Northern noise punks Never Better.

Latest articles by Matt McCracken

Best PRS guitars: PRS models for every playing style

By Daryl Robertson Last updated

From the iconic Custom 24 and top-of-the-range signature guitars to budget-friendly SE models

Electric Guitars
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

By Matt McCracken Published

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

Guitars
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

By Matt McCracken Published

Grab an early deal well ahead of Memorial Day with this excellent sale over at the official Fender shop

Gear
Best guitar slides: my picks to unlock classic slide tone

By Daryl Robertson Last updated

Achieve the ultimate slide sound with the best slides for guitar on the market from Dunlop, Fender, MojoTone, Rock Slide and Shubb

Guitars
Best Telecaster pickups: expert recommendations for perfecting that unmistakable Tele twang

By Richard Blenkinsop Last updated

From traditional tones to modern high-gain options, these should be your go-to pickups to breathe new life into your Telecaster

Gear
PRS guitar next to a coiled guitar cable
Best guitar cables 2025: Hard-working cables that will preserve your tone

By Matt McCracken Last updated

The ultimate plug in and play guide: the best guitar cables from the likes of Mogami, Ernie Ball, D’Addario and more

Electric Guitars
Best Fender amps: the finest Fender amplifiers you can get your hands on

By Ross Holder Last updated

Tube warmth or modern modeling? I've taken a look at the best Fender amps for all players and budgets

Amps
Best guitar amps: tube-driven triumphs and peerless pedal platforms for home, studio, and stage

By Daryl Robertson Last updated

From solid-state practice amps to all-tube stage amps, here’s our pick of the best amplifiers on the market – featuring Boss, Blackstar, Orange, and more

Amps
Best chorus pedals 2025: the best options from Boss, Universal Audio, Ibanez, and more

By Richard Blenkinsop Published

Digital or analog; bypass or buffered? We look at the best chorus pedals you can buy right now

Gear
A Yamaha THR practice amp on a blue background
Best guitar amps under $500: premium tones from budget-friendly amplifiers

By Matt McCracken Last updated

Who said great tone has to cost an arm and a leg? These amps from Boss, Marshall, Fender, Blackstar, and more deliver incredible sound – all for under $500

Amps
It might not be the latest model but I still think the Fender Mustang Micro punches above its weight - get it for even less in the Cyber Monday sales

By Matt McCracken Published

Fender's Mustang Micro has been surpassed by a newer, shinier model but I still rate it highly

Amps
A huge collection of effects pedals snaking their way towards an amp and guitar
So many pedal deals, so little time: The best deals on guitar pedals right now

By Scott Rowley, Michael Astley-Brown, Christopher Scapelliti, Matt McCracken Published

Huge savings on small boxes that make big noises. A guide to the best pedal deals right now

Pedals & Pedalboards
I’ve been recommending this audio interface all year and it just got its first-ever discount for Cyber Monday

By Matt McCracken Published

One of our favorite guitar audio interfaces has finally been reduced for Cyber Monday

Live Studio
If you’re looking for cheap pedal deals you need to head over to Amazon - here are 5 awesome stompboxes below the $40 mark

By Matt McCracken Published

Black Friday is a great time to bag yourself some cheap pedal deals, and Amazon has some of the best we’ve seen this year

Pedals & Pedalboards
There are over 14,000 offers in Sweetwater’s Black Friday sale - I’ve found the most useful one for guitarists and it’s only $19.95

By Matt McCracken Published

Time for guitarists stock up with this superb value Black Friday deal over at Sweetwater

Gear
The world's best desktop guitar amp just got its first-ever discount in the Positive Grid Black Friday sale

By Matt McCracken Published

You can get up to 50% off in the Positive Grid Black Friday sale but there's one particular discount that's caught our eye

Amps
JHS Pedals are already 25% off at Sweetwater and yes, it includes the brand new Flight Delay pedal

By Matt McCracken Published

Grab yourself some top-quality pedals for less with this awesome Black Friday deal at Sweetwater

Pedals & Pedalboards
Spend less and get more in Reverb's early Black Friday sales event - save up to 80% on second-hand gear

By Matt McCracken Published

Bag yourself a big saving on B-stock and used gear in this awesome sales event over at Reverb

Gear
I’ve been playing guitar for 20 years – discover why I switched to Til guitar lessons and get $20 off your first lesson from a pro tutor

By Matt McCracken Published

Improve your playing with this deal from the online guitar lesson platform Til, exclusive for Guitar Player readers

Lessons
Musician’s Friend go early on Black Friday with huge savings of up to 50% off music gear

By Matt McCracken Published

Get in on the action early with some huge early Black Friday deals at Musician’s Friend

Gear
Design your dream guitar and save up to $400 on upgrades with the limited-time Fender Mod Shop sale

By Matt McCracken Published

Save big on your perfect guitar with free upgrades at the Fender Mod shop

Electric Guitars
A trio of Fender electric guitars on a blue background
The huge Guitar Center Labor Day sale has exclusive offers and up to 50% off – here's why this is the sale to shop this weekend

By Matt McCracken Published

The Labor Day weekend sales are hotting up with massive discounts on big brands like Fender, Epiphone, Squier, Gretsch, and loads more

Gear
A Zoom G1X Four multi effects pedal on a green background
Who knew Amazon would serve up genuine effects bargains for Prime Day? Here are 5 huge guitar pedal deals we'd buy

By Matt McCracken Last updated

Scoop yourself up a fresh bargain for your pedalboard

Pedals & Pedalboards
A close up of a Gruv Gear fretwrap on the headstock of a bass guitar
Get your hands on 5 cheap guitar accessories at Amazon with these mega Prime Day deals

By Matt McCracken Last updated

Accessorize your instrument with some excellent value extras to complement your guitar-playing

Gear
Two AER acoustic guitar amps with an acoustic guitar leaning on a chair
Best acoustic guitar amps: top acoustic amplifiers and preamp pedals

By Rob Laing Last updated

Boost and sweeten your instrument’s tone with the best acoustic guitar amps from likes of Boss, Fishman, AER, Orange and more

Amps
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