Richard Bienstock
Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.
Latest articles by Richard Bienstock

“It felt like I had been training my whole life for that gig”: How Nuno Bettencourt ended up playing with Rihanna
By Richard Bienstock published
Rihanna x Nuno is one of the great pop/rock collaborations of our time, and it pushed the Extreme guitarist to his limits. Here’s how it all went down – and why the duo never did perform More Than Words…

“He’s the funkiest dude in the shredder family tree”: The world’s greatest guitarists explain why Nuno Bettencourt isn’t your typical guitar hero
By Richard Bienstock published
Brian May, Zakk Wylde, Steve Vai and Tom Morello join an all-star cast to explain what makes the Extreme virtuoso one of the guitar world’s most valuable players

Tom Morello says his favorite Nuno Bettencourt solo is one you haven’t heard – and it’s “his version of Eruption”
By Matt Parker published
The Rage Against the Machine guitarist says he followed Extreme religiously on the Boston circuit before they were signed: “I was blown away by this 16-, 17-year-old guitar phenomenon”

Nuno Bettencourt recalls two-hand tapping in front of Eddie Van Halen: “He stops me and goes, ‘Hey, none of that silly stuff!’”
By Richard Bienstock last updated
The Extreme virtuoso tells Guitar World about his first-ever meeting with EVH

Kim Thayil picks Soundgarden’s landmark guitar moments
By Richard Bienstock published
In honor of the grunge icons’ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination, their lead guitarist picks the standout songs on which he and Chris Cornell made their case for Seattle’s most daring guitar exports

The greatest rock concerts in music history
By Richard Bienstock last updated
From Metallica's Damaged Justice to Ozzy Osbourne's Diary of a Madman tour, Guitar World presents the most incredible concerts and roadshows in rock and metal history

The 25 greatest Pantera songs of all time
By Richard Bienstock published
With Dimebag Darrell's no-holds-barred playing at the fore, these are the best tracks from the metal institution's catalog
![[L-R] Tim Commerford and Jonny Polonsky](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Qp6KwQp7utSnfC5jHaNaAA-320-80.jpg)
Tim Commerford and Jonny Polonsky on the unlikely origins and promising future of their eclectic new trio project, 7D7D
By Richard Bienstock published
The Rage Against the Machine bassist on why playing with Polonsky is like “jamming with Hendrix”, and his failed experiments with short-scale basses in RATM

The 20 heaviest songs before Black Sabbath
By Richard Bienstock last updated
Behold, gentle reader, a sizzlin’ slew of down and dirty tracks that helped forge heavy metal

Gibson and Sweetwater partner with Amped Guitar for free three-month membership to Augmented Reality learning platform
By Richard Bienstock last updated
Amped offers two-way online learning experience via AR app

Kiko Loureiro shares Megadeth audition tape for Holy Wars and Trust - one day after learning to play the songs
By Richard Bienstock last updated
“I don’t think I would able to do this again five years later,” he says

Misha Mansoor records major-key version of Stairway to Heaven, dubs it Escalator to Hell
By Richard Bienstock last updated
The Periphery guitarist offers his own take on the Led Zeppelin classic during self-quarantine

Kiko Loureiro posts his original Megadeth audition tape playing Hangar 18 - after learning the song the day before
By Richard Bienstock last updated
Dave Mustaine's response? “There’s a lot of wrong notes!”

Solar Guitars introduces two new Type S models in eye-popping colors
By Richard Bienstock last updated
Poplar purple burst and flame trans blue matte finishes headline a host of impressive features

Ernie Ball is now manufacturing face masks to help fight coronavirus
By Richard Bienstock last updated
The guitar string company will donate the masks to local charities and residents

'Ethereal tuning' is officially A Thing, and it sounds amazing
By Richard Bienstock last updated
YouTube guitar sensation Ichika showcases the tuning in a mesmerizing two-hand tapping instrumental

Could an SE version of John Mayer’s signature PRS Silver Sky be on the cards this year?
By Richard Bienstock last updated
A social media post from BlackSmith Strings suggests a more affordable version of the Strat-esque guitar is finally in the works

The best-selling guitar amps of 2019 revealed
By Richard Bienstock last updated
Reverb unveils its top 20 list of the amps you loved most this year

Bob Rock recalls the first time he asked Metallica to tune down: "James Hetfield looked like he wanted to kill me"
By Richard Bienstock last updated
Rock also talked about "not getting" Enter Sandman in an extensive interview with Gibson TV

Jared James Nichols: “I’ll never forget the moment I first saw Zakk playing in the flesh with Ozzy – it was beyond powerful. I was mesmerized”
By Richard Bienstock published
The Les Paul-loving, Wisconsin-bred rocker talks guitar epiphanies, tube amp dynamics, and explains how full-tilt blues power involves a neck-breaking approach to recording

MOD Kits DIY's Saturator is a build-it-yourself drive pedal
By Richard Bienstock last updated
Grab your solder and get ready to crank the gain

John Frusciante on the stories behind 5 standout Unlimited Love tracks
By Richard Bienstock published
The Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist takes us behind the writing, gear and recording of some of the biggest songs on the Californian rock institution’s new album

We went guitar shopping with Slash – here's what happened
By Richard Bienstock published
That time Slash and GW spent an afternoon browsing – and buying! – at Norman’s Rare Guitars in Tarzana, California

Cobra Kai star Billy Zabka on his love of ’80s rock, jamming with Robert Downey Jr. and the time Eddie Van Halen gave him a guitar lesson
By Richard Bienstock published
Billy Zabka – aka Johnny Lawrence, Cobra Kai’s resident badass sensei – has been playing guitar since he was a hair-metal-lovin’ kid (and he’s still a hair-metal-lovin’ kid)
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