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
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
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)
The Darkness: “We just see how far we can get before the solos go flying off the edge of the cliff”
By Richard Bienstock published
Guitarists Dan and Justin Hawkins talk Motorheart, a riff-rocking new record that’s dedicated to having fun – and, of course, sex robots
How Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson wrote the perfect score for Netflix blockbuster series Cobra Kai
By Richard Bienstock published
It’s badass, it’s very '80s, and – spoilers – it involves lots of guitars…
Alex Lifeson on making his Epiphone Les Paul Axcess: “My biggest concern was, can we get Custom Shop quality in a guitar that costs quite a bit less? I think we did it”
By Richard Bienstock published
The Rush legend discusses his new signature model, fresh music and collaborations, and the likelihood of once again teaming up with Geddy Lee
Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and Gibson’s Cesar Gueikian share the story behind Greeny’s ‘59 Les Paul sibling
By Richard Bienstock published
We all know the story of Greeny, the ‘burst owned by Peter Green, Gary Moore and now Hammett. But there is another, and it resides in the Gibson Brand President's personal collection…
Get 2022 off to a rockin’ start with the sixth installment of Guitar World’s New Year New Gear guide
By Richard Bienstock published
GW’s Paul Riario and Alan Chaput dive into the Epiphone Joan Jett Signature Olympic Special electric, CloudVocal ISOLO GT-10 wireless system and PRS Private Stock Orianthi Limited Edition guitar
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