
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

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

Get 2022 off to a rockin’ start with the fifth installment of Guitar World’s New Year New Gear guide
By Richard Bienstock published
GW’s Paul Riario and Alan Chaput dive into the Vola Vasti KJM J1, Lava Music Lava Me 3 and Mooer GTRS guitars

Get 2022 off to a rockin’ start with the third installment of Guitar World’s New Year New Gear guide
By Richard Bienstock published
GW’s Paul Riario and Alan Chaput dive into ESP's LTD Arrow-1000FR, Kramer’s Pacer Classic and PRS’ S2 Custom 24-08 and SE Standard 24-08 guitars

Get 2022 off to a rockin’ start with the second installment of Guitar World’s New Year New Gear guide
By Richard Bienstock published
GW’s Paul Riario and Alan Chaput dive into Dean’s Exile guitars, IK Multimedia AmpliTube X-Gear pedals and Godlyke’s TWA Triskelion Harmonic Energizer Mk. III stompbox

Zakk Wylde reflects on three decades of Ozzy Osbourne’s No More Tears
By Richard Bienstock published
The Prince of Darkness’s most successful album was a life-changer – 30 years on, Wylde looks back on an "ass-kicking time"

Get 2022 off to a rockin’ start with Guitar World’s New Year New Gear guide
By Richard Bienstock published
GW’s Paul Riario and Alan Chaput dive into PRS’s SE Silver Sky, Maestro Electronics’ Original Collection of pedals and Gator’s Elite Guitar X Stands

Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons rate Kiss's lead guitarists and reflect on the band's history in this classic 2014 GW interview
By Richard Bienstock published
In their five decades as a band, Kiss have had five lead guitarists. Here, the band's core members reflect on each of them – their strengths, their weaknesses, and how they meshed with the rest of the band

Zakk Wylde reflects on 12 musical milestones from a career spanning more than three decades
By Richard Bienstock published
From Ozzy Osbourne’s Miracle Man to Generation Axe’s Highway Star and beyond, Wylde breaks down his finest moments
![[L-R] Zakk Wylde and Dario Lorina of Black Label Society](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/u9rbaMW9LCwSNbpJyGJU9B.jpg)
Black Label Society: “When you rehearse too much before recording, you take away all the spontaneity, all the magic, all the fire. You suck the life out of the thing”
By Richard Bienstock published
Doom Crew Inc. is the first-ever complete Black Label Society album to feature a second guitarist. Here, guitar duo Zakk Wylde and Dario Lorina escort you deep into the temple of doom...

AC/DC's Angus and Malcolm Young: "Most of our early tracks speed up toward the end. After the guitar solo we’d start to take off!"
By Richard Bienstock published
In this classic Guitar World interview from 2003, the brothers Young revisit the albums and songs that made them guitar giants

Watch Ruben Wan conjure awesome electric and acoustic tones from the PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo guitar
By Richard Bienstock published
First piezo-equipped SE model boasts 58/15 humbuckers, LR Baggs/PRS Piezo system and dual output jacks for a wealth of sounds

Watch Paul Riario conjure a ‘new species of swirl’ with the Eventide TriceraChorus pedal
By Richard Bienstock published
Innovative stompbox offers bucket brigade-style chorus with MicroPitch detuning, three chorus voices and much more

Watch Paul Riario rev up the 'next-level' Dean MD24 Floyd Roasted Maple electric
By Richard Bienstock published
Streamlined shred machine boasts Floyd Rose tremolo, Seymour Duncan humbuckers and roasted maple neck and fingerboard for maximum playing impact

Watch Paul Riario get a big tone from Martin’s new 'crisp and loud' Grand J-16E 12-string acoustic
By Richard Bienstock published
Full-sized jumbo boasts reduced body thickness, high-performance taper neck profile for easy playability

Watch guitar ace Nili Brosh crank it up with the new Blackstar Dept. 10 valve-loaded pedals
By Richard Bienstock published
Dual Drive, Dual Distortion and Boost effects feature ECC83 triodes, over 200V of power, Cab Rig sim and more

Watch RJ Ronquillo conjure super-personalized tones with the OPFXS V-Uno Reprogrammable Guitar Pedal
By Richard Bienstock published
"It’s like you get to design a pedal from the ground up yourself,” he says about the innovative multi-effects stompbox

Watch guitar ace Sophie Burrell try out the "mega-impressive" NUX Mighty Air wireless stereo modeling amp
By Richard Bienstock published
Compact 10-watt powerhouse boasts two modes, seven channels, Bluetooth connectivity, a dedicated app for tone tweaking and much more
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