Latest articles by Richard Bienstock
A breakdown of Neil Young's wild and fascinating live rig
“When it comes to equipment, the idea with Neil is that you don’t change anything,” Young's guitar tech, Larry Cragg, told GW in 2009. “You don’t even think about it”
![[Left]Tom Morello plays an Ibanez guitar against a bright backdrop. He wears a ballcap and a red bandana. [Right] Black Sabbath photographed in 1970](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LuGDvbR3RkDkV3iRaoNqzk-840-80.jpg.webp)
Tom Morello on honoring Black Sabbath, Tony Iommi, and what to expect from metal's biggest ever show
Back to the Beginning will present Black Sabbath live for one last time, joined by metal's biggest stars, and RATM guitarist Tom Morello booked the bands. He tells us how it came together
From Pearl Jam to the Stones, the stars have aligned for Andrew Watt – but he says he owes it to Ozzy
The producer and guitarist explains how ’Sabbath and Ozzy were there for the beginning of his journey – and why he’ll to be there for the end of theirs
The time Ozzy Osbourne almost blew up Tom Morello and Slash
The two guitar heroes had signed up to play some classics with the Prince of Darkness – but nearly got more than they bargained for
The moment that Andrew Watt dived into production – after starting out his career as a recording musician
From shredder to super producer, Watts looks back on the car-crash that forced him into production
Andrew Watt on the essential studio skill that’s enabled him to work with rock gods and pop icons alike
He's worked with and played guitar for the likes of Bruno Mars, Pearl Jam, and Ozzy Osbourne, but there’s one player he believes nails his catch-all approach
Best beginner electric guitars 2025: top electric models for new players, reviewed and demoed by experts
So you're a budding guitarist? Get started with our pick of the best beginner electric guitars from Squier, Yamaha, and Epiphone
How super-producer Andrew Watt pivoted from Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes to The Rolling Stones, Ozzy Osbourne and Iggy Pop
Watt started his production career in the pop sphere, before the Prince of Darkness handpicked him to produce his record
The brutal shred-fest that has quietly become one of our biggest playthrough videos
Four years ago, we published this video of Erik Rutan. It's since become one of our most-watched videos
Is new music from John Mayer and Bob Weir on the cards?
The band had originally formed as a live act, but the project could yet live on after the residency wraps this week
![John Mayer and Bob Weir [left] of Dead & Company photographed against a grey background. Mayer wears a blue overshirt and has his signature Silver Sky on his shoulder. Weir wears grey and a bolo tie.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/C6niSAybzVCHoYcpJ8ZZgE-840-80.jpg.webp)
John Mayer and Bob Weir reflect on 10 years of Dead & Company – and why the Sphere forced them to reassess everything
In this exclusive interview, Bob Weir and John Mayer break down the Sphere experience, latest gear adjustments and their ever-evolving musical partnership and float the possibility that they'll enter the studio one day
John Mayer names the pedal he thinks every young guitar player should consider buying
Despite saying his tone “can only come from the ignition inside of a tube”, the Dead & Company guitarist thinks this amp modeler is worthwhile
After a decade playing together in Dead & Company, John Mayer and Bob Weir reveal the invaluable lessons they’ve learned from each other
The veteran guitarist and Slow Dancing In a Burning Room hitmaker also set the record straight on whether we can expect a Dead & Company studio album anytime soon
Why John Mayer decided against ditching his tube amps for modelers for Dead & Company’s Sphere residency
Mayer devised a workaround that would allow him to play his prized Dumble and Fender setup at the notoriously amp-unfriendly venue
![Cobra Kai composers Zach Robinson [left] and Leo Birenberg in the studio. Pictured in front of a bank of keyboards, Robinson plays an Ibanez RG550, while Birenberg plays woodwind.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YfxDAzMdyf8Mrf9cURm53e-840-80.jpg.webp)
How Cobra Kai’s soundtrack senseis brought Tim Henson, Tosin Abasi and Charlie Robbins to their musical dojo
As the hit Netflix martial arts show takes the story global, its soundtrack composers are doing likewise. Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson explain why it’s a good time to explore their influences – and bring some virtuoso guitarists along for the ride
Tetrarch’s Diamond Rowe on her signature Jackson, and why she loves guitar players with a presence
A single-cut with a 25.5-inch scale length, EMG pickups rather than popular-in-metal Fishmans, and a brand-new headstock shape, Rowe's signature Jackson is as striking as her all-powerful playing
Myles Kennedy on Warren Haynes, why he's an accidental frontman, and the almighty power of the riff
We’ve been saying it for years, but the man best known for his soaring vocals with Slash and Alter Bridge also happens to be one hell of a guitar player. On his new album, he busts out his riffs, his roar and his signature PRS
![[Left-to-right] Mark Tremonti, Myles Kennedy and Slash – Tremonti and Slash are playing their trademark singlecuts live onstage while Kennedy – a collaborator of both players' – is photographed with his new PRS signature model.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NWnPocmSNoWHAkJcmrx4dJ-840-80.jpg.webp)
Myles Kennedy reveals what he learned as a guitar player from working with Slash and Mark Tremonti
Any pro will tell you, the best way to improve as a musician is playing with great players. Kennedy, a collaborator of both Slash and Tremonti, would surely agree
James Hetfield explains the controversial mixing of Metallica’s …And Justice for All
The band's first album with Newsted, ...And Justice for All was marked by the band's increasingly progressive and technically intricate bent – and barely audible bass parts
The story of Metallica's meteoric rise – as told by the people who were there
The story of Metallica's meteoric rise – as told by the people who were there, including Dave Mustaine, Scott Ian, Kerry King, Gary Holt, and, of course, Metallica themselves
Michael Schenker on celebrating UFO with Axl Rose, Slash, and Dee Snider, and why he's come full circle with Gibson
My Years With UFO finds the effervescent Schenker revisiting seminal tracks in the company of rock legends, some Flying Vs, and his trusty Marshall JCM800 2205, an amp so good everyone steals it
Mick Thomson reflects on 25 years of Slipknot’s incendiary debut – and what it was like to see his solos erased
If Slipknot's debut remains a true face-ripper all these years later maybe it is because they brought the chaos of the stage show into the studio. Thomson can remember it vividly, the gear, the danger, the risk to his guitars from stray iron pipes, and he wouldn't have it any other way
Slash on Yngwie, Eddie Van Halen – and what makes for good guitar playing
According to Slash, it doesn’t matter what genre you play or your level of skill; just be sure to put your own stamp on every note you play
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram talks touring with Slash – and his hunger to learn guitar
Kingfish discovered Slash via Guitar Hero and now will be sharing the stage with him at S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival. He talks about what it means to play an all-star blues fest and take the art form further
Samantha Fish on blues guitar heroes, Slash, and the need to “push boundaries” to keep the art alive
Signed up for Slash's all-star S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival, Fish is one of the players who has found her voice in taking blues out of its comfort zone. Here, she salutes her blues heroes – especially the rule-breakers
