How Bill & Ted Face the Music became the most triumphant celebration of the electric guitar's past, present and future

Bill & Ted Face the Music still
Bill & Ted stare at just a few of the 30+ Gibson Brands electric guitars that appear in Face the Music (Image credit: Orion Pictures)

When news of a Bill & Ted threequel first broke, decades after the beloved originals, it’s fair to say it set a few alarm bells ringing. Could Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter recapture the fresh-faced magic of those original performances? Would the film end up a pastiche of the ’80s rock it previously glamorized? And would the production team get those all-important guitars right?

Audiences and guitarists alike needn’t have worried: Bill & Ted Face the Music is a most triumphant celebration of all things electric guitar – past, present and future. In their quest to write a song that will unite the galaxy (no pressure), the titular duo once again travel through time, join a band composed of the greatest musicians in history, and learn a lot about the power of music – and themselves – in the process.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**

Join now for unlimited access

US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year

UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year 

Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Prices from £2.99/$3.99/€3.49

Michael Astley-Brown
Editor-in-Chief, GuitarWorld.com

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and over a decade's experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.