Top 5SponsoredUses
Nuno Guitars
Dark Horse“I played it and was like, this feels like the best N4 I've ever played.”
Said in Premier Guitar: Taking the Reins, Nuno Bettencourt on building his own guitar company, December 2025
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Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Nuno Bettencourt. Every item links to its public source.
13 items · Last checked What guitar does Nuno Bettencourt play?
Nuno Bettencourt now plays the Dark Horse and White Stallion from his own brand, Nuno Guitars, after 35 years of Washburn N4s with a Seymour Duncan '59 in the neck. His amp is a Marshall DSL100 with a Pro Co RAT always on in front, plus a script MXR Phase 90 and a Boss OC-5 octave for a few solos.
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Top 5
Where to start with Nuno Bettencourt's gear.
01
02
Top 5SponsoredUses
Nuno Guitars
White StallionSaid in Premier Guitar: Taking the Reins, Nuno Bettencourt on building his own guitar company, December 2025
03
Top 5Seen using
Seymour Duncan
SH-1n '59 ModelSeen in Premier Guitar: Extreme Rig Rundown with Nuno Bettencourt and Pat Badger, March 2024
04
Top 5Has said they use
Marshall
DSL100 Head“The way I use it probably isn't what most people do. I have the amp pretty loud but I hate harsh sounds.”
05
Top 5Has said they use
Pro Co
RAT“I cannot play without it.”
What gear Nuno Bettencourt uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Guitars and pickups
SponsoredUses
Nuno Guitars
Dark Horse“I played it and was like, this feels like the best N4 I've ever played.”
Said in Premier Guitar: Taking the Reins, Nuno Bettencourt on building his own guitar company, December 2025
SponsoredUses
Nuno Guitars
White StallionSaid in Premier Guitar: Taking the Reins, Nuno Bettencourt on building his own guitar company, December 2025
Seen using
Seymour Duncan
SH-1n '59 ModelSeen in Premier Guitar: Extreme Rig Rundown with Nuno Bettencourt and Pat Badger, March 2024
Amp and pedals
Has said they use
Marshall
DSL100 Head“The way I use it probably isn't what most people do. I have the amp pretty loud but I hate harsh sounds.”
Has said they use
Pro Co
RAT“I cannot play without it.”
Seen using
Seen in Premier Guitar: Extreme Rig Rundown with Nuno Bettencourt and Pat Badger, March 2024
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Records he loves
Has said they love
Van Halen
Van Halen“That's the shot heard around the world, man.”
Said in Blabbermouth: Nuno Bettencourt on Eddie Van Halen (CBC Q interview), October 2024
Has said they love
Van Halen
Fair Warning“I love all the albums, but 'Fair Warning' is my favorite, because of the funkiness.”
Said in Killer Guitar Rigs: Nuno Bettencourt names his favorite Van Halen album, March 2023
Has said they love
Van Halen
Outta Love Again
Has said they love
Queen
Dragon Attack“I used to really be into songs like 'Dragon Attack' and things that just had a little bit more of a groove to it”
Has said they love
Led Zeppelin
The Crunge
Has said they love
Questions
About Nuno Bettencourt's gear.
What guitar does Nuno Bettencourt play?
For over three decades it was his Washburn N4. In 2025 he launched Nuno Guitars, playing the Dark Horse at Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning show and a blonde White Stallion at the MTV VMAs. The N4 continues under his own name.
What amp does Nuno Bettencourt use?
A Marshall DSL100. He told Guitar World in 2023 that he runs it pretty loud but keeps the sound warm and percussive, and Premier Guitar's 2024 Rig Rundown shows three Marshall JCM 2000 Dual Super Leads with only one live through a Marshall 4x12.
Why does Nuno Bettencourt use a Pro Co RAT?
He keeps the distortion almost all the way off. He says it tightens up the floppiness and bottom end of any Marshall so his muted playing feels like a kick drum, and that he cannot play without it.
What pickups are in Nuno Bettencourt's N4?
Premier Guitar lists a Seymour Duncan '59 in the neck and a Bill Lawrence L-500 in the bridge, with one volume knob and a 3-way switch. His Nuno Guitars models use custom Nuno signature humbuckers voiced after that pairing.
What records influenced Nuno Bettencourt?
He calls Van Halen's debut the shot heard around the world and Fair Warning his favorite Van Halen album. He has named Outta Love Again, Queen's Dragon Attack and Led Zeppelin's The Crunge for their funk, and calls himself a massive Prince fan.
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NB
Nuno Bettencourt
About this guide · Last checked
Nuno Bettencourt is the guitarist of Extreme, from Pornograffitti and More Than Words to the 2023 album Six and its Rise solo. This guide covers his new Nuno Guitars models, the pickups, Marshall amp and short list of pedals from Premier Guitar's 2024 Rig Rundown and his interviews, plus the Van Halen, Queen, Zeppelin and Prince records he has named.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Nuno Bettencourt didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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