Credit: Nuno Bettencourt
Nuno Guitars Steps into the Light at NAMM
At this year’s NAMM Show in Anaheim, Nuno Bettencourt unveiled the first collection from Nuno Guitars. The instruments drew steady crowds all weekend — a quiet center of gravity amid the usual trade-show noise.
For a player who has spent more than three decades onstage and in studios, the launch felt deliberate. Not flashy, not rushed. Just a clear extension of a career built on precision and intensity.
These aren’t cosmetic reworks or nostalgia pieces. The line reflects Nuno’s long relationship with the electric guitar — streamlined shapes, purposeful hardware, finishes that nod to tradition without leaning on it. Even at a distance, the details suggested focus rather than excess.
A Quiet Statement
NAMM is rarely short on spectacle, but the presentation here was restrained. The guitars stayed under glass, letting the design speak visually. Players and guitar enthusiasts leaned in for a closer look, tracing contours with their eyes, studying the appointments, talking quietly about what Nuno might be chasing with this new chapter.
The message wasn’t about revolution. It was about authorship — an artist putting his name on something fully his own.
Nuno performing w/ Dark Horse. Credit: Iron Mike Savoia
JAMM Night, Hosted by Paulie Z: Letting It Ring
On Friday January 23rd, Bettencourt stepped onstage with the Thoroughbred Dark Horse at “JAMM Night” hosted by Paulie Z. The event, brought to life by RCF USA and TT+ Audio, supported the David Z Foundation raising funds to support music education and opportunities for developing artists. The event brought a star quality that the NAMM show hasn’t seen in a number of years. The event featured over 70 artists alongside Nuno; the event boasted a roster of iconic players and artists… Corey Glover, Billy Sheehan, Jeff Scott Soto, Doug Aldrich… the list goes on.
The program followed musical milestones of 2025 creating a meaningful reflection on music’s biggest triumphs of the past year including, of course, a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne’s iconic Back to the Beginning concert and the mark it made in rock and roll history.
Opening Notes
Nuno Guitars arrives with the weight of experience behind it, but its debut was measured, almost patient. The instruments made their first impression visually, then sonically, leaving the rest to time and the hands that will eventually put them to work.
The guitars Nuno featured at JAMM Night as well as the instruments in the display case are now available for pre-order.
