Ultimate Guitar recently caught up with guitarist Nuno Bettencourt. Currently promoting Extreme's new album, SIX, Bettencourt discussed a variety of topics. In this first part of the interview, Bettencourt talked about the gear that he used on the album, a very specific and unconventional way that he set it all up, and weighed in on the "gear versus player" debate of whether it's the individual playing the gear or the gear itself that determines the overall quality of sound. 

Following is an excerpt:

UG: You mentioned how you played through Eddie Van Halen's rig at least once. And it still sounded like you. You've been using this gear for this album and everything, and it still sounds like you, whatever you played through. Do you think that there's no need for us to spend so much time or money on buying expensive gear and just go with what we already have here in our fingers?

Bettencourt: "Yeah, look, it doesn't matter. At the end of the day, you could have a $4,000 amplifier or you can have a $200 practice amp. I have this little Blackstar practicing amp that I use. If you go into my dressing room and you heard that, if you don't know that, you would know that's me down the hall. That's just it. Of course, amps help and effects and things like that. But no matter what you do, you're stuck with yourself. You're stuck with your fingers, you're stuck with your own tone. And for me, I would prefer discovering. I think we discovered people a lot by how much they don't use in front of their fingers.

I noticed that a lot with the Van Halen stuff as well. When Eddie was a little bit more... phasers and things are different. I think I talked more about things like choruses and things that really change the modulation of the sound of the note. It's when you really hear what somebody does when it's hitting their fingers and it's the most pure as it can be. And I love that. And I love myself a good chorus here. Delay is not what I'm talking about, delay just colors what I'm already talking about. But I think you need to be confident you need to be okay with yourself first before you start, you know, "wearing makeup." (laughs)."

Read more here.

Extreme released their new album, SIX, on June 9 via earMUSIC. The label has shared the video below, taking you behind the scenes on the making of the album.

On SIX, Extreme swing between unapologetic fits of fret-burning hard rock and intimately introspective balladry. For the recording of the Bettencourt-produced 12-track album, the members buckled down at his home studio in Los Angeles to channel the electrifying eclecticism that defined their seminal output with a 21st century twist.

This dynamic affirms the iconic Boston quartet as one of rock’s most unpredictable, undeniable, and unbreakable groups whose songs course through the very fabric of popular culture. They’re the rare band whose music has appeared in an actual cult series a la Bill & Ted as well as the Netflix juggernaut Stranger Things. They’ve sold 10 million records, topped the Billboard Hot 100 at #1, packed major venues on multiple continents, memorably performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in London, and regularly average over 5 million monthly listeners on Spotify. However, their dynamic approach hits harder than ever on their 2023 full-length offering, SIX.

Order SIX here.

SIX tracklisting:

"Rise"
"#Rebel"
"Banshee"
"Other Side of the Rainbow"
"Small Town Beautiful"
"The Mask"
"Thicker Than Blood"
"Save Me"
"Hurricane"
"X Out"
"Beautiful Girls"
"Here's To The Losers"

“Other Side Of The Rainbow” video:

"Banshee" video:

"#Rebel" video:

"Rise" video:

Trailer:

Extreme's headlining “Thicker Than Blood” world tour kicks off in the US on August 2, followed by stops in Australia and Japan in September and has already sold-out dates in cities including Detroit, Hampton Beach, Tokyo and Yokohama. The band recently announced an additional jaunt beginning November 27 in Newcastle, UK and wrapping December 16 in Milan, IT.

Special guests Living Colour (who will also be supporting Extreme on their US and Australian shows) will appear on the UK leg and The Last Internationale will appear across Europe. Tickets  at extreme-band.com.

Extreme have remained one of rock’s most unpredictable, undeniable, and unbreakable groups, having sold 10 million records, topped the Billboard Hot 100 at #1, packed major venues on multiple continents, memorably performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in London, and they regularly average over 5 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Extreme’s new album, SIX has seen unprecedented success following the release of three evocative hit singles and videos: “Rise,” “Banshee” and “#Rebel.”

Tour dates:

August
2 - Portland, ME - State Theatre #
3 - Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom #
5 - Boston, MA - Roadrunner #
6 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount #
8 - Reading, PA - Santander Performing Arts Center #
10 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom #
11 - Hartford, CT - Webster Theater #
12 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theater #
14 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall #
15 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater #
17 - Gary, IN - Hard Rock Live #
18 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theatre #
19 - Cedar Rapids, IA - The Paramount #
21 - Denver, CO - The Ogden #
22 - Albuquerque, NM - Revel Entertainment Center #
24 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues #
26 - San Francisco, CA - The Regency #
28 - Portland, OR - TBD #
29 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox #

September
6 - Perth, AU - Regal Theatre #
8 - Adelaide, AU - Hindley Street Music Hall #
10 - Melbourne, AU - Forum #
12 - Sydney, AU - Enmore Theatre #
13 - Brisbane, AU - Fortitude Music Hall #
17 - Sendai, JP - Sendai Gigs
19 - Yokohama, JP - KT Zepp Yokohama
21 - Tokyo, JP - Hitomi Memorial Hall
25 - Nagoya, JP - Shimin Kaikan Hall
26 - Osaka, JP - Zepp Namba

November
27 - Newcastle, UK - O2 City Hall #
28 - Glasgow, UK - O2 Academy #
30 - Manchester, UK - O2 Academy #

December
1 - Wolverhampton, UK - Civic Hall #
3 - Bristol, UK - O2 Academy #
4 - London, UK - O2 Forum #
8 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7 Konzertfabrik *
10 - Berlin, Germany - Huxleys *
11 - Cologne, Germany - Live Music Hall *
12 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg Max *
14 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix *
16 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz *

# with Living Colour
* with The Last Internationale