Why were Bernie Marsden SE's so special (rhetorical question)

[Fullmoon 1971]

Five years after it's discontinuation, the Bernie SE still seems to be one of the must get "or at least try" SE's PRS have ever produced. Search through the various Forum and you'l loads of threads such "just bought a Bernie "Freakin Awesome" or "should I pull the trigger on a Bernie"

Here's some scans from Guitarist magazine extolling the virtues of the "Bernie" as a incentive for those that have the chance to get one and a reminder for those that reminder for thoses that get one go.

A Review of the Stripped 58 vs SE-245 vs SE-Bernie

Article comparing "The Beast to a 2012 Les Paul Classic Custom and the SE Bernie Marsden

To any looking at getting a Bernie

JUST DO IT

 

[Birdsofprey]

Thanks for posting, great reading!

 

[bodia]

Great thread!

 

[BrianC]

I get it that it's a business but he switches companies so often....

 

[László]

Reading the Guitarist article reminds me what a gigantic mistake I made selling my Stripped 58. It was a wonderful sounding guitar.

I went through a couple of Singlecut models afterward, and couldn't match the tone until I got the McCarty Singlecut PS run guitar. That oughta tell me something about how good the Stripper was.

"If you sell the McCarty Singlecut I will kill you, Les."

"But then you'll cease to exist, too."

"I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for the reminder. But don't sell the f#cking guitar, K? I don't want to be tempted."

 

[Prina]

Thanks for posting that.

I'm a big fan of the SE Singlecuts from Korea, although I always replace the pickups.

Agreed. Great articles.

Like Lew, I'm a big Korean SC fan, though my 4 are 245's (to go along with my LP & S2 594 SC) Hadn't known that the Bernie had a different nut than the 245 and was impressed that the reviewer put both the 245 and the Bernie on par with the USA 2001 Singlecut. High praise.

 

[Lewguitar]

I've been wanting a Bernie for a long time, read this thread today, took a look on Reverb and this one had the lowest price and had been on Reverb about 8 months.

I offered the seller $550 and he accepted.

I put Duncan Antiquitys in it...a set I've had for years and have had in a few guitars. Including a '95 CU22.

https://imgur.com/0PQwyWO

 

[Prina]

I'm soon to be a Bernie owner!

Awesome! Looking forward to your NGD review! And what pups go into it

 

[Lewguitar]

Awesome! Looking forward to your NGD review! And what pups go into it

Thanks!

Seymour Duncan Antiquitys. I have a set waiting for the right guitar, and this Bernie is probably it.

I have a set of Antiquitys that were in my '95 CU22 for a few years.

I put the original Dragon I's and the rotary switch back in, so now the Antiquitys need a home.

 

[bodia]

I've been wanting a Bernie for a long time, read this thread today, took a look on Reverb and this one had the lowest price and had been on Reverb about 8 months.

I offered the seller $550 and he accepted.

I'm soon to be a Bernie owner!

https://imgur.com/H3DIhI4

Nice!

 

[Lewguitar]

Nice!

Thank you. I love these low budget scores!

 

[bodia]

Thank you. I love these low budget scores!

I think you’ll love the Bernie. They punch way above their price point.

 

[Lewguitar]

I think you’ll love the Bernie. They punch way above their price point.

Yeah, I'm jazzed.

I had sort of forgotten about them until reading that first post.

I used to play Les Pauls.

 

[Lewguitar]

The Bernie Marsden has the TONE control wired 50's style. This helps retain highs without needing a treble bleed cap like PRS uses on so many guitars.

The tone control is connected after the VOLUME CONTROLS. That's the essence of 50's wiring that some 50s Les Pauls have.

50's wiring has the tone control connected to the OUTPUT of the volume control (the middle terminal) so AFTER the signal has passed through the volume control, then the tone control can turn down the treble.

Normal or modern wiring has the tone control connected to the first terminal of the pot, which is the INPUT...so the tone control turns down the treble BEFORE the signal has passed through the volume control.

This gives a slightly different sound.

50's wiring seems to retain treble better when the volume controls are turned down.

This would explain why the Bernie Marsden has no bright cap on the volume pots.

 

[Mark Ray]

I dig my Bernie immensely! Snagged it used, in mint shape w/original bag for $400 all in.

Put Suhr Doug Aldrich pups in, with redone wiring and selector switch (it was a bit wonky), and locking tuners and it's a gig machine!

I have owned over 20 LP's in my life, and this guitar hangs with any of them, with the added benefits of better ergonomics playing wise.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Nice one John.

 

[AP515]

The first 12 Bernies that came off the line were hand signed by Bernie himself. I got one of them. I picked it up used and unloaded. Put Antiquities in it. As a nod to Bernie's pleasant demeaner, it's "lovely".

I talked to Bernie at the last PRS event I attended and I told him I had one of the first 12 he signed. He said, "Oh, you gotta keep that one." I agreed.