Finally after a wait we got a Rock legend in for a master class, the great Bernie
Marsden ex-Whitesnake Guitarist and an amazing blues player.

As everyone filtered into the room to watch Bernie show us what he can do, I was
expecting a fairly average rock player but as I was allowed into the room a little bit earlier
than everyone else I got to see Bernie warm up and play a bit with the band, and I was
amazed at him just warming up. Bernie introduced himself and played over a jam track
that he had recorded, his solo was just mind blowing and I couldn’t help but think “Why
doesn’t he ever run out of ideas what to play?” But then I had remembered what Femi
had said "with maturity comes expression" and Bernie had been playing for quite a few
years to say the least.

Bernie is now playing and endorsed by PRS guitars and his guitar and tone was
absolutely outstanding. Not for the way the guitar made him sound but he just knew
what he was doing.

His set up is not unique at all but it’s what he does with his set up that is amazing. All
Bernie had with him on stage was a half stack that was on distortion and his guitar, but
he got so much out of the guitar and amp without changing anything on the amp. All he
did to control his sound was play with the Volume, Tone controls and the Pick Up
selector and that was it! He was asked if he uses any pedals, and his response was “no
because I’ve gone to countless gigs and I’ve seen guitarists looking lost if their pedal
board hasn’t arrived with them” and he also said “BOSS gave me a whole box full of
pedals and to be perfectly honest, I only use the tuner...”

When Bernie was growing up he really had it good because at the time he could go see
Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix and from what he said he felt that it was a really
good time to be growing up and learning to play the guitar because there was just so
much surrounding the guitar. Bernie also grew up with a lot of soul music around which
probably adds to the way he express’s himself in the solos.

The main reason why Bernie picked up the guitar was so he didn’t have to dance all the
time at parties or anywhere he went that involved dancing. But Bernie offered some very
good advice and that’s to protect what’s yours (meaning your music) because there are
people in the business who just want you to make money. When he was asked about
how he turned pro he would go to get the melody maker, which advertised places for
musicians but they never said for what type of band. But most importantly, what he said
about turning pro is going to stick with me forever, “To turn pro is hard but when you get
to pro status it’s even harder to keep up”.

I was probably as speechless as after seeing Thomas Leeb and I feel grateful to see a
Rock Legend up close in person.

Thanks for reading
Cheers, Bradley Beets

Review by Bradley Beets - Marshall Scholarship Winner 2008

Read Bradley's series of diaries of life as a Guitar-X student

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