Bernard's guitars

what guitars is barney using now?

last time i saw new order was in paris, 2002.  he was using his gibson SG throughout the show, but switched to the rickenbacker 360-6 string for LWTUA.  i guess he stopped using his gibson hollowbody altogether.

I have a feeling that Bernard's Gibson 330 will always be his main guitar.  I'm hoping the SG is a bit of a fad as I've never really liked the look of them too much (a little too Angus Young for me).

I know he also used Johnny Marr's Les Paul when he recorded Regret although I don't think you'll ever see him up onstage with one of those as they're quite heavy and Bernard seems a little lazy.

OrderNew wrote:

I have a feeling that Bernard's Gibson 330 will always be his main guitar.  I'm hoping the SG is a bit of a fad as I've never really liked the look of them too much (a little too Angus Young for me).

But he's been using an SG since the Joy Division days!

Anyhoo - it's a great sounding guitar, and preposterously light. Besides, Angus Young kicks ass. ;o)

I had an SG, and it definitely wasn't light... MAYBE lighter than a Les Paul, but still...

Really? Mine was light as a feather. In fact, the headstock weighed more than the body, which made it a nuisance to play, frankly.

Right, that's what I remember... ALWAYS struggling to keep the neck where I wanted it. But it was a cool looking guitar.

You're right... I guess fad is the wrong word... "phase" is probably a better word... And after I posted I realized another reason why he probably started using an SG again is because they started playing Joy Division songs again...

A lot of people love SG's but I will always prefer the look of a nice hollowbody and the sound of single coil pickups. Somehow seems more elegant, more 1980's and more New Order.

No argument there.

So does Barney still wear his guitar up at "Haircut 100" height?

what happen to ians guitar?

Barney sold it on Ebay

The guitarist for Testament bought it.

the guitar i'm glad i don't see anymore is the black stratocaster with the emg pickups.  gawd, i dislike strats.  i think he just got that thing right about the time of pumped full of drugs, and then proceeded to use it up to 1988.

definitely agree that the 330 is his best one.  he has so many it seems.  the various gibson models of that particular 330 which he regularly used in the 1980s doesn't seem to be readily available in the states.  seems like a lot of english guitarists have an easier time getting a hold of that gibson than people here in the U.S.

ehh, hollow-bodies just don't do it for me...

he's had two different semi acoustics, throughout the 80s he had the dark cherry 335TD which seemed to disappear early 90s, then onwards he was using the sunburst 330.

also, on the shergold messageboard it was said that he traded in his joy division guitar (shergold masquerader) for the 335TD in stockport. I do wonder who bought that shergold.

My roomie's main instrument is an SG and the thing does have an awkward weight/balance issue.  I personally think it looks nice and regal, if not very New Order-y in the least.

The guitars that I always image in Bernard's wield are either the Gibson 330(thanks to 311) or the jet black Masquerader.

There was also a Gibson 345 that he had that Gillian used in the Taras video that makes it onstage sometimes.  It looks the same as a 335 but it has that strange little rotary tone switch on the body.

Does barney still have that funny old guitar that Ian used in LWTUA and Live in Ny 1981 playing EGG?

I've got an SG and it is a lovely creature, light, plays well, fabulous piece of kit. My 335 wasn't set up well when I got it and I was all for selling it on, but some tinkering with the action has turned it into a beauty now.