Bernard Butler

In this user-uploaded photo, Bernard Butler is pictured with a Fender Electric XII 12-String Guitar, highlighting his use of this extended-range instrument.

There was lots of 355, Tele and Les Paul, mainly. I was using AC30s, but also my Boogie MkIII and the Les Paul for the solo on How About You?, a Selmer Zodiac (The Debitor) and an ancient Ampeg combo, which weighed a ton and belonged to RAK (Tonight). Yes uses the 355, with AC30s and a Leslie cabinet for the chorus-y parts, and also some Les Paul on the choruses and outro. I was also using a valve Watkins Copicat for almost everything at the time as a preamp, as well as for echo. The intro to Tonight is my 355 mic’d up with a KM84 taped onto the f-hole.

Used on McAlmont & Butler tour 2015 and Benn Watt album.

Used on McAlmont & Butler tour 2015 and Ben Watt album.

Used on McAlmont & Butler tour 2015 and Ben Watt album.

Bernard Butler used the Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail reverb pedal during his time with the band The Tears. This is evident from a photo of his pedalboard.

from interview on musictech.com "They were originally built for Queen to go on tour with. You can join loads of them together, so you can get 32-, and 16-channel versions as well, but mine is 10. They’re also modular, and you can get compressor modules and stuff. It’s really great. I got it mainly because when I moved in here I needed to get loads of mic preamps for doing drums, but then I installed this and it just solved the problem. It’s effectively 10 really nice mic amps and a really straightforward EQ, so anything in my drum room goes through that. You can also use it coming back out for summing. It’s alleviated my need to use an expensive mic preamp for the kick drum. It’s also great for guitars – I’ll distort the mic pre and the EQ."

In January 2024, at The Old Woollen in Leeds, Bernard Butler was observed playing a Gibson ES-295, confirming his use of this specific guitar model. Following the performance, Butler disclosed that this instrument is an original model from the 1950s, as documented in a photograph available as evidence.

in this picture from a live in solo ( Florence 07/07/2024) Bernard is using the line 6 to build loops and enhance his soundscape.