The Guitar Player's Resource
Surfboard Engineering Crashes the Guitar World.
Rock history pivoted on Bernie Marsden's riffs, but this signature collaboration with Nik Huber represents something entirely different - what happens when a Whitesnake legend decides to completely reimagine his sonic palette. Those massive hits like "Here I Go Again" built Bernie's reputation on solid Les Pauls, so asking Germany's premier boutique builder for a hollowbody represented genuine creative courage.
Nik Huber had been experimenting with honeycomb body routing inspired by surfboard construction - a technique that creates both length-grain and cross-grain connections between body and top impossible to achieve through conventional semi-hollow or solid-body methods. The result? Guitars that capture hollowbody airiness and unique note attack while maintaining solid-body heft and punch. Think of it as acoustic resonance without acoustic fragility.
Limited to just twelve pairs - Burst and Goldtop versions - these Orcas represent collaborative artistry at its absolute peak. That master-grade Eastern flame maple top over flame mahogany body creates visual drama worthy of stadium stages, while the Madagascar rosewood neck and fingerboard provide premium playing surfaces that feel silk-smooth under your fingers.
But here's where this collaboration gets genuinely innovative: Bernie insisted on three knobs instead of the traditional four-knob layout, streamlining control access during performance situations. His signature Cream T Bernie Buckers deliver the kind of dynamic response that made his original recordings legendary, while that custom heel joint design provides improved upper-fret access without sacrificing sustain.
Those black pearl crown inlays with sterling silver surrounds create navigational landmarks befitting an instrument of this caliber, while the Madagascar rosewood backplates feature white snake inlays carved and personally signed by Bernie himself.
The faded sunburst semi-gloss finish lets that flame maple breathe while providing tactile feedback gloss finishes simply cannot match. This isn't just signature guitar marketing - it's genuine innovation disguised as rock star collaboration.
Master-grade Eastern flame maple top
Flame mahogany body w/ honeycomb routing
Madagascan rosewood neck
Madagascan rosewood fingerboard
Orca neck profile with custom heel joint
Eastern flame maple binding
Black pearl crown fingerboard inlays with sterling silver surrounds
Ebony headstock cap
Black pearl Bernie Marsden logo with sterling silver surround and signature headstock inlays
Faded sunburst semi-gloss finish
Cream T Bernie Buckers
Brushed cream pickup rings
Nik Huber 510 open gear tuners
Tune-o-matic bridge with aluminium tailpiece
Madagascan rosewood backplates with white snake inlay and carved snake, signed by Bernie Marsden
