independent and unofficial
Prince fan community
Welcome! Sign up or enter username and password to remember me
Forum jump
Forums > Prince: Music and More > Princes' guitars - The Early Years
« Previous topic  Next topic »
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
Author

Tweet     Share

Message
Thread started 02/15/10 6:33pm

Soulex

Princes' guitars - The Early Years

Does anyone know what guitars Prince used on his early albums? The first cloud guitar was built in '83 but he had four albums out before that - "For You", "Dirty Mind", Controversy" and "1999". On "For You" he had credits to Chuck Orr, a Minneapolis luthier and Knut Koupee, a local music shop, and on "Dirty Mind" he had a credit to Knut Koupee. I know Chuck Orr built him a thinline Telecaster in '82, but I don't know if he ever used it on an album.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #1 posted 02/15/10 7:48pm

ernestsewell

He had the Hohner since early days.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #2 posted 02/15/10 9:11pm

thebanishedone

avatar

no Ernest on the first two albums and 1979 tour Prince played Gibson guitar.
he bought his Hohner on a gas station in 1980
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #3 posted 02/15/10 9:51pm

ernestsewell

thebanishedone said:

no Ernest on the first two albums and 1979 tour Prince played Gibson guitar.
he bought his Hohner on a gas station in 1980

Uh huh.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #4 posted 02/15/10 10:27pm

squirrelgrease

avatar

Not sure what he recorded with, but he had that L6-S Deluxe on his early tours.

Posted this here: http://prince.org/msg/7/3...sg_7252053



Prince altered this guitar quite a bit. He had his tech/luthier remove the bottom horn, I guess for fret access - this was the first 24 fret Gibson. They also actually cut the whole back of the guitar off and replace it at one time. Probably to add the lights that surround the front of the body.

You can see where it was sliced apart and sandwiched back together here:



Sans horn:



He also had this guitar in the Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad video. Does anyone know what kind of guitar this is?



If prince.org were to be made idiot proof, someone would just invent a better idiot.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #5 posted 02/16/10 4:25am

3121

squirrelgrease said:

Not sure what he recorded with, but he had that L6-S Deluxe on his early tours.

Posted this here: http://prince.org/msg/7/3...sg_7252053



Prince altered this guitar quite a bit. He had his tech/luthier remove the bottom horn, I guess for fret access - this was the first 24 fret Gibson. They also actually cut the whole back of the guitar off and replace it at one time. Probably to add the lights that surround the front of the body.

You can see where it was sliced apart and sandwiched back together here:



Sans horn:



He also had this guitar in the Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad video. Does anyone know what kind of guitar this is?






I never noticed the horn removal on the Gibson before. I am not a tech head by any stretch of the imagination.. I just wondered why they build guitars which make it difficult for fret access? I've played on a Gibson 'something or other' before and it was a nightmare for me. Thats why i love the tele! It just makes sense lol

Also, the white un-identified guitar in the bottom pic looks like a bass, doesn't it? i can only see 4 'nuts'? on the headstock. As to the make and model... i have no clue! lol
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #6 posted 02/16/10 5:00am

jazzz

quote:
He also had this guitar in the Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad video. Does anyone know what kind of guitar this is?

Could this be the Chuck Orr bass? Orr was a minneapolis based luthier who did some work for Prince in the 70's
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #7 posted 02/16/10 6:47am

squirrelgrease

avatar

3121 said:

squirrelgrease said:



He also had this guitar in the Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad video. Does anyone know what kind of guitar this is?






I never noticed the horn removal on the Gibson before. I am not a tech head by any stretch of the imagination.. I just wondered why they build guitars which make it difficult for fret access? I've played on a Gibson 'something or other' before and it was a nightmare for me. Thats why i love the tele! It just makes sense lol

Also, the white un-identified guitar in the bottom pic looks like a bass, doesn't it? i can only see 4 'nuts'? on the headstock. As to the make and model... i have no clue! lol


No, it's definitely a guitar. Andre's miming with a bass in the background. If you look real close, it has six tuners on the white guitar. Two pegs on the bottom like an Ernie Ball. Plus the humbuckers have 12 poles each.
If prince.org were to be made idiot proof, someone would just invent a better idiot.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #8 posted 02/16/10 7:15am

squirrelgrease

avatar

OK. It is a Charles Orr custom guitar. Orr made both a white bass and matching guitar for Prince. The Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad video features the six string. Check out this video at :30 in and you'll see an identical (except for the color) guitar. Note the shape and unique four in a row potentiometer knobs.





Coincidently, I bought some Boss effects pedals from Charley's shop back in the early 90s, but had no idea he had a Prince connection. He was a cool guy. R.I.P.
If prince.org were to be made idiot proof, someone would just invent a better idiot.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #9 posted 02/23/10 3:59pm

1paradise

Awesome
Just LOVE......................... All it's FREE!!!!
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #10 posted 02/24/10 7:32am

thedance

avatar

beutiful pics/ guitars... biggrin
Prince 4Ever. heart
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
« Previous topic  Next topic »
Forums > Prince: Music and More > Princes' guitars - The Early Years