Another Bat Cloud pic...

[img:$uid]http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac268/squirrelgrease2009/Guitar/Prince4c_1.jpg[/img:$uid]

squirrelgrease said:

Another Bat Cloud pic...

[img:$uid]http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac268/squirrelgrease2009/Guitar/Prince4c_1.jpg[/img:$uid]

Another pic I've never seen! Thanks

Looks like this is the Roman numeral black cloud...

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v51/groovement/3637.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v51/groovement/CopyofACTI_00.jpg[/img:$uid]

[Edited 9/25/10 18:50pm]

You da man! I always thought something was up with those fret markers in the way they reflected on the black and white photos. Nice work G.

squirrelgrease said:

motherfunka said:

This pic reminds me, I was out at Paisley Park for a show in 1995. There were about 50 guitars suspended from the ceiling in a corner section of the soundstage area. Turns out it was used in the video for I Like It There. Check it out on a certain video site!

Great story. I've referred to that video a few times as it had the not often seen Cloud Bass hanging from the ceiling.

Sonny T uses a cloud bass in the My Name Is Prince video. Zeke described it as rootbeer colored.

It's around the 4 min 50 sec mark.

[Edited 9/26/10 2:18am]

motherfunka said:

squirrelgrease said:

Great story. I've referred to that video a few times as it had the not often seen Cloud Bass hanging from the ceiling.

Sonny T uses a cloud bass in the My Name Is Prince video. Zeke described it as rootbeer colored.

It's around the 4 min 50 sec mark.

[Edited 9/26/10 2:18am]

It could be Prince's Cloud Bass in the MNIP video, as Sonny is a lefty and is miming playing as a righty, but I think that the bass in the video is a Warwick Thumb. It's hard to tell from the crappy web video. This was Sonny's lefty Warwick, which has a long upper horn like the Cloud.

[img:$uid]http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac268/squirrelgrease2009/Guitar/1116138220505_goldbass5_copy.jpg[/img:$uid]

groovement said:

Looks like this is the Roman numeral black cloud...

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v51/groovement/3637.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v51/groovement/CopyofACTI_00.jpg[/img:$uid]

[Edited 9/25/10 18:50pm]

wow! you're right. i never noticed the roman numerals and i have that act 1 program.

squirrelgrease said:

motherfunka said:

Sonny T uses a cloud bass in the My Name Is Prince video. Zeke described it as rootbeer colored.

It's around the 4 min 50 sec mark.

[Edited 9/26/10 2:18am]

It could be Prince's Cloud Bass in the MNIP video, as Sonny is a lefty and is miming playing as a righty, but I think that the bass in the video is a Warwick Thumb. It's hard to tell from the crappy web video. This was Sonny's lefty Warwick, which has a long upper horn like the Cloud.

[img:$uid]http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac268/squirrelgrease2009/Guitar/1116138220505_goldbass5_copy.jpg[/img:$uid]

Actually motherfunka is right. You can see Sonny T only near the end of the video for a quick second with the cloud bass being played upsidedown. looks like the same color as TMBGITW video.

^ Gotcha.

Taken from an article called G-Strings from the fanzine 7, Aug 1995.

The Cloud guitars came into existence, when Prince wanted a prop guitar built for the Purple Rain movie. Originally Prince had seen and bought a similar looking "Sardonix" bass in New York in 1978. After much discussion the first two Clouds were custom built for him by Minneapolis guitar shop Knut Koupee, and according to Barry Haugen and Dave Rousin who built the guitars, these were exactly the same shape as the original bass, but smaller. Another two were later built, and a fifth was built, and given away as part of a competition to promote Around The World In A Day. Apparently Prince loved the curly horned guitars from the moment he got hold of them, their feel and the way they played, both meeting with his agreement, and so he decided to tour with them. After Purple Rain launched Prince into the international spotlight as a guitar hero, it was decided that the Cloud design should be patented as a custom instrument that would be identifiably Prince's. A couple of copies were located and destroyed, and it was agreed that no more would be built. Since then however, more have been assembled and can be bought by special order from the NPG store for around $6000.00. Still, according to Zeke Clark, Prince's current guitar technician, there are around twenty in existence - some of those are basses. The guitars can be seen in countless videos, but a root-beer colored bass can be seen in the My Name Is Prince video. The dimensions of the instrument are unavailable - to protect the instrument from imitations, but for all you guitar freaks out there the neck is a 22 fret custom length. The first guitars had standard dot type neck markings, while later versions have early versions of the love symbol instead. The guitar is a one piece neck through the body construction, made of rock maple. The electronics are fairly simple. Prince loves EMG active pickups. These are smooth featureless pickups which are powered by batteries and are more sensitive to string movement and arguably give a more juiced up sound. The can also be painted to match the color of the guitar body. The first Clouds were painted peach and sky blue, the two subsequent ones have apperared in white, pink, dark blue, black, and citron. Each time Prince came out with a new album the guitars would inevitably come in for re-spray and almost always a repair job. The Clouds lead a dangerous life, according to Barry Haugen of Knut Koupee: "He's settled down a bit now but when he first got them he would throw the guitars about and he's real hard on his equipment. In Germany on the Lovesexy Tour he finished this amazing solo and threw the guitar to his tech as he walked off stage. The poor guy missed it and the headstock hit the ground and snapped. We had to remake the whole headstock and graft it on. We did this thing on German TV (in 1991) and he did the same thing, just launched this guitar into the air. I'm going, "Oh my God, get the tool box out guys", but everything was ok.

[Edited 9/26/10 15:50pm]

^ Fantastic post, motherfunka! It solves a lot of riddles for me. Thanks a lot.

Now I need a photo of that Pink Cloud...

More Bat Git pix...

[img:$uid]http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac268/squirrelgrease2009/Guitar/prince1831vy.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac268/squirrelgrease2009/Guitar/NUDE_3.jpg[/img:$uid]

[IMG]I'm so fucking old and blind edit[/IMG]

[Edited 9/27/10 19:58pm]

squirrelgrease said:

^ Fantastic post, motherfunka! It solves a lot of riddles for me. Thanks a lot.

Now I need a photo of that Pink Cloud...

Totally agree! When I read that, I was like That is one I have never seen. The article also discusses the Les Paul, Hohner Telecaster, and Auerswald guitars as well. Times like this I wish I had a freaking scanner, but will type it out if you want???

motherfunka said:

squirrelgrease said:

^ Fantastic post, motherfunka! It solves a lot of riddles for me. Thanks a lot.

Now I need a photo of that Pink Cloud...

Totally agree! When I read that, I was like That is one I have never seen. The article also discusses the Les Paul, Hohner Telecaster, and Auerswald guitars as well. Times like this I wish I had a freaking scanner, but will type it out if you want???

No hurry, but it would be much appreciated when you get a chance.

Double post.

[Edited 9/26/10 18:06pm]

Wow l0l you people sure can pull up a lot of interesting pictures of Mr.Nelson... Haha

squirrelgrease said:

[img:$uid]http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac268/squirrelgrease2009/Guitar/CM027.jpg[/img:$uid]

Actually, I think this guitar has the 'symbol' fret markers. They seem to be pointing toward the floor, and notice how the two of them are arranged differently than the bats were on the twelfth fret?

eyewishuheaven said:

squirrelgrease said:

[img:$uid]http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac268/squirrelgrease2009/Guitar/CM027.jpg[/img:$uid]

Actually, I think this guitar has the 'symbol' fret markers. They seem to be pointing toward the floor, and notice how the two of them are arranged differently than the bats were on the twelfth fret?

Oops. I believe you're right. I just blew it up. My mom told me my eyesight would go...

motherfunka said:

Taken from an article called G-Strings from the fanzine 7, Aug 1995.

The Cloud guitars came into existence, when Prince wanted a prop guitar built for the Purple Rain movie. Originally Prince had seen and bought a similar looking "Sardonix" bass in New York in 1978. After much discussion the first two Clouds were custom built for him by Minneapolis guitar shop Knut Koupee, and according to Barry Haugen and Dave Rousin who built the guitars, these were exactly the same shape as the original bass, but smaller. Another two were later built, and a fifth was built, and given away as part of a competition to promote Around The World In A Day. Apparently Prince loved the curly horned guitars from the moment he got hold of them, their feel and the way they played, both meeting with his agreement, and so he decided to tour with them. After Purple Rain launched Prince into the international spotlight as a guitar hero, it was decided that the Cloud design should be patented as a custom instrument that would be identifiably Prince's. A couple of copies were located and destroyed, and it was agreed that no more would be built. Since then however, more have been assembled and can be bought by special order from the NPG store for around $6000.00. Still, according to Zeke Clark, Prince's current guitar technician, there are around twenty in existence - some of those are basses. The guitars can be seen in countless videos, but a root-beer colored bass can be seen in the My Name Is Prince video. The dimensions of the instrument are unavailable - to protect the instrument from imitations, but for all you guitar freaks out there the neck is a 22 fret custom length. The first guitars had standard dot type neck markings, while later versions have early versions of the love symbol instead. The guitar is a one piece neck through the body construction, made of rock maple. The electronics are fairly simple. Prince loves EMG active pickups. These are smooth featureless pickups which are powered by batteries and are more sensitive to string movement and arguably give a more juiced up sound. The can also be painted to match the color of the guitar body. The first Clouds were painted peach and sky blue, the two subsequent ones have apperared in white, pink, dark blue, black, and citron. Each time Prince came out with a new album the guitars would inevitably come in for re-spray and almost always a repair job. The Clouds lead a dangerous life, according to Barry Haugen of Knut Koupee: "He's settled down a bit now but when he first got them he would throw the guitars about and he's real hard on his equipment. In Germany on the Lovesexy Tour he finished this amazing solo and threw the guitar to his tech as he walked off stage. The poor guy missed it and the headstock hit the ground and snapped. We had to remake the whole headstock and graft it on. We did this thing on German TV (in 1991) and he did the same thing, just launched this guitar into the air. I'm going, "Oh my God, get the tool box out guys", but everything was ok.

[Edited 9/26/10 15:50pm]

The Clouds lead a dangerous life. what a cool article, thanks. I have noticed Prince is pretty rough on his guitars and have wondered if his guitar techs ever miss when he throws them.

squirrelgrease said:

unique said:

there was the original white cloud guitar and then 4 others called north, south, east and west (they have nameplates on the back saying that), the blue angel is west and belongs to a fan. the black one was given away onstage to an MTV competition winner in about 1990. there were more cloud guitars and sometimes they would be resprayed different colours, so he didn't have a stream of loads of them in different colours, they were repainted to match his moods

i think the photo of the guitars is from the nude tour program

I think this may be from the same photo session as the Nude Tour book image (circa 1989):

[img:$uid]http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac268/squirrelgrease2009/Guitar/sky89princeguitar.jpg[/img:$uid]

That pic is from Interview magazine. 89/90.

squirrelgrease said:

Wow. Thanks Groovement. I've never seen that article before... I love it!

It's from Musician magazine, IIRC.

I'm the owner of the Bat-Guitar

Funklov said:

squirrelgrease said:

Another Bat Cloud pic...

[img:$uid]http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac268/squirrelgrease2009/Guitar/Prince4c_1.jpg[/img:$uid]

Another pic I've never seen! Thanks

wow...never seen that one before....great pic!

BartVanHemelen said:

squirrelgrease said:

Wow. Thanks Groovement. I've never seen that article before... I love it!

It's from Musician magazine, IIRC.

Yep. International Musician And Recording World: http://www.princeinprint....ician.html

Now that PIP is up, I can read the whole article.

squirrelgrease said:

motherfunka said:

Totally agree! When I read that, I was like That is one I have never seen. The article also discusses the Les Paul, Hohner Telecaster, and Auerswald guitars as well. Times like this I wish I had a freaking scanner, but will type it out if you want???

No hurry, but it would be much appreciated when you get a chance.

Here goes:

Prince refuses to endorse any products-most equipment has been customized, the manufacturer's logo taken off and often replaced with the symbol. Just check out the amplifier stacks in his video for The Most Beautiful Girl In The World (Mustang Mix). His first guitars, however, were standard off-the-shelf models, the earliest being the Les Paul style number he used for the I Wanna Be Your Lover clip. the first of two Les Paul copies Prince picked up was covered in leopard skin type pattern-matching his early stage threads. The other had a light colored top (and a lesser visual impact). Around the time of Dirty Mind however, Prince developed a liking for Hohner Telecaster copies. Once again these were pretty straight-ahead guitars, straight off-the-shelf models. Although a relatively cheap instrument, apparently Prince like the tone and it's "raggedy" sound suited the general feel of Dirty Mind and Controversy. So a small aresenal of these guitars were assembled-99% of them with tortoise shell pick guards and leopard skin straps. All these guitars, as with later guitars, are fitted with wireless systems, which allow Prince to run around on stage without getting tangled in cords, or inadvertently unplugging himself in a fit of impassioned playing. It seems obvious that the Hohner Teles really did their job well, as they featured as Prince's (abused) stage guitars (and occasional sexual prop) until the Nude Tour in 1990. As far as can be seen, these guitars have since retired-convalescing in Prince's large collection; others are on display in the NPG stores. Hohner guitars issued a new telecaster model in 1991, cheekily dubbed "The Prinz-definitely not a Prince endorsement, but then not directly using any of Prince's trademarks either. The simplicity of the Telecaster design were part of the inspiration for a newer instrument which was to become identifiably Prince's.

The Cloud guitars portion of the article.

The 90's have brought a new look and also new sounds for Prince. The first of a strange new shaped guitar was used live for The Nude Tour. According to Controversy Magazine, Prince received a custom made guitar as a gift from Princess Gloria of Thurn Und Taxis in Germany. Built by German luthier Jerry Auerswald, Prince left the original at home and ordered a number of replicas from Auerswald to take on the road. The guitars feature EMG pickups, fine tuning tail pieces, and most importantly, the lower horn protrudes from the guitar body and meets at the head stock in a large angular loop. This is not just for cosmetic purposes, as the bar stabilizes the neck, thus generating a purer signal and a greater sustain of notes. Just check out the video for the Question Of U to see Prince squeezing out a live solo consisting of some very long notes. The Auerswald guitars exist also as a number of basses-a gunmetal colored version can be seen in the ten minute documentary Prince:A Musical Portrait where Prince lays down a bass solo for Partyman. Like all Prince guitars, these are all fitted with gold-plated hardware, EMG pickups and Nady wireless systems.

[Edited 9/29/10 17:47pm]

Although used live, the Auerswald guitars aren't used in the studio as much as the favored clouds. For Diamonds and Pearls, Prince primarily played all guitar parts on the Cloud axes, plus a bit here and there on Teles. Probably one of the most outstanding things about the guitar work on Diamonds and Pearls, is the amazing array of harmonized and processed guitar sounds. Sounds for Live 4 Love, Thunder, and Cream were all achieved using Prince's latest infatuation-the Zoom 9002 and the Zoom 9030. These are small walkman sized units which can be programmed to provide an unlimited array of effects. Levi Seacer comments, "To tell the truth, I don't know how Prince got those sounds! He goes through effects pretty fast, kindof like when Hendrix used to play. He just had some effects that he liked, and every two seconds he'd click them switches. I don't think he could actually recall what he did. It was just at the time he was feeling it."

Obviously the Auerswald guitars impressed Prince greatly, because he ordered a new guitar from Auerswald with the simple instructions: "I want it to look like my name." As the earlier white Auerswald guitars coincidentally resembled a highly stylised version of the symbol, the new guitar arrived fulfilling his order and looking remarkably like Prince's name-not an easy task for any guitar maker! The original model boasts a 90 year old rock maple body, 120 year old curly maple neck, 24 fret ebony fingerboard, fine tuning bridge, as well as the usual gold plated brass hardware and EMG pickups. The original Auerswald version features fretboard marking of the symbol on the 12th fret and a loveheart on the 24th. Two copies were later made by Zeke Clark and Andy Beach, one black and one gold, but with fixed Fender style bridges and 22 fret necks, with a symbol on the 12th, and a loveheart on the 19th. This has now become Prince's main instrument, both live and in the studio. He has also been using a "one eyed bass"- a Warwick bass with a custom paint job of a woman's eye.

^ thanks for the infos.

Here is a better pic...

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v51/groovement/002.jpg[/img:$uid]

Damn, I love this thread. Thank you for the ongoing contributions, everyone!

motherfunka said:

No kidding! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

What an absolutely great read. It answers all kinds of questions. He does use the Clouds in the studio. The touring Model Cs were not the the one given to him. I never noticed that the subsequent Symbol guitars had less frets. Also, I thought the Gibson L6-S Deluxe with the leopard print and lights on it was singular and went through various stages of customization. Didn't know he had two.

Bravo for taking time to type that out. It's very much appreciated. I saved the text.

Here's a couple screencaps from The Ride live video, which shows the black Symbol and its damaged lower horn. It had broken off and apparently fixed with some Elmer's. I think I remember someone here saying they witnessed him breaking it - don't know which show.

[img:$uid]http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac268/squirrelgrease2009/Guitar/Picture5.png[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac268/squirrelgrease2009/Guitar/Picture1-1.png[/img:$uid]