Andre Cymone told a story about how he saw a bass in a music shop, and loved it, but didn't have the cash to buy it. So he asked Prince to, and he did. He was enamored with it. Cymone can be seen playing it in the video for "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad". I never really noted that before.

Sonny T. played what looks to be the same bass in the video for "My Name Is Prince".

There's a good article about it here.

[Edited 6/15/16 0:21am]

I just read that article a few minutes ago and then I come here and see your post. What a coincidence.

I wonder who created that original Cloud bass guitar. It´s strange that even that luthier from Minneapolis wasn´t able to figure it out.

What´s also strange is that he talks about the Hohner as if there was only one Hohner but as far as I know there have always been several. I remember seeing at least two of them in the tour book for the Nude tour.

That article you´ve linked to is a great read but what bothered me a little bit is that the luthier says that the Cloud was used for those live tracks that were then used for the album but that is not the case because, as most of us know, Prince used the Hohner during that 08/03/1983 show at First Ave.

"a big giant poster of Jimi Hendrix on the wall"...Cool!!! Thank you for posting that..Never knew that there was a contest for the other guitar. I wonder if the winner still has it?....Great interview. Hopefully the other guitar magazines and sites will do the same. My buddy who works at Guitar World told me they plan on doing something for P in a upcoming issue. What the details are and how big (or small) it will be was unsaid, but I'll be looking for it.

Great, interesting article. Thanks.

KoolEaze said:

That article you´ve linked to is a great read but what bothered me a little bit is that the luthier says that the Cloud was used for those live tracks that were then used for the album but that is not the case because, as most of us know, Prince used the Hohner during that 08/03/1983 show at First Ave.

Yeah, that bugged me too. I mean, not every guitar maker knows every show or recording session for an artist, so it was an honest mistake. Frankly, until I saw that 1983 video (sometime in the mid 90s) I thought he used it, too. It was convincing enough in the movie.

SPYZFAN1 said:

"a big giant poster of Jimi Hendrix on the wall"...Cool!!! Thank you for posting that..Never knew that there was a contest for the other guitar. I wonder if the winner still has it?....Great interview. Hopefully the other guitar magazines and sites will do the same. My buddy who works at Guitar World told me they plan on doing something for P in a upcoming issue. What the details are and how big (or small) it will be was unsaid, but I'll be looking for it.

Remember that, and if my memory is right on this, Prince's cloud guitars were 3/4 size, not full size. I always thought the Hohner looked gigantic next to him compared to the clouds, which were much more proportional to this petite frame.

TrivialPursuit said:

SPYZFAN1 said:

"a big giant poster of Jimi Hendrix on the wall"...Cool!!! Thank you for posting that..Never knew that there was a contest for the other guitar. I wonder if the winner still has it?....Great interview. Hopefully the other guitar magazines and sites will do the same. My buddy who works at Guitar World told me they plan on doing something for P in a upcoming issue. What the details are and how big (or small) it will be was unsaid, but I'll be looking for it.

Remember that, and if my memory is right on this, Prince's cloud guitars were 3/4 size, not full size. I always thought the Hohner looked gigantic next to him compared to the clouds, which were much more proportional to this petite frame.

I think Spyzfan1 was referring to how big or small the upcoming article in Guitar World magazine is going to be, not how big or small the Cloud guitar is.

I´m surprised that the company of the cloud bass guitar never sued Prince or Knut Koupee guitars for copying their design.

KoolEaze said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Remember that, and if my memory is right on this, Prince's cloud guitars were 3/4 size, not full size. I always thought the Hohner looked gigantic next to him compared to the clouds, which were much more proportional to this petite frame.

I think Spyzfan1 was referring to how big or small the upcoming article in Guitar World magazine is going to be, not how big or small the Cloud guitar is.

Yeah, I know, but I was just adding that many fans who have them made actually order them 3/4 size on special order to match Prince's.

I don't play guitar, but I've sure thought about picking one up lately.

I also just realized that Josh Dunham played a bass with Prince that mimicked the cloud design, but his is called the "Cora", presumably his own design.

lol..Thanks KoolEaze. Hopefully Guitar World (and Guitar Player) will do something nice. He's always done good interviews with them. It would also be cool if they spoke with his former guitar techs too.

TrivialPursuit said:

KoolEaze said:

I think Spyzfan1 was referring to how big or small the upcoming article in Guitar World magazine is going to be, not how big or small the Cloud guitar is.

Yeah, I know, but I was just adding that many fans who have them made actually order them 3/4 size on special order to match Prince's.

I don't play guitar, but I've sure thought about picking one up lately.

Well, now that you mention it, that sounds interesting. So were those Schecter replica Cloud guitars sold via NPGM different in size, more like normal guitars since they were supposed to be bought and played by people other than Prince?

I saw one at the 2002 celebration. A fan was holding one in his hands, I don´t recall why but I think there was some sort of lottery or something like that...but I couldn´t really tell whether it was bigger than Prince´s own Cloud guitar.

.

I think it´s wonderful that Prince had not just one but at least three iconic , trademark guitars when most rockstars have only one, and that one model is often boring.

But Prince had the mighty Hohner, the Cloud, the Symbol (Habibi), and if you want to count the Model C he even had four though I don´t like the Model C that much.

I wonder if the Cloud that he destroyed in Yokohama during the last Revolution concert was the very first, original Cloud that was made.

But I´ve also seen pictures from the Parade tour where Prince is playing a black Cloud (though not completely black because the neck is not completely black).

.

.

By the way....what model was that guitar that he plays in the America video? I know it belonged to Wendy and it was painted blue with some flowers on it but was that also a Hohner, just painted blue? Or was it a whole different Telecaster?

I remember reading somewhere that Wendy's blue Tele was custom made by Sadowsky. I always thought that was a unique guitar and it sounded pretty nice.

SPYZFAN1 said:

I remember reading somewhere that Wendy's blue Tele was custom made by Sadowsky. I always thought that was a unique guitar and it sounded pretty nice.

Thanks for the info. And you are right...I googled your info and found this link. It´s interesting to know that some of the Hohners he played were actually not Hohners at all but replicas made by Sadowsky.

http://www.tdpri.com/thre...ce.632078/

SPYZFAN1 said:

I remember reading somewhere that Wendy's blue Tele was custom made by Sadowsky. I always thought that was a unique guitar and it sounded pretty nice.

And I never did see that flowery blue guitar again. Her purple guitar (the huge thing from "When Doves Cry", and the PR tour) was stolen, and never recovered.

Didn't she sometimes have an odd shaped guitar for "Girls and Boys" video? I think it had the black & white paisley pattern on it, similar to Bobby's drums.

The "P.R" guitar was a Rickenbacker, but I was never sure if it was a real Ric or a replica. Wow, that guitar was stolen?? Never knew that. I always dug the sound she got of that....The odd shaped guitar is a Roland synth guitar...it gave her that weird, funky horn like sound on "Girls And Boys".

SPYZFAN1 said:

The "P.R" guitar was a Rickenbacker, but I was never sure if it was a real Ric or a replica. Wow, that guitar was stolen?? Never knew that. I always dug the sound she got of that....The odd shaped guitar is a Roland synth guitar...it gave her that weird, funky horn like sound on "Girls And Boys".

Good info. I never knew any of that. I'm not a guitar guy, although I'm fascinated with them. Rickenbacker sounds familiar now that you say it. But yeah, I never knew that, but she told me that once on a radio show. Even then (a few years ago), she seemed bummed about it.

SPYZFAN1 said:

.

The "P.R" guitar was a Rickenbacker, but I was never sure if it was a real Ric or a replica. Wow, that guitar was stolen?? Never knew that. I always dug the sound she got of that....

.

I belong to a Rickenbacker forum and we were talking about Wendy's guitar recently. We wondered why such an iconic Rickenbacker wasn't making any appearances in shows or magazines. Someone sent her an email and she immediately answered it:

.

"it was stolen long ago"

.

What a bummer. A bummer for Rickenbacker fans and Prince fans.

.

As far as it being a real Ric or replica, we disussed that. Yes, it is a Rickenbacker 330...but heavily modified. The paint, truss rod cover, pickguards, controls, wiring harness, pickups, tuners, and tailpiece have all been swapped out.

.

[img:$uid]http://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8e/8d/12/8e8d12c3d86e9d4fdeafa89806aee01f.jpg[/img:$uid]

That is so cool. Rickenbackers are usually associated with jangly pop music (The Byrds, The Beatles, The Bangles) but Wendy had that thing modded out to funk hard on.

SPYZFAN1 said:

That is so cool. Rickenbackers are usually associated with jangly pop music (The Byrds, The Beatles, The Bangles) but Wendy had that thing modded out to funk hard on.

.

Yeah, Rickenbackers are mostly associated with jangle pop. The Beatles made them famous and Rickenbacker became thee guitar to own in the '60s. Wendy, a Beatle fan, went for the Ric and modded it out, as you say, for funk.

.

Many Rickenbacker players have led me to buy Rickenbackers...maybe even Wendy. I have three Rics and the blue one in this pic is the same model as Wendy's. Ric doesn't make purple guitars, so blue is as close as I could get.

.

[img:$uid]http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv224/taxmanharrison/61fix4_zpsf7b4846f.jpg[/img:$uid]

Very nice. That blue one almost looks purpl-ish. I bet they all sound amazing.

SPYZFAN1 said:

That is so cool. Rickenbackers are usually associated with jangly pop music (The Byrds, The Beatles, The Bangles) but Wendy had that thing modded out to funk hard on.

I have to say, there are moments I hated on the Purple Rain Tour with that guitar, especially during "Baby I'm A Star", when they'd go into that 16 hour jam, that her guitar was just horrible. It wasn't her as a player, it was just the part she was playing. It had that jangly thing to it, and it was ear-numbing.

TrivialPursuit said:

.

was just the part she was playing. It had that jangly thing to it, and it was ear-numbing.

.

That jangle is the best part!!!!

.

The long live version of "I Would Die 4 U" from that tour also features that jangly rhythm played by Wendy on her Ric. Jangle. Hey, you either love it or not. I love it...and spent a fortune on guitars to get that tone.

I agree. That "jangly" part (in the long version) almost has a funky, melodic middle eastern vibe to it.

Cloreen said:

TrivialPursuit said:

.

That jangle is the best part!!!!

.

The long live version of "I Would Die 4 U" from that tour also features that jangly rhythm played by Wendy on her Ric. Jangle. Hey, you either love it or not. I love it...and spent a fortune on guitars to get that tone.

Bruh, we're gon' have to agree to disagree on that. However, the hook in "I Would Die 4 U" is good. It's in the "GOOD GOD!" jam parts in "Baby I'm A Star" that are nerve-racking.

Small point - I really don't think any of the cloud guitars were 3/4 scale. They look full size to me, the neck definitely is full length anyway (has been confirmed as similar scale length to a Gibson Les Paul).

Would love to know if there's any more info out there on the cloud bass from Why U Wanna Treat Me So Bad.

ian said:

Small point - I really don't think any of the cloud guitars were 3/4 scale. They look full size to me, the neck definitely is full length anyway (has been confirmed as similar scale length to a Gibson Les Paul).

Would love to know if there's any more info out there on the cloud bass from Why U Wanna Treat Me So Bad.

I didn't pull that out of the sky - it's from articles I've read over the years. I remember fans saying they purposely bought the same size to mimic the one Prince had, instead of full size.

TrivialPursuit said:

ian said:

Small point - I really don't think any of the cloud guitars were 3/4 scale. They look full size to me, the neck definitely is full length anyway (has been confirmed as similar scale length to a Gibson Les Paul).

Would love to know if there's any more info out there on the cloud bass from Why U Wanna Treat Me So Bad.

I didn't pull that out of the sky - it's from articles I've read over the years. I remember fans saying they purposely bought the same size to mimic the one Prince had, instead of full size.

Yeah but I don't think it is true.

ian said:

Yeah but I don't think it is true.

That doesn't matter to me, honestly. I know what I read.

Cloreen said: