LETS talk a bout the CLoud Guitar, u know that tone! i think he is using somthing secretley!!! what ya think...

Well babar, I bought a copy of Guitar Player magazine that detailed Prince's guitar rig and it was the most mind-boggling array of pedals, effects and racks, so anyone's guess really. I'd love to sound like him too but I guess tone is in the player's fingers really: Prince would sound like he does if he played through your set-up or mine. As a point of the interest I saw the wonderful Buddy Guy the other night and he just plays straight into an amp!

From the same article about guitar tone:

Producer Jack Joseph Puig told about a session in which he recorded both Eric Clapton and the late George Harrison. Apparently, Clapton was recording a solo and decided to take a break between takes. During his break, Harrison picked up the guitar and attempted to play the same part on the same guitar. Puig was a little nervous in expressing to George that perhaps Clapton's execution was a bit more fitting for the song. George replied, "Well, I had to try."

Sure, most great players have a signature amp or guitar, but really what makes a player stand out is his unique approach to the instrument.

-- http://www.mikegarrigan.c...ke_048.htm

NO NO NO GUYs there is somthing he is using...mabe its the guitar and effects...

babar141 said:

i still cant see whats so special about it. It dont really have that much of a distictive tone. Its just another guitar only this one can make you look like a prince clone

babar - go look into the Boss Octave Divider. That's the secret to the intro/solo on when doves cry. The Octave Divider filters harmonics to create a boomy bass line identical to the notes you're playing.

Also, I know he uses super light strings (8's? 9's?) and paper-thin picks. That would contribute to his tone immensely, because with thinner strings and picks, the notes have less body.

Additionally, you might want to look into height reduction, I understand Prince is under 5 feet tall, so the guitar will look different on you than on him unless you get that height reduction operation.

And don't forget - you'll probably need to have a knuckle removed from each finger because, since he's short, I'm guessing his fingers aren't too long. Shorter fingers results in playing the strings in a different manner than someone with larger fingers - different amount of pressure on the strings.

Next, you'll need to grow a spherical afro, have it straightened, cut it short, then make it curly, then cut it short. And a chain around your waist. I understand he wears some serious footwear which probably affects his tone somewhat, in that he's 3-5 inches higher off the ground than he normally is, which would affect the way he sets the knobs on the effects, amplifiers, etc.

I believe, lastly, you'll need to be in a hugely successful movie that's semi-autobiographical, and then release 2-3 full-on-crap-out films on your own, chasing down that first success in film. With a diminished self-esteem and a hyper-inflated ego, you would be more likely to set the knobs, strings, pickups, effects etc to be exactly like Prince.

Or, screw it, just put on the record and air-guitar your way through a show... that would guarantee the best results with the least amount of work.
[This message was edited Mon Oct 13 7:40:29 PDT 2003 by otan]

...etc.

I agree that the air-guitar technique is by far the best way to achieve the tone of your heroes. However, it took me some months of practise before I realise I was missing the air-strings completely. I use an airpick now, and gage the distance with my little finger.

Believe it or not, I learnt electric guitar before I learnt air guitar. Wise move in hindsight seein' as how difficult the latter can be to master. Don't let that put you off though...once the tchnique is there, the tone will ALWAYS be spot on.

otan said:

One of the best examples of this is the guitar solo from 'Rave' from the classic 'Small CLub' boot...Prince just stomps the octave divider on and plays a guitar AND bass solo...

Otan - I am sure he plays with lightish strings but I seriously doubt he uses "paper thin" picks.

I have a tone and style quite similar to P's...I go for very expressive and colourful...you just can't get that attack that he has with a thin flimsy pick. It don't work.

.
[This message was edited Wed Oct 15 3:39:32 PDT 2003 by mrdespues]

In fact, after reading Otan's post, I found a 60 mm pick (the thinnest I had lying around) and played some P stuff with it. I have to say some things sounded more prince-like. (Kiss solo for instance). I still got a decent attack with it too.(using compression and/or distortion) But maybe 60 mm isn't what you guys consider paper thin. (It is pretty damn thin to me)

forgot to mention the fx edit.

mrdespues said:

[This message was edited Wed Oct 15 4:31:45 PDT 2003 by hectim]

I'm telling you - I read an article back in the mid-80's that he used 8s and played with a .45 pick. I ran out and got them both.

I WOULD agree with you that it's hard to believe he gets that attack on some of those songs - but - don't forget that he also plays with his fingers, popping and slapping and plucking the strings (ladycab driver is a good example). I do the same thing but just on the high E. It's very easy to do it for that attack.

But yeah, you might as well be playing with jello as playing with a .45 pick.

hectim said:

I'm new here so I'll use this as an introduction. I'm a studio guy myself who does it all (though not nearly as well as Prince, but who does). I don't know if anyone has ever seen this feature in Mix magazine but they have a "Classic Tracks" section with interviews with the people who have recorded some of the greatest tracks ever from every genre you can think of. Here's one about "Kiss": http://mixonline.com/ar/a...index.htm.

Also, what is the best book detailing Prince's recording technique? I could care less about his personal life and I'm not interested in those long list of dates about what was recorded where but in real info on the actual sessions. I've heard there are some books available that contain at least some of that. Does anyone have a favorite or two?

Thanks.

I did read once that he uses 0.11 on the telecaster,

BTW, i use a 3mm pick, i hate thin picks

freendeed2 said:

Check out DanceMusicSexRomance by Per Nielsen. It's a mix of personal ups and downs AND some GREAT studio information. Not so much technique and just great shit to know - like the three songs on Under the Cherry Moon - "Christopher Tracy's Parade - New Position - I wonder U" were all recorded in a single take, the FIRST take. The sound engineer comments on it - that you can STILL hear his necklaces jingling on some parts...

crap like that. It's fascinating. And there ARE some specs in there, but it's minimal. But it's the most comprehensive documenatation of his recordings that I've found.

i seriously doubt he uses 8s or 9s for strings. theyd constantly snap!
and i know his picks are average thickness, certainly not paper thin since i have 3 from different tours (thanks to takumi for them!)

daf1999 said:

Listen to his tone. There's no body in the tone whatsoever, the tone comes from the effects. Thinner strings have a thinner tone, less sustain, less bottom.

yess i agree, it not the picks...

I've used 9's on and off for the last 15 years and broken very few, even though I do a lot of wide bends. I do replace them quite often though. But about the picks: would you say they're like a Jim Dunlop medium, thinner or thicker? And what material are they? Nylon like the grey Dunlops or plastic like the imitation tortoise shell? (My name is hectim and I'm a specs junky)

daf1999 said:

IT IS NOT THE PICKS!!!

hectim said:

This is from 20 years ago ... they were the regular old plastic kind... very flimsy. But I could be wrong, maybe it's not the picks ...

I've just been listening closely to some stuff like the Vegas DVD and it DOES sound like he uses a pretty thin pick. Like the clean bit in Whole Lotta Love and the intro to Push & Pull, very little attack. And when he plays rhythm, his wrist looks very relaxed. Not at all like he's holding a thick, stiff slab of plastic. Y'all know what I mean. I suppose it could work if you always practice with an amp and effects. If you practice unplugged, I'll bet you'll be squeezing the pick so hard you'll have RSI in a weeks' time.

thick stiff slab o' edit.
[This message was edited Thu Oct 16 5:08:43 PDT 2003 by hectim]

yeah. the secret to skinny picks is CONTROL (can I get a Janet whut whut). Light light playing. You'll never break a string. Your volume will be controlled. But you'll never get to just frickin SHRED.

With regard to strings, in the article I mentioned from Guitar Player magazine Prince's guitar tech Takumi Suetsugu said that he strings all his solid body guitars with 9-42 DR Highbeams. Didn't say anything about picks though! I think daf1999 would be the authority there as the proud owner of three!

fender said:

Yeah. But I'm talking about 20 years ago. Not today. I play different picks than I did 20 years ago.