Okay then, first of all I'm new here and I am a big fan of Prince. Anyway I'm trying to find out everything there is to know about the guitars used in the earliest days.

I already know that guitarwise in the early days Prince used either his Hohner or his Gibson L6S (the guitar he is seen playing in the video for "I wanna be your lover")

Dez played a sunburst Fender Stratocaster, a natural colored Telecaster and two Japanese made VOX explorers which differed from each other by having White/Black and Red/black paintjobs

Andre played either Prince's white Guild bass (again an instrument seen in it's owner's hands in the video for "I wanna be your lover") a Tiger striped Fender Jazz bass and a Purple Jazz bass. But when MTV had a special on prince a few months ago I saw footage of him playing a Cloud bass, judging from Prince's hairdo (it was his pre-1999 hairstyle) that cloud bass preceeded the Cloud guitar which Prince started using during the Purple Rain tour.

The Cloud bass re-appeared in the video's for "My name is Prince" and "the most Beautiful girl" but in neither is the bass clearly seen.

My question is can somebody get me a clear picture of the illusive Cloud bass?

I don't know if this helps, but, in the "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" video that I have, Andre is playing a 'Cloud' bass. If I remember correctly it was a light metallic blue one (?). That would have been '79/'80...long before most people saw the 'Cloud guitar' in PR.
[Edited 5/16/05 16:27pm]

During the "Prince: a Celebration" tour of Paisley Park the group I was in got an extended tour that was filmed. I'm not sure if everyone else had the same tour, but we went to an "equipment room" full of guitars and drums and such. The tour guide showed us the cloud bass and explained that it was the inspiration for the cloud guitar. I could have sworn that it was it's natural wooden tone color when I saw it. That was in like 2000.

That particular bass was made by Charles (Chuck) Orr at Knut Koupee music in Minneapolis. Also Prince played an L6-S and a Fender Telecaster early on. Later switching to the Hohner Tele and Red Heartshaped Tele. Dez had an Antiugua Fender Telecaster with a hologram decal on the headstock, a Fender Stratocaster and a Gibson Les Paul Custom.
[Edited 5/17/05 9:53am]

thanks for the replies so far on my inquiery guys but.

I still haven't gotten a picture of Andre or that lefthanded bassplayer who played the could bass in the "Most Beautiful girl" and "My name is Prince" video's playing the could bass.

The reason why I want to see it is because I want to make a replica of it. I work as a luthier.

Newman said:

Co-sign. I remember the same thing when I took the tour.

To the best of my recollection, André was the only on to ever play the "cloud bass." I don't recall Sonny T. playing one.

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

Sonny T plays the Cload bass in both "My name is Prince" and "the most Beautiful girl" video's He plays it upside down but the bass is recognizable because of the long upper horn and the typical cloud headstock.

Saiyaman said:

Um... no. I don't think so.

He is playing an Auerswald style bass, similar but not the same:



Andrés Cloud Bass is identical to Prince's Cloud guitar.




_
[Edited 5/19/05 13:54pm]

TheBatman said:

Sonny T does indeed play an Auerwald bass in several video's such as "get off"and "Cream" but check the footage of "The most beautiful girl" and "My name is Prince and you'll see him play the cloud bass. I am so sure of that that I'm willing to eat my shoes.

In "The most beautiful girl" when the band comes into view you can see Sonny T sitting down playing cloud bass which has the tell tale cloud headstock (there's no mistaking that bass for that black auerswald. The bass is oker pink just like the one Andre plays in your picture.) And in the video for "my name is Prince" When get to see the NPG playing in that dirty alleyway before Prince is seen smashing a sunburst Stratocaster Sonny T is seen playing the cloud bass once again, the headstock and the body shape are clear giveaways that it's not an Auerswald.

Post the pics or the videos. I've never seen Sonny hold a Cloud Bass.

Yeah, but doesn't that cloud bass have like a "flamed" print?

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

Er..

What was the reason again for me to start this thread again?

TO GET PICTURES OF THE CLOUD BASS!