Prince has had many guitars over the years, but one in particular has followed him since his early days...I never noticed this until now!







Anybody else have any???

Thanks for the pics and the trip down memory lane. Somebody should try and dig up some shots from 3 August 1983!

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cool never noticed that!

Indeed. If I'm not mistaken, he got his Hohner in 1980 and has been using it ever since.

Love the pics where he is licking it

Here R A few more:

FuNkeNsteiN said:

Correct, thatss got to be my favorite Tele

I still haven´t figured out where he bought that Hohner guitar...was it for thirty dollars at a gas station, as mentioned somewhere a few years back, or was it at a Minnneapolis music store ? I know it´s not the same model anymore since he has a plethora of copies of that model but still it´s nice to see him still using that Hohner model, I like it that even the mercurial and ever changing Prince feels at least some sort of nostalgia that comes with it.

It's lasted longer than any of his women have! :lol:Lucky Guitar


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Does anyone know the last time he used the Auerswald Model C? He used it a lot on the Nude Tour and its amazing sustain meant there were some great solos. Not seen it used since then though....

Don't know how true this is or not, but I remember a couple of years back when I was searching message boards about Prince's guitar. One particular poster had put an ad in the newspaper to sell his Hohner telecaster. He was contacted by people from Prince's camp to purchase the guitar. So the guitar he is using may not be the same one.

wickyb said:

Explain sustain. I mean, I would "REALLY" like to know about it and the great advantages of it!

I've always wondered why he played and still plays that Hohner Telecaster. I mean Hohner guitars are cheap and not known as the best guitars in the world in terms of quality. I played a Hohner back in the 80's. I purchased it for about a 150 bucks. Perhaps it's his first guitar and has an emotional bond with it.

Christaro said:

I heard that he bought that "Hohner" in a pawn shop either in exhange from or along with a "Fender Telecaster".....or was it a "Fender Stratocaster"!?! Man, I don't know! It was one or the other. Hell, I'd also like to know the difference between those two.

FarrahMoan said:

It's how long the guitar can hold a note before it 'decays' (fades out), just think of a sustain pedal on a piano.

I'm not a guitarist so excuse the lack of technical terms, but because of the extra bar linking the head of the guitar to the body, it enables the strings to continue vibrating longer.

Basically with this guitar you could play a note, go and brush your teeth and it'd still be sounding when you came back...

wickyb said:

Here' a shot...don't know what period this is from though...

wickyb said:

Ooh, like that one time when "Carlos Santana" was playing "Europa" on a live performance somewhere. Yeah, I have got to get me one of those! But, the thing about that is that they probably cost an arm and a leg. Sucks for me. Man, and I am really starting to love this instrument "SO" much, it's crazy. I used to not care for it all that much because my guitar wasn't doing a damn thing, but now I heard that my "Action" could be the reason. Plus, I once rocked out on this other random guitar just improvising; not really knowing "WHAT" the hell I was doing. So, I knew something was up and I am not giving up hope.

wickyb said:

yeah that's the reason I have such beautiful teeth.

I wonder if that's the same exact Hohner, or whether he hasn't had copies made throughout the years. Same for the tortoise-shell pickguard and stripe from the bridge. I mean, the neck shows no wear in the more recent photos, for example.

At any rate, yes, it shows a devotion to a particular-looking guitar throughout the decades.

Christaro said:

I've played lots of "cheaper" guitars that play alot better than their expensive counterparts. Regardless, I read somewhere that Prince had alot of work done on the Hohners. I read that Prince's hohner's were very noisy when recording with them. The sound engineers didn't like working with the hohners at first.

jus went thru mah photobucket...














only got this one as a gif....

Does anybody have any 'GOLD ERA' pictures with him playing his Hohner?? I have NEVER seen one & I am almost positive that he didn't play it during that era because "Prince was Dead" so he played the 0(+> Guitar.

u got to be kidding. I been following this guitar since 79. I remember when the only jewlery he wore was that cross until Mayte

Shawnt24 said:

Ok, but why not buying a Fender Telecaster? What's this Hohner thing? Is he too avarisious to buy a decent guitar? Why all this modifications on a cheap guitar? I just don't get it

Christaro said:

Eh who really knows? Maybe it's to be different? It's his first guitar? I know they don't make that guitar model anymore. There are some Hohner Le Prinz's floating around, but that model was based on the model he has. I see he's added a custom shop fender stratocaster to collection, but the most of the time he is using his Hohner. There is nothing like playing a guitar that you have spent alot of time with.
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Bishop31 said:

Hey, that´s an interesting observation...now that you mention it, I think I´ve never seen him play it during that era either....and I´ve seen a few shows and aftershows during that era. When exactly did he start using the Hohner again ?

Shawnt24 said:

Its a musician thing...
My first guitar was a lavender cheap as Mexi stratocaster, that sounded beautiful..
I keep making modifications to it,
and its the only guitar i play live with because of nostalgic reasons.

KoolEaze said:

If I can remember correctly I thing it was after he took his name back. No earlier than the ONA tour.