Because it's whitnail's thread, I'll post. Usually, I no longer post on these types because I've said this on here many times. I'm a musician, songwriter, producer and performer. I play guitar, bass, keyboards and drums. My main instrument is guitar and I'm primarily a lead guitarist. I've been playing over 3/4 of my life. Almost as long as I've been alive. As some of u know, I've actually played with P's childhood friends and musical cohorts Andre Cymone and Morris Day. And some folks on this site actually own some of my music. I have several influences as a guitarist and prince is certainly one of them. I've been told by many people that I'm good. And that's nice to hear. Me myself, I'll just say that I can definately play. That said, my perspective of P as a guitarist is really simple. P is a very good guitarist. P hasn't ever gotten the credit that he deserves on the instrument because of his other talents. P is such a showman and performer. One of the best ever, really. And then there's P's image, which has always gotten in the way of him being seen as a great guitarist. Most folks can't seperate his image from P, the musician. Other musicians can. BUT musicians don't make up a large percentage of the general public. The media certainly hasn't helped P's cause either. Choosing to focus on other elements of P. That said, comapring P to Hendrix or Vai or Van Halen or Scooby Doo is fruitless. Because it's all subjective. Everyone has their opinion on who are their favorites. And to me, it's all valid. Who's better is never valid. It's the Magic Johnson/Michael Jordon thing. U simply cannot compare those two because the fact is, they were BOTH great. P is an exceptional musician and killer shownan and singer who happens to be a very good guitarist. Period.

That said, comapring P to Hendrix or Vai or Van Halen or Scooby Doo is fruitless.

I will never understand why people swing from the likes of Satriani. He's a robot. Who cares about technique or complexity if it sounds like absolute crap or nothing at all. Music isn't a sport.

I'll never understand why Prince fans get off on trashing other artists.

I'll never understand why Prince fans get off on trashing other artists.

Because it's whitnail's thread, I'll post. Usually, I no longer post on these types because I've said this on here many times. I'm a musician, songwriter, producer and performer. I play guitar, bass, keyboards and drums. My main instrument is guitar and I'm primarily a lead guitarist. I've been playing over 3/4 of my life. Almost as long as I've been alive. As some of u know, I've actually played with P's childhood friends and musical cohorts Andre Cymone and Morris Day. And some folks on this site actually own some of my music. I have several influences as a guitarist and prince is certainly one of them. I've been told by many people that I'm good. And that's nice to hear. Me myself, I'll just say that I can definately play. That said, my perspective of P as a guitarist is really simple. P is a very good guitarist. P hasn't ever gotten the credit that he deserves on the instrument because of his other talents. P is such a showman and performer. One of the best ever, really. And then there's P's image, which has always gotten in the way of him being seen as a great guitarist. Most folks can't seperate his image from P, the musician. Other musicians can. BUT musicians don't make up a large percentage of the general public. The media certainly hasn't helped P's cause either. Choosing to focus on other elements of P. That said, comapring P to Hendrix or Vai or Van Halen or Scooby Doo is fruitless. Because it's all subjective. Everyone has their opinion on who are their favorites. And to me, it's all valid. Who's better is never valid. It's the Magic Johnson/Michael Jordon thing. U simply cannot compare those two because the fact is, they were BOTH great. P is an exceptional musician and killer shownan and singer who happens to be a very good guitarist. Period.

Let me add something else to this. P has always garnered respect from other known guitarists. Clapton to Santana to Van Halen to Vai to many others have all praised P as a guitaist. Anytime any known guitarist is interviewd, they are going to be asked what do they think of Prince as a guitarist. It happens way more times than not. Sometimes the guitarist may mention Prince on their own, giving praise. The reason for this is because P, being such a great performer and songwriter, P truly knows how to showcase his guitar strengths. He understands what impresses the common person on guitar. He does it in the studio and on stage. He understands and executes "flash". He knows when to use it and how to use it. If it's when to use a flurry of notes or a sustained vibrato or when to stretch his mouth open or to make the Hendrix face. It's all apart of his knowledge as a performer. And other performers all realize how great P is when it comes to this. This is something that he has over many other known guitarists. Is his flash and his sense of the dramatic. At times, it makes him appear better than others. And perhaps he is, because he knows how to employ this where others don't. Understand, P knows it's always about showmanship. The thing about P is that he's so much deeper than that as a guitarist though. His knack to grasp an array of styles is crazy. Jazz and blues, to play effectively, is not easy. Yet he does it with flair and style. Which cannot be fronted. Is he better than Robert Jonson or George Benson? Fuck no. But that's besides the point. Taken with ALL of what P does on the axe, along with simply being one of the greatest ever rhythm guitarists, it puts P in a different category.

Not enough live releases... And of the live releases, none of them are on youtube...

I can go on youtube and find live videos of practically any guitarist I want... except Prince.

Nobody will know what he can do live except those that go to his concerts.

I will never understand why people swing from the likes of Satriani. He's a robot. Who cares about technique or complexity if it sounds like absolute crap or nothing at all. Music isn't a sport.

Let me add something else to this. P has always garnered respect from other known guitarists. Clapton to Santana to Van Halen to Vai to many others have all praised P as a guitaist. Anytime any known guitarist is interviewd, they are going to be asked what do they think of Prince as a guitarist. It happens way more times than not. Sometimes the guitarist may mention Prince on their own, giving praise. The reason for this is because P, being such a great performer and songwriter, P truly knows how to showcase his guitar strengths. He understands what impresses the common person on guitar. He does it in the studio and on stage. He understands and executes "flash". He knows when to use it and how to use it. If it's when to use a flurry of notes or a sustained vibrato or when to stretch his mouth open or to make the Hendrix face. It's all apart of his knowledge as a performer. And other performers all realize how great P is when it comes to this. This is something that he has over many other known guitarists. Is his flash and his sense of the dramatic. At times, it makes him appear better than others. And perhaps he is, because he knows how to employ this where others don't. Understand, P knows it's always about showmanship. The thing about P is that he's so much deeper than that as a guitarist though. His knack to grasp an array of styles is crazy. Jazz and blues, to play effectively, is not easy. Yet he does it with flair and style. Which cannot be fronted. Is he better than Robert Jonson or George Benson? Fuck no. But that's besides the point. Taken with ALL of what P does on the axe, along with simply being one of the greatest ever rhythm guitarists, it puts P in a different category.

Let me clarify when I mention is P better than Robert Johnson or George Benson, I'm soley speaking on is he a better blues or jazz guitarist, which he is certainly not. I can also ask is Benson or was Jonhson a better rock guitarist than Prince? And my answer would be Fuck no.

thx, nice read.... i love how p asks 'can i play my guitar?'...

thx, nice read.... i love how p asks 'can i play my guitar?'...

Thank u. By the way, Jimi used to say the same thing before a guitar solo.

Do U play ? ur Answerer would be simple if u did.... first off they can't touch the pick/pinch harmonics Prince can they could never cre8 the Pick slides or the chicken scratch.. their tone is in no compassion to prince .. Prince has literally set a tone then he recreates every time that most guitarist would sell their soul for just one tone of such greatness not to mention that prince goes off the scale using notes not usually used the the scales and i am not talking about going to a different scale or mode the list goes on, there are far to many aspects here to list

in fact he walks the neck of the guitar like it's a sidewalk
[Edited 12/23/07 0:11am]