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Prince gear topic: Epiphone guitars Has anyone else noticed that Prince has had a taste for Epiphone guitars, the affordable Gibson, over the years? Especially the versions with the floral pattern on the headstock, the Emperor and the Sheraton (maybe thats what he likes about them). More often played by his guitarists, i wonder if it was his decision to use them or theirs and if they originally were owned by him? I know of at least two pics of Prince playing them himself: one during Parade era that looks like the same Emperor thin body that Miko used in the SOTT movie. The other is the famous pic of Prince sitting and playing the same guitar but with a natural finish while wearing the Scandalous red outfit.Miko can also be seen playing this guitar during the New Years Eve show with Miles Davis as well as Tony M in the Willing and Able video. I wonder if this was the same guitar from the SOTT movie without the paint? Miko also played a Sheraton on the Nude tour in 1990 in a redish sunburst color, the one he plays the fabulous solo on "Do Me Baby" with. Levi played a baby blue Sheraton on the D&P and Symbol period from 91 to 93. Again I wonder if this was the same guitar Miko used on the Nude tour repainted or a different guitar. If anyone has insight in this please feel free to share and clarify. Also feel free to share any pics of Prince or any of his guitarists playing an Epiphone. (I'm horrible with posting pics, sorry..) | |
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I asked myself the same question. I beleive it was resprayed because there are no official release of this guitar in blue. BUT ther headstock still feature the flower inlay, i do not know how you can respray everything except the flower inlay ? The color is fantastic, as alway with any prince guitar. Sheraton is an excellent guitar, back in the days. If you change the electronic, the only weakpoint, they sound awsome !
Except the one he had custom made, I do not remember seeing Prince with an expensive guitar (US strat, gibson reissue etc.) Maybe the pricy Gretsch of Mike Scott... Prince also asked his personal guitar tech to build copies of the symbol guitar, but why ? Auerswald was too expensive for him? Considering how he treated the Symbol copies (thrown away on stage), I beleive they were just cheap copies. | |
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mwu said:
I asked myself the same question. I beleive it was resprayed because there are no official release of this guitar in blue. BUT ther headstock still feature the flower inlay, i do not know how you can respray everything except the flower inlay ? The color is fantastic, as alway with any prince guitar. Sheraton is an excellent guitar, back in the days. If you change the electronic, the only weakpoint, they sound awsome !
Except the one he had custom made, I do not remember seeing Prince with an expensive guitar (US strat, gibson reissue etc.) Maybe the pricy Gretsch of Mike Scott... Prince also asked his personal guitar tech to build copies of the symbol guitar, but why ? Auerswald was too expensive for him? Considering how he treated the Symbol copies (thrown away on stage), I beleive they were just cheap copies. you bring up the most interesting point about this topic: Prince does not seem to care all that much about brand names like most musicians and seems to be quite frugal with what he has: there's the Hohner imitation Tele that he has always played and had repaired over the years, the cloud guitars that he has had repainted(like you said, why not just have another made?), the symbols that you mentioned and then the Epiphones that i truly feel he liked because of the headstock and probably had the same ones repainted. Notice also that he even had the "Epiphone" covered up on the headstock in the pic with the red suit. He reminds me of Paul McCartney who was once asked why he and John Lennon played Epiphones instead of Gibsons and his explanation was something along the lines that he was raised to not waist money on unnessesary things and that he never felt the need to play the most expensive instruments money could buy. i think Prince thinks the same way. they are more interested in how it sounds and in Prince's case how good it looks on him. | |
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i also really like the Sharaton and will probably buy one someday. I also think that Levi's blue guitar was Miko's guitar repainted but like you said, how did they repaint the floral pattern? | |
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I've played some cool Epi jazz boxes and Les Pauls off the rack that were very nice. A lot of people get caught up in the "name brand" instead of just playing them. Epiphone came before Gibson.
I think the Epiphone looks and sounds good on him. They're light and have a great round tone. | |
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I hadn't noticed him using Epiphones, but it makes me kind of happy.
I got an Epiphone several years ago, when there were basically just two (playable) guitars in the shop that I could afford. The Epiphone had flames on it, the other one didn't. Done deal. It was a good (if not logic-based) choice, and I've played it in a lot of gigs since.
[Edited 6/19/12 1:51am] Latest track: https://soundcloud.com/li...-connexion | |
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I always thought that the guitar on the Scandalous picture was a Epiphone Broadway, and the one Levi played was a Casino. |
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Scandalous pic was the Broadway indeed. The blue one Levi played is a Sheraton. | |
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are Broadways thin bodies? it appears that both the sunburst and tan Epiphones that Miko played during the SOTT period were Emperors but with thin bodies, not like the Joe Pass Emperor.. | |
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Yes, Broadways are thin bodies. But I think Miko played a Sheraton, not an Emperor. Or am I mistaken? | |
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David1974 said:
Yes, Broadways are thin bodies. But I think Miko played a Sheraton, not an Emperor. Or am I mistaken? he played a Sheraton on the Nude Tour in '90' but had either an Emperor or Broadway on the Sign o the Times tour but the body was thin like a Sheraton. check the jazz jam from the movie during Miko's solo.. | |
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