I once read an article about the guitar. It was made by a Swiss or a German guy if I recall correctly. It was back in the Nineties. He told the interviewer that Prince told him his ideas and according to that he made the guitars. However, I don't know any more details...

[Edited 3/26/13 8:10am]

PrivateJoy1981657 said:

I was just wondering if Prince designed his own guitars or he had someone do that for him?

I do not think he does. Maybe he had an idea for the guitar and the cloud was first seen in as a bass in one of Prince album videos.

But Prince did hold a patent on some improvements to the keytar he called the "purple axe"

http://www.google.com/pat...id=D349127

PrivateJoy1981657 said:

I was just wondering if Prince designed his own guitars or he had someone do that for him?

no

the guitars he used were designed by other people, he saw them and choose them. most are standard guitars. the symbol guitar was made by someone else, sent to p and p got copies made

unique said:

PrivateJoy1981657 said:

I was just wondering if Prince designed his own guitars or he had someone do that for him?

no

the guitars he used were designed by other people, he saw them and choose them. most are standard guitars. the symbol guitar was made by someone else, sent to p and p got copies made

Do you happen to know why that luthier from Chicago sued him in the 90s over copyright issues regarding that symbol guitar when it was actually designed by German luthier Jerry Auerswald ? I never really understood what that lawsuit was about. Or was it about not paying the Chicago luthier for making copies of the symbol guitar?

KoolEaze said:

unique said:

no

the guitars he used were designed by other people, he saw them and choose them. most are standard guitars. the symbol guitar was made by someone else, sent to p and p got copies made

Do you happen to know why that luthier from Chicago sued him in the 90s over copyright issues regarding that symbol guitar when it was actually designed by German luthier Jerry Auerswald ? I never really understood what that lawsuit was about. Or was it about not paying the Chicago luthier for making copies of the symbol guitar?

i can't remember but i don't think auerswald designed it, it was someone else who made a 23 fret version and the copies were 21 fret. i think he was sued for copying the 23 fret one, but he may have been sued for not paying for the copies. it was the other guitar that aurswald made, there was the bass guitar originally then the 6 string guitar model c

[img:$uid]http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac268/squirrelgrease2009/Guitar/auerswald_model_c.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/parramatta/modelc.png[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2175/2098351611_8946cc1632_z.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://chandler.revolution.pagesperso-orange.fr/Prince/habibi.jpg[/img:$uid]

PrivateJoy1981657 said:

I was just wondering if Prince designed his own guitars or he had someone do that for him?

Never mind that, who designs your avatars ???????

unique said:

KoolEaze said:

Do you happen to know why that luthier from Chicago sued him in the 90s over copyright issues regarding that symbol guitar when it was actually designed by German luthier Jerry Auerswald ? I never really understood what that lawsuit was about. Or was it about not paying the Chicago luthier for making copies of the symbol guitar?

i can't remember but i don't think auerswald designed it, it was someone else who made a 23 fret version and the copies were 21 fret. i think he was sued for copying the 23 fret one, but he may have been sued for not paying for the copies. it was the other guitar that aurswald made, there was the bass guitar originally then the 6 string guitar model c

[img:$uid]http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac268/squirrelgrease2009/Guitar/auerswald_model_c.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/parramatta/modelc.png[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2175/2098351611_8946cc1632_z.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://chandler.revolution.pagesperso-orange.fr/Prince/habibi.jpg[/img:$uid]

Auerswald made the original symbol with 24 tracks, The 22 fret copy was made by Schechter. The Luthier who made a symbol and sued designed one speculatively but Prince didn't like it and commisioned one from Jerry Auerswald http://www.symbol-guitar.com/

chopingard said:

unique said:

i can't remember but i don't think auerswald designed it, it was someone else who made a 23 fret version and the copies were 21 fret. i think he was sued for copying the 23 fret one, but he may have been sued for not paying for the copies. it was the other guitar that aurswald made, there was the bass guitar originally then the 6 string guitar model c

Auerswald made the original symbol with 24 tracks, The 22 fret copy was made by Schechter. The Luthier who made a symbol and sued designed one speculatively but Prince didn't like it and commisioned one from Jerry Auerswald http://www.symbol-guitar.com/

ah, i knew someone did the symbol first and p got someone to copy it (and that's the guy that sued), just couldn't remember the name. i didn't think the 22 fret copys were by schechter tho, the shite ones that were for sale online were schechter, but i thought it was the guy who did the cloud guitars who did the symbol copies that prince used

unique said:

chopingard said:

Auerswald made the original symbol with 24 tracks, The 22 fret copy was made by Schechter. The Luthier who made a symbol and sued designed one speculatively but Prince didn't like it and commisioned one from Jerry Auerswald http://www.symbol-guitar.com/

ah, i knew someone did the symbol first and p got someone to copy it (and that's the guy that sued), just couldn't remember the name. i didn't think the 22 fret copys were by schechter tho, the shite ones that were for sale online were schechter, but i thought it was the guy who did the cloud guitars who did the symbol copies that prince used

Nah P never used the lawsuit guitar and looked not very much like the one we all know by the sound of things.

The original Gold and White ones are I think Gerry Auerswald but the Black glitter is a 22 fret copy and the Purple Habibi (the one he used at the superbowl) with the tremelo is definatly a Schecter copy. They even showed it off at one of the big conventions

chopingard said:

unique said:

ah, i knew someone did the symbol first and p got someone to copy it (and that's the guy that sued), just couldn't remember the name. i didn't think the 22 fret copys were by schechter tho, the shite ones that were for sale online were schechter, but i thought it was the guy who did the cloud guitars who did the symbol copies that prince used

Nah P never used the lawsuit guitar and looked not very much like the one we all know by the sound of things.

The original Gold and White ones are I think Gerry Auerswald but the Black glitter is a 22 fret copy and the Purple Habibi (the one he used at the superbowl) with the tremelo is definatly a Schecter copy. They even showed it off at one of the big conventions

i didn't say he used the original, but that he got it copied. or in other words, aurswald didn't design/create it

i can't remember seeing habibi at paisley, but that doesn't mean i didn't see or touch it. the schecter copies of the cloud were horrible. there were plans to make scheter copies of the symbol guitar to sell, but that idea went the same way as the 7 disc sample set and 12 disc xenophobia live set, etc

The cloud guitar was based on one that Todd Rundgren played in the 70s.

unique said:

chopingard said:

Nah P never used the lawsuit guitar and looked not very much like the one we all know by the sound of things.

The original Gold and White ones are I think Gerry Auerswald but the Black glitter is a 22 fret copy and the Purple Habibi (the one he used at the superbowl) with the tremelo is definatly a Schecter copy. They even showed it off at one of the big conventions

i didn't say he used the original, but that he got it copied. or in other words, aurswald didn't design/create it

i can't remember seeing habibi at paisley, but that doesn't mean i didn't see or touch it. the schecter copies of the cloud were horrible. there were plans to make scheter copies of the symbol guitar to sell, but that idea went the same way as the 7 disc sample set and 12 disc xenophobia live set, etc

No worries I understand your original point, but from what I understood Prince never commisioned the symbol guitar from the lawsuit luthier (don't know his name) that guy came up with a symbol shape guitar just on spec and that he commisioned Auerswald to design one because he liked the Model C and the Cleo bass... I think these things were concurent and that the lawsuit guy sent his design to paisley park during auerswald already being in the design phase..... That's how I understood it to be.

If you've got any information that disproves that I would love to hear it. I love Princes guitars and always want the correct back stories

It makes sense that Prince would commision it from Jerry Auerswald since he was already using A guitar and A bass from him

Yeah I've played Schecters clouds and I kind of like them from a playing point of view (the through necks not the bolt ons). The head stock is wrong though and The pickups are front loaded not back loaded, Having played an original Zeke Clarke cloud from the NPG store they were nowhere near as punchy sounding (makes sense since they weren't active) but I prefered the full scale neck,

[Edited 3/27/13 18:05pm]

chopingard said:

unique said:

i didn't say he used the original, but that he got it copied. or in other words, aurswald didn't design/create it

i can't remember seeing habibi at paisley, but that doesn't mean i didn't see or touch it. the schecter copies of the cloud were horrible. there were plans to make scheter copies of the symbol guitar to sell, but that idea went the same way as the 7 disc sample set and 12 disc xenophobia live set, etc

No worries I understand your original point, but from what I understood Prince never commisioned the symbol guitar from the lawsuit luthier (don't know his name) that guy came up with a symbol shape guitar just on spec and that he commisioned Auerswald to design one because he liked the Model C and the Cleo bass... I think these things were concurent and that the lawsuit guy sent his design to paisley park during auerswald already being in the design phase..... That's how I understood it to be.

If you've got any information that disproves that I would love to hear it. I love Princes guitars and always want the correct back stories

It makes sense that Prince would commision it from Jerry Auerswald since he was already using A guitar and A bass from him

Yeah I've played Schecters clouds and I kind of like them from a playing point of view (the through necks not the bolt ons). The head stock is wrong though and The pickups are front loaded not back loaded, Having played an original Zeke Clarke cloud from the NPG store they were nowhere near as punchy sounding (makes sense since they weren't active) but I prefered the full scale neck,

[Edited 3/27/13 18:05pm]

there's nothing for definate that proves it, but circumstantial evidence of him copying loads of other stuff without giving credit, and other circumstantial evidence of him not paying people even when credit is clear. i know who's story i would believe

Mong said:

The cloud guitar was based on one that Todd Rundgren played in the 70s.

Really? Can you provide a link to a photo?

I know Todd used to play the "Ankh" guitar, which resembled the symbol ones Prince used, but I never knew about the clouds. Are you sure you're not mixing up the two?