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Thread started 12/26/16 12:36pm

patchab

Guitar size

I once called one of Prince's guitar makers on the phone (the one who created the symbol guitar), and he told me that he sized the guitar according to Prince's height.

This surprised me because I thought all guitars had a certain size, but seemingly he made the body smaller than usual.

I'm not sure if that has ever been mentioned somewhere, at least I never read about it, so I thought I would share it with you.

[Edited 12/26/16 12:37pm]

[Edited 12/26/16 12:38pm]

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Reply #1 posted 12/26/16 3:18pm

TrivialPursuit

avatar

There was a big bruhaha on here about this.

I've said before that Prince's guitars were 3/4 size, not full size, because of his stature. I cannot for the life of me find the article, but there's nowhere else I would have gotten such specific number like that. I've always heard his guitars were 3/4 the regular size. And really, if you look at the cloud guitar, compared to Andre's cloud bass, it's noticeably smaller. Look at Ron Wood playing that thing. He looks huge next to the blue angel.

"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
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Reply #2 posted 12/26/16 3:29pm

patchab

I never noticed that, thanks for this info.

Do you have a photo of Ron Wood playing the cloud guitar? I didn't find any.

[Edited 12/26/16 15:34pm]

[Edited 12/26/16 15:35pm]

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Reply #3 posted 12/26/16 3:58pm

mynameisnotsus
an

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Reply #4 posted 12/26/16 6:43pm

crimesofparis

I'd be surprised if the actual scale (neck length) of his guitars were shorter than 24 3/4. For the amount of solos with bends Prince did, a shorter scale probably wouldn't be so great. Short scales are xcellent for comping / strumming.

As for the body, it's possible Prince liked the Telecaster body for the same reason a lot of women do -- it's smaller.

But being small doesn't mean playing a standard-sized guitar is impossible or even uncomfortable. I'm a woman with smallish hands and I'm perfectly able to navigate a full 25.5 scale length guitar (the same as a Telecaster).

This thread is also good: http://prince.org/msg/7/325240

Says the bodies were smaller, but the scale length all seemed to be full by either Fender or Gibson standards.
[Edited 12/26/16 19:08pm]
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Reply #5 posted 12/26/16 6:44pm

purpleemotions

TrivialPursuit said:

There was a big bruhaha on here about this.

I've said before that Prince's guitars were 3/4 size, not full size, because of his stature. I cannot for the life of me find the article, but there's nowhere else I would have gotten such specific number like that. I've always heard his guitars were 3/4 the regular size. And really, if you look at the cloud guitar, compared to Andre's cloud bass, it's noticeably smaller. Look at Ron Wood playing that thing. He looks huge next to the blue angel.

I noticed that too while watching Ron play during that concert. He looked so uncomfortable trying to play it.

:Pop Life live in Detroit: music
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Reply #6 posted 12/26/16 6:50pm

steakfinger

His guitars were 3/4 size. His later strats were not. They look huge on him.

Cloud Guitar specs (per Dave Rusan, the guy who built it):

  • All hard rock maple neck-though-body construction
  • 24 3/4” scale length
  • 12” fretboard radius
  • 14-degree headstock angle
  • 5-degree neck to body angle
  • EMG active pickups, powered by a 9V battery in the control cavity, with an 81 humbucker in the bridge position, SA single-coil in the neck
  • Schaller M6 tuners and bridge
  • Brass nut
  • One master volume, master tone and selector switch, with Fender Jazz bass knobs

[Edited 12/26/16 18:50pm]

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Reply #7 posted 12/26/16 6:50pm

crimesofparis

purpleemotions said:



TrivialPursuit said:


There was a big bruhaha on here about this.

I've said before that Prince's guitars were 3/4 size, not full size, because of his stature. I cannot for the life of me find the article, but there's nowhere else I would have gotten such specific number like that. I've always heard his guitars were 3/4 the regular size. And really, if you look at the cloud guitar, compared to Andre's cloud bass, it's noticeably smaller. Look at Ron Wood playing that thing. He looks huge next to the blue angel.



I noticed that too while watching Ron play during that concert. He looked so uncomfortable trying to play it.



It could be he's having trouble because the center of gravity on that guitar has to take some getting used to.
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Reply #8 posted 12/26/16 6:50pm

steakfinger

Per this article:

http://www.premierguitar....tar?page=1

[Edited 12/26/16 18:51pm]

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Reply #9 posted 12/26/16 6:51pm

steakfinger

crimesofparis said:

purpleemotions said:

I noticed that too while watching Ron play during that concert. He looked so uncomfortable trying to play it.

It could be he's having trouble because the center of gravity on that guitar has to take some getting used to.

Noi, it's because it's a mini guitar and Ron Wood isn't very good to begin with.

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Reply #10 posted 12/26/16 6:57pm

EuanH91

No, they're a standard size. The bodies might be small (especially on the cloud guitar) but the scale length of the Cloud is 24 3/4 inches, the same as any Gibson Les Paul.

Bass guitars have a much longer scale length (to make the lower pitch) so of course the Cloud bass looked larger than the guitar.

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Reply #11 posted 12/26/16 7:06pm

EuanH91

steakfinger said:

His guitars were 3/4 size. His later strats were not. They look huge on him.

Cloud Guitar specs (per Dave Rusan, the guy who built it):

  • All hard rock maple neck-though-body construction
  • 24 3/4” scale length
  • 12” fretboard radius
  • 14-degree headstock angle
  • 5-degree neck to body angle
  • EMG active pickups, powered by a 9V battery in the control cavity, with an 81 humbucker in the bridge position, SA single-coil in the neck
  • Schaller M6 tuners and bridge
  • Brass nut
  • One master volume, master tone and selector switch, with Fender Jazz bass knobs

[Edited 12/26/16 18:50pm]




That's not 3/4 size. 24 3/4" means 24.75 inches. That's a standard, full size guitar.

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Reply #12 posted 12/26/16 7:07pm

crimesofparis

steakfinger said:



crimesofparis said:


purpleemotions said:


I noticed that too while watching Ron play during that concert. He looked so uncomfortable trying to play it.



It could be he's having trouble because the center of gravity on that guitar has to take some getting used to.


Noi, it's because it's a mini guitar and Ron Wood isn't very good to begin with.



Those specs indicate that it's not a mini. It's apparently the same scale and approx weight as a Les Paul. Since Ron plays Les Pauls, he shouldn't have a problem with the size.

However, that's a very flat fretboard. Great for bends, but it can be difficult for chords according to some.
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Reply #13 posted 12/27/16 2:55am

Boydie

Prince's guitars were NOT 3/4 size - these would look ridiculously small, even on Prince

As others have said the "3/4" mentioned in the spec is part of the "scale length" (the distance between the nut (headstock end) of the guitar and the bridge)

The MadCat Tele looks to be a completely standard "Tele" size

The cloud and symbol guitars are custom builds so he could choose exactly what body size he wanted

I would imagine he went for the smaller sized bodies for 3 reasons:

1 - he was used to the smaller Tele size & shape
2 - his smaller stature
3 - it is easier to dance and spin around with a smaller guitar

He has played starts, acoustics, VOX, jazz guitars - which were all standard sizes
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Reply #14 posted 12/27/16 5:07am

ChimChimBadass

avatar

The Telecaster got a long scale neck, Prince just NEVER played downsized guitars.
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