I watched Carlos Santana join Prince onstage in Oakland back in 2011, and Prince gave Santana the Hohner to play. Santana tore it up, too! But it got me to thinking:

Who else has played the Hohner besides Prince? Or really, any of his guitars?

I don't remember anyone else playing it. IIRC, Ron Wood played the Blue Angel. I don't recall anyone esle playing any of Prince's guitars.

The pic of the guy wearing the Hohner while his girl is draped over him doesn't count, LOL. But that is the coolest fan pic ever!

Most musicians hate anyone playing their ax but I'm sure was honored to have Santana use his. My sax player ex got nervous if I even got near his instruments - and we lived together.

Wendy played it in the Revolution reunion a few months ago, I think.

That is an interesting question, though. I doubt anyone's played any of the symbol guitars, but surely the cloud has made it into someone's hands, besides Ron Wood. The Hohner though...hmmm.

TrivialPursuit said:

Wendy played it in the Revolution reunion a few months ago, I think.

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Nope. (What makes you think she was given Prince's guitar?...)

She has a cheap copy, most probably a Korean-made Hohner 'TE Prinz' that has nothing to do with the Japanese-made Mad Cat Prince had (which isn't really a Hohner instrument, it was just briefly sold with the Hohner branding).

Miko

Wendy

Bruce Springsteen

KaresB said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Wendy played it in the Revolution reunion a few months ago, I think.

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Nope. (What makes you think she was given Prince's guitar?...)

She has a cheap copy, most probably a Korean-made Hohner 'TE Prinz' that has nothing to do with the Japanese-made Mad Cat Prince had (which isn't really a Hohner instrument, it was just briefly sold with the Hohner branding).

I'm no expert on these things, but to me it appears there's a noticeable difference in the stripe that goes from the bridge to the bottom of the body. It appears wider on the one Wendy is playing:

CandaceS said:

KaresB said:

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Nope. (What makes you think she was given Prince's guitar?...)

She has a cheap copy, most probably a Korean-made Hohner 'TE Prinz' that has nothing to do with the Japanese-made Mad Cat Prince had (which isn't really a Hohner instrument, it was just briefly sold with the Hohner branding).

I'm no expert on these things, but to me it appears there's a noticeable difference in the stripe that goes from the bridge to the bottom of the body. It appears wider on the one Wendy is playing:

The one Prince is playing is on display at PP. Lots of knicks, scratches, and clear wear patterns are on the guitar. I think he had several Hohners, but this one is well-loved and well-worn. It's not the same one that Wendy is playing. The pattern is different and it looks pretty new.

Again: the guitar Wendy played recently is not even the same model Prince had. Wendy has a Korean made Hohner 'The Prinz' that has the original scratchplate replaced to look like the MadCat.

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Prince's guitar is NOT a Hohner instrument – it is an HS Anderson 'MadCat' (made in Japan) that was briefly sold with Hohner branding.

[Edited 12/3/16 12:23pm]

KaresB said:

Again: the guitar Wendy played recently is not even the same model Prince had. Wendy has a Korean made Hohner 'The Prinz' that has the original scratchplate replaced to look like the MadCat.

[Edited 12/3/16 12:23pm]

You're probably right about that.

Still, regardless of the guitar she was playing in September, she's certainly playing what looks like his guitar in the video for "America."

crimesofparis said:

KaresB said:

Again: the guitar Wendy played recently is not even the same model Prince had. Wendy has a Korean made Hohner 'The Prinz' that has the original scratchplate replaced to look like the MadCat.

[Edited 12/3/16 12:23pm]

You're probably right about that.

Still, regardless of the guitar she was playing in September, she's certainly playing what looks like his guitar in the video for "America."

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Oh I'm sure Wendy has played Prince's guitar on and off stage many times while she was a member of his band.
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I was only responding to the suggestion that Wendy played Prince's guitar at a Revolution reunion gig and that is nonsense.
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[Edited 12/5/16 6:16am]

scorp84 said:

Miko

Wendy

Bruce Springsteen

Cool! When did Springsteen play it? The only pic I have of them together has Prince playing the Hohner.

There was also that guy from the audience at a show in Ireland (if I remember correctly) who got up on stage and Prince handed him his guitar to play a solo.

.

But I'm sure many of his musicians had the chance of playing it. Either the original or a spare one. (One of the spare MadCats he had didn't even have the Hohner logo on it.)

According to Jesse Johnson, he played Prince's Hohner on the recording of Jungle Love:

"I played key bass (Oberheim OB-8, Rythym guitar (I used Prince's Hohner Telecaster), and Lead guitar (G&L)"

https://www.instagram.com...bUGxKF7P8/

The quote above can be found well down in the text, where he describes recording JL @ Prince's home studio.

KaresB said:

Morningstarlet said:

So what's the story behind the Hohner? He obviously has had it since at least the early 80s. Was it his first guitar that his father bought him? Are they expensive? I can't wait to see that guitar at PP.

Don't know the full story, but I'm sure it wasn't his first guitar. I also don't think that they used to be expensive, though they are now (because of Prince).

Morningstarlet said:

So what's the story behind the Hohner? He obviously has had it since at least the early 80s. Was it his first guitar that his father bought him? Are they expensive? I can't wait to see that guitar at PP.

He bought it for the low-low in 1979 at a music shop in Minneapolis. No, it wasn't his first guitar, and it was probably far from the steep prices it goes for these days.

scorp84 said:

Morningstarlet said:

So what's the story behind the Hohner? He obviously has had it since at least the early 80s. Was it his first guitar that his father bought him? Are they expensive? I can't wait to see that guitar at PP.

He bought it for the low-low in 1979 at a music shop in Minneapolis. No, it wasn't his first guitar, and it was probably far from the steep prices it goes for these days.

Late 70s for sure, I don't think it was a music shop, I have a shoddy memory but I thought it was either a pawn shop or gas station for next to nothing.

I bought a Hohner electric guitar when I got out of art school in 1985. It was immaculate and only cost $286. The punk thing to do at that time where I lived was to sandpaper off the label on the head of the guitar. It was some kind of anticapitalist statement I wanted to make. The guitar was much like a Fender Stratocaster except the head was like a water wave in shape. It was a light brownwood sunburst going into black edges with a white pickguard. I had it for many years, but I was never going to be a musician so eventually I let it go to a young kid. But I've searched online for that particular guitar, just out of curiousity, and I've never been able to find it. It was definitely a 1985 model.

[Edited 1/20/17 12:34pm]