I always remembered hearing the references to Prince being able to play more than 2 dozen instruments or so, but honestly have only seen him play a few guitars, drums, piano, sythns. I imagine guitar officianados can easily pick up other stringed instruments. But too much time on any horns or woodwind instruments might throw off one’s vox.

Anyone got some factual examples (or pics) of other instruments Prince utilized?

There are many threads on this same topic. Just use the google custom search box upper right.

Well, he used a fender telecaster as well as several stratocasters, his iconic Hohner Mad Cats, I've seen him play Rickenbacker (though I think it was Wendy's guitar). He played some hollowbodies Gibsons, though I don't know the model. Ofcourse he had his own cloud and symbol guitars as well. That's at least 10 instruments already. Personally, I think that it's an insanely low estimate that he only played on 20 instruments.

Easiest way to figure it out is to think of all the instruments you can. Then remove any horns from your list. Then remove any classical stringed instruments from your list. Then remove the xylophone from your list.

What's left over are the instruments that Prince was known to have played.

RodeoSchro said:

This all emanates from the For You credits.

Every time I see these threads I think, "yet another org'er sleeping on the debut..."

discogs:

[Edited 12/27/19 10:09am]

WhisperingDandelions said:

This all emanates from the For You credits.

Every time I see these threads I think, "yet another org'er sleeping on the debut..."

discogs:

[Edited 12/27/19 10:09am]

Wasn’t it actively pushed as part of the whole marketing campaign though, rather than just the credits? It’s pretty cool that they listed all of the gear that was used to compose the tracks (I wish that more artists would do it - it's genuinely interesting), but claiming that 4 different synths represent 4 different instruments is a bit disingenuous, even if it isn’t strictly a lie (Aphex Twin did the same thing with Syro but without the BS). I guess that Prince just trusted Moon's judgement at the time, but he seemed a little embarrassed by the claim once it became established.

@OP Basically it’s mastery of keyboards, guitar, bass, drums and miscellaneous percussion (that's all! ).

fen said:

jdcxc said:

fen said:

Wasn’t it actively pushed as part of the whole marketing campaign though, rather than just the credits? It’s pretty cool that they listed all of the gear that was used to compose the tracks (I wish that more artists would do it - it's genuinely interesting), but claiming that 4 different synths represent 4 different instruments is a bit disingenuous, even if it isn’t strictly a lie (Aphex Twin did the same thing with Syro but without the BS). I guess that Prince just trusted Moon's judgement at the time, but he seemed a little embarrassed by the claim once it became established.

@OP Basically it’s mastery of keyboards, guitar, bass, drums and miscellaneous percussion (that's all! ).

Of course the “27 instruments” boast was about Marketing and Fan bragging rights. But there is no doubt that he is an uber talentted Multi-Instrumentalist who has been on the covers of Keyboard, Bass, Guitar and Drum magazines. He was totally self contained in the studio. Would anyone be shocked if he cud play a little Sax or Violin? His complex singing voice is another underrated instrument. His vocal arrangements are pure genuis.

He played sax on G Spot.

LoveGalore said:

its 21 actually.....u forgot his "thang"

fen said:

but claiming that 4 different synths represent 4 different instruments is a bit disingenuous

Like you said, it's marketing, but in those days synthesizers were still treated like the way coding languages are treated today. It sounds silly once synths all came with standardized keyboards, but there were still specialists left over from the days when you had to hand patch a sound. People would say "I play the Arp".