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Thread started 11/25/22 12:42pm

LoveGalore

Guitar strings.

Hey so I have been studying prince's set ups over at Guitar Cloud and one thing they are missing in the absolute TREASURE TROVE of specs is what type of strings P used on his guitars (including basses).

Were they round wound or flat wound? What were the gauges?

I once saw a Sunset Sound interview where they talked about the gauges of the strings being thicker in his early days before the thinner ones as he got older (makes sense). I thought I remembered them saying his strings were 10ga.

Were they Ernie Ball? He used an Ernie Ball volume control in his rig so just throwing it out there. I would assume it's that or D'Addadrio?

In case you're curious and have never heard of the GC project, here you go:
http://guitarcloud.org/

It's a really brilliant resource and though there's some wonky data (both D+P and Love Symbol are called his 13th album), the information is staggering.

Can anyone help me with my questions above tho?
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Reply #1 posted 11/25/22 1:21pm

nayroo2002

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Nope!

But, thanks for keeping the converation going biggrin

I loved that he played a Warwick bass, thoughthe Bass Guitars of Prince 1977-2016:

"Whatever skin we're in
we all need 2 b friends"
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Reply #2 posted 11/25/22 1:44pm

LoveGalore

Hey Nayroo! I thought of you as I was writing this, hahaha.

Yes, I dig the Thumb basses. I was actually more surprised that it seemed like Larry used a fairly affordable Moon? Several of Prince's guitars/basses were either customs or one off lines from tiny luthiers. To see a Moon and even a Schecter SR in there surprised me!
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Reply #3 posted 11/25/22 1:45pm

LoveGalore

Oh and it also surprised me that despite him calling out the Fender Jazz by name in "Come" he wasn't even using J basses at the time! lol
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Reply #4 posted 11/25/22 2:12pm

nayroo2002

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Prince played ALL the basses ALL THE TIME!

the Bass Guitars of Prince 1977-2016

I just want to know, what brand of bass was he playing on "A Love Bizarre"???

"Whatever skin we're in
we all need 2 b friends"
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Reply #5 posted 11/25/22 2:44pm

SPYZFAN1

That's actually a good question. I rummaged through all my old guitar mags/interviews with P, and no mention at all of the brand of strings he used.

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Reply #6 posted 11/26/22 1:42am

FrankieCoco1

“Prince used whatever strings brand wise. He didn’t have a preference. He did like the Tightness of DR strings on Guitar and DR Hi Beams bass strings. Gauges were 40-95 on Bass strings.”

“On guitar also Hi Beams 9-42. [Later] he used D’Addario strings. And I’m sure he still used same Gauges as he always played it tuned standard.”

Above info direct from a guitar tech, hope that helps.
There may or may not be something coming!
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Reply #7 posted 11/26/22 5:54am

LoveGalore

FrankieCoco1 said:

“Prince used whatever strings brand wise. He didn’t have a preference. He did like the Tightness of DR strings on Guitar and DR Hi Beams bass strings. Gauges were 40-95 on Bass strings.”

“On guitar also Hi Beams 9-42. [Later] he used D’Addario strings. And I’m sure he still used same Gauges as he always played it tuned standard.”

Above info direct from a guitar tech, hope that helps.


Fucking cool! Thanks dude
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Reply #8 posted 11/26/22 9:15am

JorisE73

At the 2001 celebration I saw opened D'addario string packs (10-46) that were on his Hohner according to the tech there. For his original white Clouds he used DR High Beams 9-42. The yellow and blue Andy Beech/Zeke Clarke Clouds also had D'addario 10-46.
On his tourbus he had a Schecter cloud that he used to warm up his fingers with D'addario 11-52 strings.
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Reply #9 posted 11/26/22 10:06am

LoveGalore

JorisE73 said:

At the 2001 celebration I saw opened D'addario string packs (10-46) that were on his Hohner according to the tech there. For his original white Clouds he used DR High Beams 9-42. The yellow and blue Andy Beech/Zeke Clarke Clouds also had D'addario 10-46.
On his tourbus he had a Schecter cloud that he used to warm up his fingers with D'addario 11-52 strings.


Come thruuuuu, Joris!

10's on the Mad Cat is exactly what I remembered hearing. The rest of this is phenomenal. Thank you!

I hope the guitar cloud dudes read this thread and bake that info in, perhaps exploring the topic more from their end.


I wonder if he played round wound strings on his basses too? That would surprise me a little only in that he played so much I figure plucking round wound strings
for that much time so consistently would tear up your fingers.
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Reply #10 posted 11/28/22 7:27am

GustavoRibas

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JorisE73 said:

At the 2001 celebration I saw opened D'addario string packs (10-46) that were on his Hohner according to the tech there. For his original white Clouds he used DR High Beams 9-42. The yellow and blue Andy Beech/Zeke Clarke Clouds also had D'addario 10-46. On his tourbus he had a Schecter cloud that he used to warm up his fingers with D'addario 11-52 strings.

.

Makes sense. It makes more difference to use 10 on the Tele, because the funk sound is thicker. On the Cloud, with all those effects, using 09 doesnt make big difference.

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Reply #11 posted 11/29/22 10:12am

thedawnofanewe
ra

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https://youtu.be/6DJaXjc1M8Q

Sonny t states prince uses Dr strings on his bass in 1994
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Reply #12 posted 11/29/22 10:47am

LoveGalore

thedawnofanewera said:

https://youtu.be/6DJaXjc1M8Q

Sonny t states prince uses Dr strings on his bass in 1994


Cool shit! Love Sonny.
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Reply #13 posted 11/29/22 12:19pm

SanDiegoFunkDa
ddy

Looks like an Alembic Spoiler. It started off as white and he had an artist paint the flowers and stuff on it. He might have painted them himself

nayroo2002 said:

Prince played ALL the basses ALL THE TIME!

the Bass Guitars of Prince 1977-2016

I just want to know, what brand of bass was he playing on "A Love Bizarre"???

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Reply #14 posted 12/04/22 6:25am

WhisperingDand
elions

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D'addario makes sense. No way with all of his string bending and early 00s whammy bar phase he was using those schwag Ernie Ball strings. I don't believe any of that assorted propaganda on the back of the package either, Ernald Allen Ball III probably paid off every other band in the history of rock in exchange for the festering lies.

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Reply #15 posted 12/04/22 9:13am

LoveGalore

WhisperingDandelions said:

D'addario makes sense. No way with all of his string bending and early 00s whammy bar phase he was using those schwag Ernie Ball strings. I don't believe any of that assorted propaganda on the back of the package either, Ernald Allen Ball III probably paid off every other band in the history of rock in exchange for the festering lies.



It's crazy how EB is everywhere tho. They must be paying through the nose to places like Guitar Center too - huge walls of EB everywhere, you really gotta search for anything else.
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Reply #16 posted 12/04/22 8:27pm

WhisperingDand
elions

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LoveGalore said:

WhisperingDandelions said:

D'addario makes sense. No way with all of his string bending and early 00s whammy bar phase he was using those schwag Ernie Ball strings. I don't believe any of that assorted propaganda on the back of the package either, Ernald Allen Ball III probably paid off every other band in the history of rock in exchange for the festering lies.

It's crazy how EB is everywhere tho. They must be paying through the nose to places like Guitar Center too - huge walls of EB everywhere, you really gotta search for anything else.

It really is. Not only that you gotta search high and low for other string recommendations. When I was a teen the stock answer any time I asked about brand from anyone was "I dunno, I just use Ernie Ball."

"Well are those D'Addario's behind you any good?"

"Mmm, probably. I dunno, I just use Ernie Ball."

I still got packs with 3-4 strings only because those friggin' ernie ball strings would always snap.

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Reply #17 posted 12/14/22 5:46pm

rockford

nayroo2002 said:

Prince played ALL the basses ALL THE TIME!



the Bass Guitars of Prince 1977-2016



I just want to know, what brand of bass was he playing on "A Love Bizarre"???


The bass in your picture is an Alembic Spoiler.
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