I'm really considering buying that cloud guitar in the npgmc for $1500 does anyone have the scoop on this? it says suitable for playing in the description but that's a really vauge analysis of something of this cost...you'd think they'd hype it up a little bit more and tell the buyer more of the specs...what do you guys think is this a scam?

DONT DO IT !!! U will LOVE it FOR several days till ur RENT comes !!!

lastdecember7 said:

lol sounds like your a victim..i would be hesitant to buy anything over the net for that price especially a guitar don't do it dude

u can't eat a cloud guitar, man.

ditto to the above, common-sensical posts.

A few things to remember about Prince and his cloud guitars:

The ones he plays are maintained by techs. The ones being offered might not have the same specs (as you've already said).

From strings to speaker, Prince's sound gets EXTREMELY processed. So, if you're looking for "his" sound, you're not going to get it from the guitar alone.

Also, would you play the cloud in public? Straight off, folks in the audience will clown you about "thinking" you're Prince -- even if you don't.

Last, I'm not too sure how diverse a sound you can get from one of those clouds -- even if they have the same specs as Prince's personal models. Again, because of his signal processing and also in comparison to other guitars (a Strat, for example).

Just doesn't seem worth it. Buy a poster of Prince with a cloud. Seems a much more reasonable investment to me.

Put what you would've paid into a 401(K), money market fund or pay down whatever credit card debt you have. You'll thank yourself.

I love mine. I got the blue one with symbols on the fretboard. They don't have the symbols on the fretboard on the ones that they are selling now. I bought mine on ebay for about half of what they wamt on NPGMC. You can find Clouds there once in a while.

It does play and sound excellent, but it's 3/4 scale (made for Prince's smaller size). I consider mine a piece of art, and I display it in that manner. The finish of the Cloud is fragile, as the entire thing is painted body color (no bare wood).

I play my other shittier guitars if I wan't to wail.

It is quite an inferior product compared to the handmade guitars that P himself uses.

For a start, it lacks the EMS active pick-ups, but it is also low in detail
(missing the Symbol frets, its shape is not exactly like the original, etcetera).

I have seen a guitar-technician who builds them himself, according to the
specifications Prince demands from his own models. Of course that is
going to cost a bit more than 1500 dollars

In my opinion, the NPGMC guitar is a bit expensive for a piece of decoration.

sinisterpentatonic said:

If you buy it, buy it here:

http://www.schecterguitar.../prods.htm

Under: custom

!
[This message was edited Tue May 27 0:11:51 PDT 2003 by Fhunkin]

From Schecter's FAQ:


I would like to order/buy a Prince "Cloud" guitar. How much are they, and how do I order one?
The Prince "Cloud" guitars (and the "Symbol" guitar, as well) are made under an exclusive
agreement with Prince and Paisley Park, and are only available through Prince's website
and at his live shows. We do not offer them in any form anywhere else, and, per our agreement,
will not use any of their features in the construction of other guitars!


There is a non-authorized builder out there, but I forgot his name...

don't believe these scrimpers and savers. enjoy ur money while u can - if u want the cloud go get it!

let's face it, u want a copy of prince's guitar because of how it LOOKS, not how it sounds (if I wanted to copy prince's sound I would go for his telecaster any day). and the closest u can get 2 his look is buying his cloud guitar (or tinkering with the design enough to avoid copyright and getting ur design custom-made).

get the cloud and put it on ur wall, then get a telecaster and get playing!

deMatthijs said:

His name is Scott.

http://www.geocities.com/cloudguitars/
Quality parts and woods, but a repli-fake non-the-less.

Remember, the NPGMC's are REAL Clouds. They're distant cousins to the original "Knut-Koupee" model that was built for Purple Rain, but they do have P's stamp of approval. This would make them far more collectible than a luthier-in-training's knock-off.

I mean no offense to Scott.
[This message was edited Tue May 27 16:14:44 PDT 2003 by squirrelgrease]

I wouldn't advise it, unless you are loaded.

For that much money, you can get a much better guitar, and get much better value for money. Those Schecter guitars are nothing like what Prince really plays, so if you are looking for authenticity you won't get it.

It certainly looks cool in the mirror, but then so does a poster.

Real guitarists would save their cash and buy a decent guitar that isn't overpriced just coz it looks like Prince's... and casual guitarists wouldn't spend $1500 on a guitar unless they have too much cash. So I'm not sure who these guitars appeal to. I wouldn't buy one, anyway.

squirrelgrease said:

They aren't "real clouds" - they aren't the cloud guitars that Prince plays. They are a medium-quality clone designed for fans, designed to look like Prince's axe but it ain't the real thing.

With Scott, at least you'll get something closer to the real specs. Personally I'd take my money and treat yourself to a nice new Tele or something.

ian said:

Wow, I must not be a "Real" guitarist...

ian said:

Uh, duh.

well i knew i wasn't going to get the authentic item but i thought it would be a nice axe to add to the arsenal. all of you do have valid points, but you would think prince would have something badass out there, since it is a replica of one of his axes, y would he put sears quality into something that is associated with him (nevermind) I'm not a poser by anymeans and it is something that is meant for him only, and no i don't have loads of cash but i was also looking at it's potential as a collectible but who wants to collect a copy? Yeah i do know without all of his gear and toys it wouldn't sound the same but i was thinking it would still have some characteristic that would make it a good buy well worth the cost but yeah i'd rather purchase something i can hear and hold first, cuz i'm not convinced by the "suitable for playing" description.

Anyways have you guys seen that i wanna be your lover or why you wanna treat me so bad video? andre is playing a bass that is identical to the cloud guitar. the story i heard is that andre had a falling out with the person who designed and built that bass and prince had a guitar made just like it to spite him (don't know how true that is but it sounds like something he would do)
Thanks for the replies

sinisterpentatonic said:

yup, the funny-colored one...


never heard that before...

sinisterpentatonic said:

The Cloud guitar was based on this bass. Knut-Koupee in Minneapolis made the bass first, and then made the first Cloud guitars. They made Dez's custom Red and Black axe too. Knut-Koupee has since closed it's doors...

sinaplenty said:

Or, spend $1500 (not counting the cost of that additional Tele recommended by Sinaplenty) and design your own guitar, something original that people will associate with you and your own brand of music. that's what I would do. That's what Prince did with the cloud and the "symbol" guitars. What Brian May did with his BEAUTIFUL-sounding axe.

Secondly, shucks: With the number of clouds being made by non-authorized luthiers and being released by Prince's commercial outlets, and what HAS TO BE small overall demand for them, just how valuable do you expect a cloud to be? Even once Prince has passed?

If you're looking at it as an investment, too, I just don't see you getting a positive return.

only if Prince got the wood and made the guitar tuned it up,laid the strings played a unforgetablesong that he has never sng that it would be worth it.try to buy the motorcycle that was in PurpleRain if ya can now that would be worth something

squirrelgrease said:

Sorry I meant "professional".

A professional guitarist would know that their money can buy a far better instrument.

A casual guitarist spending $1500 on a guitar is unusual.

So I was just highlighting how this has the worst of both worlds... it's neither a great musical instrument, nor an affordable piece of fan merchandise.

Still, it looks cool.

squirrelgrease said:

Well you said "REAL clouds"

sinaplenty said:

Fair enough.

My point was that if I was spending $1500 on a guitar, I'd want a top-quality musical instrument. I wouldn't want to stick it on a wall (I can buy a poster for that) I would want to play it.

I love the style of the cloud guitar, it looks great but if I had one I'd want it to be a really good guitar in it's own right. I'd be interested to see how Scott's custom made efforts are going... anyone seen any photos?

To me, THE most important question would be the wood. If it's maple neck, maple body and maple fingerboard, combined with the 3/4 scale length, the truly unique features of a Cloud are in place. Pickups you can replace yourself, and a bolt on neck is something you can live with since the pickups and Princely amounts of distortion will give you enough sustain anyway... imho. If I were really rich, I'd take the risk and order one. But I'm not and besides I just bought a new tele (see avatar)...

I once considered buying the $5000 version that was supposed to be the exact spec of the one's he uses. It is a lot of money but I would love to have one. Just to get that out at a gig and play it once in front of people would be such a buzz. I don't really have that kind of money to waste but maybe in a few years I will buy one. They do look bloody good but I fear the $1500 won't sound half as good as a normal $500 guitar from your local music store.