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Favorite Prince Guitar Tones For years and years and years, I've dug the sounds P coaxes out of his guitar (not just the notes and runs he hits, but I'm talking the tonal character of his guitars -- often magnified through heavy vibrato and large bends).
Well, here's my short list, characterized by weird names and the corresponding songs (for all you folks keeping score at home -- and we know you are...): 1) Over-driven Cloud: The roundest of round and tons of middle, this glassy tone one-upped Brian May's classic tone by conveying a more-flexible feel. Best heard in Prince's cloud solos in "Purple Rain" from the Live/'85 video tape. Great for blues and anthems. Also makes an appearance in "Cool Love," "Crucial" (guitar mix), the "SOTT" movie versions of "ICNTTPOYM" and "The Cross." Tons of processing between guitar and speaker, I'm sure. Made a brief reappearance in the Rave DVD, too. 2) Manic Metal Octaves: This sped-up overdrive guitar effect sounds like pure static. Prince often used an octave shifter and tons of vibrato to make this sound more out of control and downright 'evil.' Heard to greatest effect on "The Dance Electric" and "Shockadelica." 3) Pretty Clean: A mostly clean (maybe with a touch of overdrive for body) tone used for lead work (as opposed to his rhythm jangle). Again, very round tone. Heard on "A Love Bizarre" -- anyone remember that cool solo he does in the left speaker? -- and "Once Upon a Time" from Eric Leeds' "Time Squared" album. 4) Good and (Mystery) Meet: This last category is characterized by weirdness. That's right: Weirdness. Those tones that are so intriguing because I just can't totally figure out what he's done to arrive at whatever he's doing. Likely, there are delays and choruses hard at work. I can't deduce the guitar model, nor can I begin to distinguish between post-production/studio trickery and effects-chain wizardry. But, whatever he's got cooking makes the song work. You'll hear such settings on "Cream," "Animal Kingdom" and "Da Bang." He makes me sick. That's all that comes to mind at the moment, in terms of standout tones. In recent years, I haven't dug his tones as much. The Symbol/Habibi guitars' tones are inferior, IMO, to those of the clouds. I can always tell when he's playing a cloud and when he's playing one of the others. Read? And, GO! busted-string edit [This message was edited Mon Jun 2 22:27:33 PDT 2003 by ThreadBare] | |
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Well I see your a musician, i haven't been able to distinguish which axe he's using on what guess i never gave it much thought  but i think his tone on the Time's first album is one of my favorites(well "get it up") and that sound he has at the begining of when doves cry (don't tell me it's wendy cuz i know better) i haven't heard him duplicate since, i also like the tones he uses in  and last december oh yeah and on lovesexy's annastesia  | |
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Yeah, his Time tone sounded really cool, as if he'd found a really nice cheap guitar that delivered. Good for rhythm (that classic jangle) and lead tones (saturated overdrive for solos). | |
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ThreadBare said: Yeah, his Time tone sounded really cool, as if he'd found a really nice cheap guitar that delivered. Good for rhythm (that classic jangle) and lead tones (saturated overdrive for solos).
i always thought that horner was pretty cheap though it did kick ass up until purple rain | |
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richb8 said: ThreadBare said: Yeah, his Time tone sounded really cool, as if he'd found a really nice cheap guitar that delivered. Good for rhythm (that classic jangle) and lead tones (saturated overdrive for solos).
i always thought that horner was pretty cheap though it did kick ass up until purple rain Yeah, it might've been that one. The guitar he's sporting in the "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad" video looks pretty cheap, too... Not to mention whatever Strat or Les Paul knockoffs he might've had handy. | |
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ThreadBare said: richb8 said: ThreadBare said: Yeah, his Time tone sounded really cool, as if he'd found a really nice cheap guitar that delivered. Good for rhythm (that classic jangle) and lead tones (saturated overdrive for solos).
i always thought that horner was pretty cheap though it did kick ass up until purple rain Yeah, it might've been that one. The guitar he's sporting in the "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad" video looks pretty cheap, too... Not to mention whatever Strat or Les Paul knockoffs he might've had handy. oh yeah forgot about those  | |
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I used to think the opening chords to "Dolphin" were the
most beautiful sound ever. The guitar throughout the whole song is very beautiful. and true love lives on lollipops and crisps | |
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IstenSzek said: I used to think the opening chords to "Dolphin" were the
most beautiful sound ever. The guitar throughout the whole song is very beautiful. yeah i wish he would've kept the whole song downtempo like it's intro, i do like the rest but i feel it would've been so much more keeping the same mood as the intro | |
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My favorites: the bone dry rhythm sound on Controversy, Sexuality, Superfunkycalifrigisexy etc, the intro lick sound to Kiss (I'm guessing it's the same chord overdubbed with a wah and with a flanger) and the boss octave nasty lead sound (shocakdelica, WDC). I'm also quite partial to that weird autowah-or-is-it-guitar-synth tone on Boys and Girls. | |
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I loved whatever effect peddles he was using 1988 / 1989
I wish he use that again (example - Small Club) Xperience the Peach & Black Podcast: http://peachandblack.podbean.com/
Become a fan: http://www.facebook.com/p...ackpodcast | |
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I didn't think the guitar tone on "Cream" was that weird... he used "harmonizer" style effects all over the D&P album.
My favourite Princely guitar tone is just his live sound really... that lovely Cloud w/ active EMG humbucker attack, Metalzone-style fuzz and lots of volume, reverb and short delay. Simple, big, loud, fat, rock sound... Prince's lead live sound is really piercing, I've always liked it a lot. Never really liked his "whammy" phase that he went through, but I dug the kind of ring-modulation effects he used for a bit in stuff like "Race". | |
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ThreadBare said: 4) Good and (Mystery) Meet: This last category is characterized by weirdness. That's right: Weirdness. Those tones that are so intriguing because I just can't totally figure out what he's done to arrive at whatever he's doing. Likely, there are delays and choruses hard at work. I can't deduce the guitar model, nor can I begin to distinguish between post-production/studio trickery and effects-chain wizardry. But, whatever he's got cooking makes the song work. You'll hear such settings on "Cream," "Animal Kingdom" and "Da Bang." He makes me sick.
Doesn't matter what guitar he used in these particular songs cos it's mainly the Eventide doing the work especially "Animal Kingdom"... Neversin. O(+>NIИ<+)O
“Is man merely a mistake of God's? Or God merely a mistake of man's?” - Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche | |
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ThreadBare said: For years and years and years, I've dug the sounds P coaxes out of his guitar (not just the notes and runs he hits, but I'm talking the tonal character of his guitars -- often magnified through heavy vibrato and large bends).
Well, here's my short list, characterized by weird names and the corresponding songs (for all you folks keeping score at home -- and we know you are...): 1) Over-driven Cloud: The roundest of round and tons of middle, this glassy tone one-upped Brian May's classic tone by conveying a more-flexible feel. Best heard in Prince's cloud solos in "Purple Rain" from the Live/'85 video tape. Great for blues and anthems. Also makes an appearance in "Cool Love," "Crucial" (guitar mix), the "SOTT" movie versions of "ICNTTPOYM" and "The Cross." Tons of processing between guitar and speaker, I'm sure. Made a brief reappearance in the Rave DVD, too. 2) Manic Metal Octaves: This sped-up overdrive guitar effect sounds like pure static. Prince often used an octave shifter and tons of vibrato to make this sound more out of control and downright 'evil.' Heard to greatest effect on "The Dance Electric" and "Shockadelica." 3) Pretty Clean: A mostly clean (maybe with a touch of overdrive for body) tone used for lead work (as opposed to his rhythm jangle). Again, very round tone. Heard on "A Love Bizarre" -- anyone remember that cool solo he does in the left speaker? -- and "Once Upon a Time" from Eric Leeds' "Time Squared" album. 4) Good and (Mystery) Meet: This last category is characterized by weirdness. That's right: Weirdness. Those tones that are so intriguing because I just can't totally figure out what he's done to arrive at whatever he's doing. Likely, there are delays and choruses hard at work. I can't deduce the guitar model, nor can I begin to distinguish between post-production/studio trickery and effects-chain wizardry. But, whatever he's got cooking makes the song work. You'll hear such settings on "Cream," "Animal Kingdom" and "Da Bang." He makes me sick. That's all that comes to mind at the moment, in terms of standout tones. In recent years, I haven't dug his tones as much. The Symbol/Habibi guitars' tones are inferior, IMO, to those of the clouds. I can always tell when he's playing a cloud and when he's playing one of the others. Read? And, GO! busted-string edit [This message was edited Mon Jun 2 22:27:33 PDT 2003 by ThreadBare] I always prefer the cloud tones over the symbols. The symbol guitars sound too tinny and metallic. The clouds had a much fuller and warmer sound. Remember the Scandalous suite guitar solos? And I  the I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man solo during SOTT."I ordered no broth! Away with ye lest my cane find your backside!!"- Ralph Wiggum, Actor. | |
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I also dig this effect he's using on The Rainbow Children (the song). It could first be heard during The War, I think. And it also seems to appear on the new News.
What is that effect? Octave? | |
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calldapplwondery83 said: I also dig this effect he's using on The Rainbow Children (the song). It could first be heard during The War, I think. And it also seems to appear on the new News.
What is that effect? Octave? [Hey, CDW83! Your name always reminds me of my dog's coat name: He's a Wild Boar Dappled mini-doxie. And, he just turned 5. (*sniffle*) I really oughtta get out more.] Anyway, I thought about this same effect, and I nearly put it under "Weird." I just wasn't sure if folks would get what I meant. I've wondered, too, whether Prince dials an octave-shifter to run close to the original signal. There's definitely some sort of flange-gate-thing and some overdrive. It almost -- if we're talking about the same effect -- sounds like a bad phone connection or something. Really cool. | |
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I've actualy grown less fond of Prince's guitar sound over the years, as my tastes have changed. I used to love the overdriven Cloud from the mid- to late-80s, when he was playing Mesa/Boogie MK III's (at least around Purple Rain). But all the effects kind of make his tone sound like water to me, especially compared to someone who used minimal effects live -- say, Hendrix. Put on "Machine Gun" and then some live Prince and the real distorted tone will no longer be in question. And as a general criticism, Prince uses way too much delay -- check out "Purple House" from the live DVD if you don't believe me. That said, I've always loved the Hohner clean rhythm sound (I have one) and on the ONA tour his rig seemed to be a lot simpler -- I saw two offstage Fender Bassmans and that was it. Don't know if they were vintage or reissues. Consequently, the dirty sounds were much more impressive to me, particularly the Hohner. I also like his tone on the Ibanez, but you can keep that ridiculous Habibi thing. It looks silly and sounds like shit to these ears. Even Prince said he sacrificed some playability for the look, which seems exactly the wrong way to go about it for someone so serious about music. [This message was edited Wed Jun 4 12:49:12 PDT 2003 by TedW] | |
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I also neglected to mention the sampling that Prince used in the late 1980s to augment and reshape his guitar playing. "Dance On" might be the first instance I saw of this. really cool. | |
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