An original, stage-played Prince Cloud guitar is hitting the auction block
The custom-made 1984 model features a blue finish, gold hardware and love symbol fret markers
We’ve seen a few of Prince’s iconic Cloud guitars go up for sale over the years, and now it appears another is hitting the market.
The newest Cloud electric guitar to be uncovered is a stage-played custom-made 1984 blue model, up for sale as part of Julien’s Music Icons auction, scheduled for June 19 and 20.
The instrument, according to Julien’s, was stage-played by Prince, and there certainly appears to be some wear on the instrument, in particular at the neck near the headstock.
The “heavily-used” Cloud, which features gold hardware and love symbol fret markers, is not strung up (get this axe a setup, stat!) and is housed in an oversized Calzone purple guitar road case.
Additionally, the guitar comes with a printout from Paisley Park of the list of Cloud models made for Prince, with corresponding serial numbers. This Cloud is the first one on the printout, with “#1” indicated next to it.
The Cloud is estimated to sell for $100,000 – $200,000. And If you have some extra cash left over, you can pair it with other Prince items in the auction, including a custom-made two-piece purple suit (estimate: $15,000 – $20,000), a love symbol belt buckle ($2,000 – $4,000) or a 14 karat white gold “NPG” pendant mounted with 75 round diamonds ($30,000 – $50,000).
Prince's Cloud guitars were originally built by Minneapolis luthier Dave Rusan, who last year told Guitar World of his battle with Prince's estate to keep hold of the Cloud design.
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For more information on the massive auction, which in addition to the Prince swag also includes a Fender Strat signed by Jerry Garcia ($10,000 – $20,000) and an Eddie Van Halen-owned Peavey EVH Wolfgang guitar later given to and signed by Mountain’s Leslie West ($8,000 – $10,000), among many, many other items, head to Julien’s.
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Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.