“I jammed with Prince once, and he was like, ‘What is that effect you have on your guitar?’ I said, ‘Nothing.’ He couldn’t believe it”: Lenny Kravitz on the time he blew Prince’s mind with his guitar tone

While some guitarists are known for playing hugely complex rigs loaded with state-of-the-art digital tech, others are noted for their old-school, less-is-more approach to playing electric guitar.

Lenny Kravitz is one such traditionalist whose rig is, more often than not, as simple as it gets: a vintage electric guitar plugged straight into a vintage tube amp – with nothing in between.

In the latest issue of Guitarist, Kravitz discussed his minimalist signal flow, which he utilized for his new album, Blue Electric Light. 

During the conversation, he also recalled how such a workflow once baffled Prince – a guitarist famously known for operating at the other end of the gear spectrum – while the pair were casually playing together.

Namely, the Purple One couldn’t fathom how Kravitz had managed to create such varied sounds and textures with simply a guitar and a Fender Deluxe without the aid of additional effects. 

“I remember jamming with Prince once, and he was like, ‘What is that effect you have on your guitar?’” Kravitz recalled. “And I looked at him and said, ‘Nothing. It’s a guitar into a Deluxe, turned to 10.’ 

“He couldn’t believe it. He was a guy that used a lot of processing and did it very, very well. But here he was: he thought it had some kind of effect, you know? I showed it that it was nothing, absolutely nothing.”

Lenny Kravitz Tribute to Prince - 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - YouTube

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The guitar/amp combo has always been at the crux of Kravitz’s tone, which highlights the nuances of his playing – and not much has changed. 

To this day, the songwriter strives for a “pure sound” by utilizing a select catalog of equipment that includes “vintage Les Pauls, Strats, 335s” and a couple of smaller amps that help contribute to a bigger sound.

“I don’t depend on pedals,” he stresses. “Maybe if there’s a lead and I need a little added texture, I’ll use the pedal in that case. But all my rhythm sounds are just a guitar into an amp, with no processing whatsoever.”

Head over to Magazines Direct to pick up the latest issue of Guitarist, which features the full interview with Lenny Kravitz and an in-depth insight into the Bernie Marsden collection.