Prince | Guitar World

“It wasn’t like a normal bass gig where you have 30 songs: I had to learn 300!” Ida Nielsen talks touring with Prince, and how she tackled her Paisley Park audition

By Joel McIver published 11 November 23

You put a video of yourself playing bass on YouTube. Then Prince calls…

Prince performs at half time during Super Bowl XLI between the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears at Dolphins Stadium in Miami, Florida on February 4, 2007.

“Prince was serious about what he wanted. He would turn around, point to you and say, ‘Go!’”: Josh Dunham names the five albums that helped shape his sound with Prince

By Nick Wells published 10 August 23

According to Josh Dunham, having chops is cool, but playing with Prince you really had to play in the pocket

From Prince to John Frusciante via Cory Wong: learn the rhythm approaches of the pop-funk masters

By Steve Allsworth published 5 June 23

Hone your rhythm chops with examples in the style of the players who took funk in new directions

Singer Larry Graham performs on stage during the 2016 Essence Festival Prince Tribute at the Louisiana Superdome on July 3, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Larry Graham on when you really need to use a 5-string bass

By Nick Wells published 11 May 23

The godfather of slap bass says “I actually love playing a 5-string for other artists, but not for live shows”

Nuno Bettencourt says Prince once called him “one of the top three guitar players in the world”

By Matt Owen published 28 April 23

The Purple One witnessed the Extreme guitarist play as part of an Earth, Wind & Fire tribute concert, and ended up dishing out some very high praise indeed

The 100 greatest guitarists of all time

By Jonathan Horsley last updated 16 January 23

A comprehensive rundown of the best guitarists of all time, featuring the trailblazers, the early innovators, the best jazz, rock, indie, blues, metal and acoustic players – and the top guitarists around today...

One of Prince’s customized Thinline Teles has gone up for sale on Reverb

By Matt Parker published 12 December 22

The Chuck Orr-tweaked guitar is said to be in good condition, and is up for sale via UK dealer Gear Emporium

[L-R] Steve Lukather, Eddie Van Halen and Prince

Steve Lukather talks jamming with Eddie Van Halen, and the time Prince gave him the silent treatment

By Matt Parker published 12 December 22

The Toto guitarist waxed lyrical on his illustrious career in a new conversation recorded at Hollywood's Sunset Sound

Watch Prince’s gold-finished Schecter Symbol guitar get pulled out of retirement and put through its paces

By Matt Owen published 23 November 22

The wild custom build was made alongside an infinitely more recognizable Purple Habibe model – used during the Super Bowl halftime show – both of which were created in the ‘90s

Dywane Thomas Jr, aka MonoNeon, with his signature Fender Bass Jazz V

MonoNeon: “I’m still not over Prince’s death – I was still getting to know him”

By Joel McIver published 7 November 22

We talk to MonoNeon, touted by Flea as the ‘greatest f**king electric bass player’, about his funk roots, playing with Prince and his new Fender 5-string Jazz Bass

Wendy Melvoin (left) and Vertex Effects' Mason Marangella

Watch Wendy Melvoin break down Purple Rain

By Jackson Maxwell last updated 26 May 22

The Prince & the Revolution alum goes into detail about the hot-rodded Rickenbacker and mystery chorus pedal that powered the original, and which pedals she'd use for the song now

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Jimi Hendrix, Prince

The 47 greatest live guitar moments: the most iconic, infamous and explosive onstage antics in six-string history

By Amit Sharma, Guitar World Staff last updated 21 April 22

From legendary solos to infamous and (literally) incendiary performances, we’ve tracked down the best live moments in the history of guitar

Bonnie Raitt says Prince asked her to teach him how to play slide guitar

By Jonathan Horsley published 20 April 22

The slide guitar legend opened up about her time at Paisley Park, expressing some regret that they never got to collaborate further

Learn Prince’s soloing secrets

By Phil Short published 19 April 22

The soul, funk and pop icon was a brilliant multi-instrumentalist, but he was also an exceptional blues-rock guitarist with a passionate delivery and lyrical playing style

Jack White reveals the guitar advice he received from Prince

By Matt Owen published 7 April 22

The pair coincidentally crossed paths at a Citizens Band show, and the conversation quickly turned to the guitar

Steve Vai recalls the time he went to Paisley Park to jam with Prince – but Prince didn’t show up

By Matt Owen published 6 April 22

Vai, who instead jammed with Prince band members Sonny T. and Michael Bland, also revealed that lost footage of the fateful night is out there somewhere

Footage of an 11-year-old Prince discovered by Minneapolis news station

By Matt Owen published 5 April 22

Reporters underwent a lengthy process to confirm their initial suspicions, after the film was discovered deep in the WCCO archive

When guitar gods go acoustic: Page, Van Halen, Hendrix and more

By David Von Bader last updated 14 January 22

The acoustic guitar is truly the great equalizer - hear what happened when five guitar gods unplugged

Prince plays While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Watch a new director’s cut of Prince’s legendary While My Guitar Gently Weeps solo, now with more Prince

By Richard Bienstock last updated 15 December 21

Re-edited clip still doesn’t reveal where his guitar landed

Prince is being considered for a congressional gold medal for “changing the arc of music history”

By Sam Roche published 27 October 21

If the resolution is successful, the medal will be displayed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC