PRINCE CLOUD GUITAR REPLICA RELEASED WORLDWIDE BY SCHECTER GUITAR

Of all the instruments that Prince played throughout his career, the iconic Cloud Guitar has one of the most alluring and mysterious backstories.

The Cloud Guitar first entered the public’s consciousness as the object of The Kid’s affection in Purple Rain, and the way Prince’s character in the film pines after the distinctive satin curves of the guitar as it sits in a display window speaks to just how mesmerized he was by this instrument.

Prince first came across the model for the Cloud Guitar while browsing in a guitar shop with his childhood friend and first bassist, André Cymone, in the late 1970s when Prince was at the very beginning of his solo career. The two musicians were intrigued by a custom bass guitar with hand-carved curves and swirls, and the way it resembled a classical instrument more than one you would see in the hands of a rock or funk musician. Prince purchased the bass for André to play, and it can be seen in the 1979 video for “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?”

In 1983, when it came time for Prince to choose an instrument to play in his first film, he brought the Cloud bass to a young Minneapolis luthier named Dave Rusan, who worked at Prince’s favorite local guitar shop, Knut Koupee Music. Recreating the bass as a prop to use in the film took months, and only four copies of the original white Cloud Guitar were made by Rusan — but his Cloud Guitars laid the groundwork for one of the most intriguing stage instruments of the 1980s.

Dave Rusan understood the significance of a well-crafted guitar to an artist like Prince. “It’s so much more than just part of a costume. It’s a means of expression, power, identity,” he told Premier Guitar.

Prince had the Cloud Guitar remade many times throughout his career in different colors and finishes, and the instrument re-emerged at several key points in his artistic evolution. Prince would call on the company Schecter to repair his Cloud Guitars and manufacture new replicas for his use, including a run that was sold to fans on Prince’s HitnRun Tour.

In recent years, the Schecter replicas of the iconic Cloud Guitar have only been available to purchase in-person at Paisley Park. But starting today, players around the world can purchase these exclusive, authentic Cloud Guitars from the Official Prince Store.

Schecter Guitar Research, founded in 1976 by David Schecter, has solidified its elite status as one of the world’s premier guitar companies, offering electric guitars and basses, acoustic guitars, and USA Custom Shop instruments to musicians around the world in more than 150 countries. Its continually evolving and expanding line of guitars and basses appeals to a broad spectrum of players and diverse musical styles. Its core business practice offers high-quality instruments with professional components at an affordable price. One of the company’s strongest assets is its growing roster of high-profile artists, including Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, The Cure, Papa Roach, Seether, Prince, Stone Temple Pilots, Nevermore and Black Label Society.