1994 Prince "Cloud" Guitar Sells at Auction for Over $280,000
The Prince-commissioned instrument was made by Andy Beech.
The last year and change has seen a number of auctions of custom, Prince-commissioned and -owned "Cloud" guitars.
An early '90s example built by Minneapolis luthier Kurt Nelson sold at auction in March for nearly $133,000, while the "Blue Angel" Cloud guitar – Prince's main stage instrument from 1984-1993 – sold at auction for an incredible $563,500 last June.
Now, another Prince "Cloud" guitar – this one a 1994 blue model built by Andy Beech – has sold at auction, for $281,250.
Put up for sale by Julien's Auctions as part of its "Music Icons" lot, the guitar features a "Paisley Park" inventory tag on the neck plate, a hard case with a laminated PRN Productions tag, and a pickup cavity signed by Prince’s former guitar tech, Zeke Clark, with the inscription: “Zeke for [love symbol] Prince.”
The guitar was also sold with printed receipts and a tag showing the guitar was flown to London on Northwest Airlines, and was ordered through the N.P.G. pop-up store in London on June 29, 1994.
Another Prince Cloud model – a mid-90s era example built by Schecter – was also sold by Julien's as part of the same lot for $50,000.
For more info on the guitars, stop by juliensauctions.com.
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Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com and GuitarPlayer.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.
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