Prince-Owned and -Played "Cloud" Guitar Sells for Nearly $133,000 at Auction
Built by Minneapolis luthier Kurt Nelson in the early '90s, the guitar had initially been valued at $60,000.
Last week, we reported that another Prince "Cloud" guitar had gone up for auction.
Initially valued at $60,000, the early '90s-era guitar – built by Minneapolis luthier Kurt Nelson – has sold at an RR Auction-sponsored sale for $132,868.
The guitar features a bright yellow finish, golden hardware, cloud-inspired designs on the horn and headstock, and 18 black Prince symbols on the fretboard and the top of neck.
Additionally, the guitar's battery plate features a “PRN Musical Corp.” label, which is marked “PM 16200.”
The guitar also came with a pearloid guitar pick with the Prince symbol, the original purple hardshell carrying case with a matching plush interior and faux reptile scale exterior, and a detailed letter of provenance from Nelson.
Additionally, it was sold with Nelson’s original clear plastic guitar pattern sheet – with a matching Cloud outline in black felt tip – a Plexiglas cut-out of the upper body, and a yellow handkerchief given to Nelson by Paisley Park to color-match with the guitar.
This isn't the first Prince-owned "Cloud" guitar to fetch big money at auction in recent months. Prince's "Blue Angel" Cloud guitar – his main stage instrument from 1984-1993 – sold for over $563,000 last June.
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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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