Prince's “Blue Angel” Cloud Guitar Sells for $563,500 at Auction

By Jackson Maxwell
published

The heavily-worn guitar was the Purple One's main stage instrument from 1984 - 1993.

(Image credit: Julien's Auctions)

Prince's long-lost "Blue Angel," his main stage guitar from 1984 - 1993, has been sold for $563,500 at auction.

Sold at Julien's Music Icons auction in Beverly Hills - the same event that saw the world record-breaking $6 million sale of Kurt Cobain's "MTV Unplugged" Martin D-18E - the heavily-worn guitar met its high pre-auction valuation, which had it pegged at $400,000 - $600,000. 

Prince used the guitar during his Purple Rain, Parade, Sign o’ the Times, Lovesexy and Diamonds and Pearls tours, and for the "Cream" and "Get Off" music videos. 

It was also used during the superstar's appearances on Saturday Night Live’s 15th Anniversary Special in 1989, the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards and for his legendary set on the Arsenio Hall Show in 1991.

You can watch him use the guitar for the Arsenio Hall set in the video below.

Jackson Maxwell
Jackson Maxwell
Associate Editor, GuitarWorld.com and GuitarPlayer.com

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.