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Prince's Personally Owned Custom Cloud Guitar

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:60,000.00 - 80,000.00 USD
Prince's Personally Owned Custom Cloud Guitar

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Auction Date:2021 Mar 10 @ 18:00 (UTC-5 : EST/CDT)
Location:15th Floor WeWork, Boston, Massachusetts, 02108, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Prince’s personally-owned and played Cloud electric guitar custom-made by Minneapolis luthier Kurt Nelson in 1995. The neck-through guitar features a bright yellow finish, golden hardware, and cloud-inspired design to body, horn, and headstock, with a unique series of 18 black Prince symbols to fretboard and top of neck. The battery plate, removed but present, bears an affixed “Property of PRN Musical Corp.” label, which is marked “PM 16200.”

Included material related to its construction: Nelson’s original clear plastic guitar pattern sheet, with matching Cloud outline in black felt tip; a Plexiglas cut-out of the upper body with telltale upper horn; and a yellow handkerchief given to Nelson by Paisley Park to color match with the guitar. In fine condition, with a repair to the headstock's uppermost point, a couple small chips to paint (near neck pickup and lower bout), some faint scattered scuffs to back, and a few instances of flaking to interior of swirl designs; these ‘flaws’ in no way detract from the guitar’s otherwise magnificent presentation. An iconic and simply gorgeous Prince-played Cloud guitar that perfectly embodies the flash and flamboyance of its legendary owner.

Accompanied by a pearloid guitar pick with Prince symbol; the original purple hardshell carrying case with matching plush interior and faux reptile scale exterior; and a detailed letter of provenance from Nelson, who writes: “I built this yellow Cloud guitar after being contacted by Paisley Park (through my repair work at the Diner Guitar Store in Mpls). They were looking for someone to build more Cloud guitars and found me. They (Paisley Park) lent me an original one to make patterns and take measurements from. I chose to make my copy as a neck through construction as opposed to glue in neck / body joint. The electronics were chosen by them and I hand built 2 copies, but delivered in the early 90’s...one of them got destroyed I heard...I lost contact and never knew what happened to them until recently when this one showed up. After verifying it was once I made (neck body joint, and an address number painted into a pickup cavity) it was offered up for sale...This IS the guitar I built for Prince. The color was chosen by Paisley Park and I was given a yellow handkerchief to match. I had my friend John Carston, an auto body painter, do the painting. After he did it, he threw the hanky in his sock drawer and there it sat for a couple decades, so I believe it faded after all the years, as the [guitar] paint is catalyzed auto paint and most likely didn’t change.”