- The Cloud Guitar was created in 1983 by luthier Dave Rusan in Minneapolis, inspired by a Sardonyx bass that Prince had bought in New York.
- Built from solid maple with a neck-through-body, it features active EMG pickups (SA at the neck, 81 at the bridge) and gold Schaller hardware.
- First appearing in the film Purple Rain (1984), it became Prince’s signature instrument for nearly twenty years.
- A legendary collector’s piece, an original Cloud has sold for up to $700,000 at auction, and one is displayed at the Smithsonian.
The first time I saw Prince pull out that white guitar with impossible shapes in Purple Rain, it felt like the instrument had been designed in a dream. I’ve seen plenty of guitars with original designs, but the Cloud Guitar remains in a class of its own: an instrument born from an almost silent collaboration between a visionary artist and a daring luthier. Let’s revisit the genesis, specs, and legacy of a guitar that redefined the bond between a musician and their instrument.
The Birth of the Cloud Guitar: Minneapolis, 1983
The story begins at Knut-Koupée Music, a legendary store in Minneapolis’s Uptown neighborhood where Prince had been hanging out since his teens. That’s where Dave Rusan worked, an experienced luthier who had already crafted instruments for Keith Richards and Gary Moore.
At the end of 1983, Prince showed up with a project in mind: a film called Purple Rain. He needed a custom guitar. His instructions? He placed a Sardonyx bass on the counter — a uniquely designed instrument created by luthier Jeff Levin in the 1970s — and asked for a guitar that would echo that silhouette. It had to be white, with gold hardware and EMG pickups. That was it. Rusan had to figure out the rest on his own.
The nickname “Cloud” didn’t come from Prince himself. It appeared with the cover of Around the World in a Day (1985), where the character wears a suit covered in clouds — the same one from the “Raspberry Beret” video. Fans connected that to the guitar’s airy shape, and the name stuck.
The store had acquired a stock of O’Hagan guitars, a local brand that had disappeared. Rusan used the center of a Nightwatch model as the base for the neck-through-body construction, then hand-carved the famous scroll horns and the spiral around the jack input. A monumental task for a luthier who admitted he had never made such a complex guitar before.
Anatomy of a Legendary Guitar
Beyond its otherworldly look, the Cloud’s technical specs explain why Prince kept it for so long:
- Body and neck: solid maple, neck-through-body construction for maximum sustain
- Scale length: 24.75″ (Gibson scale), headstock angle at 13°
- Painted fretboard with spade-shaped markers (not dots!), 22 medium jumbo frets, brass nut
- Pickups: Active EMG pickups — SA (single-coil) at the neck, 81 (humbucker) at the bridge, powered by a 9V battery
- Hardware: Schaller 457 wraparound bridge, Schaller tuners, all in gold
The EMG SA + EMG 81 combination is incredibly versatile. The SA offers a clear, crystal sound with no noise — perfect for funk. The 81 delivers powerful, cutting gain, even under heavy distortion. This combo allowed Prince to switch from the softness of “Purple Rain” to the fury of “Let’s Go Crazy” without changing instruments.
The maple neck-through construction brings natural brightness and impressive sustain (resonance duration). Combined with the active EMGs, which maintain clarity even with lots of overdrive, the result is a sound that’s both hi-fi and organic. You know that searing solo at the end of “Let’s Go Crazy”? That’s the Cloud in action: a guitar that screams with precision.
Purple Rain and the Four Original Clouds
When Purple Rain was released in 1984, the Cloud instantly became iconic. The album stayed number one on the Billboard 200 for 24 weeks and sold over 25 million copies. Prince, as the Kid, wielded this white electric guitar like an extension of his body.
So satisfied was he that he ordered two more for the 98-date tour. A fourth was made for a Warner Bros. contest in 1985. Each had slight variations — Rusan hand-carved the scrolls — but they were visually almost identical. And Prince was tough: the Clouds were broken, repaired, and repainted many times. The “Blue Angel” (Cloud #2) went through at least six different colors, including a phase with Batman decals. You’re not dreaming.
From the Super Bowl to the Smithsonian
The Super Bowl XLI in 2007 remains the ultimate showcase of Prince’s stage power. Under pouring rain in Miami, he delivered what is widely regarded as the greatest halftime show in history. When he launched into the solo of “Purple Rain” behind a giant screen, his silhouette in shadow puppet form with guitar in hand, the whole world held its breath. It’s said that when the producer warned him about the rain, Prince simply asked if it could rain harder.
Want to capture that sharp funk-rock tone? Active pickups provide a clean signal and dynamics that handle both clean and distortion well. Check out our selection of electric guitar pickups at Woodbrass to find the pickup that suits your style.
Starting in 1993, Prince donated the original Cloud (repainted yellow) to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. A CT scan done in 2019 confirmed its authenticity and revealed the successive paint layers. On the market, Clouds have reached staggering prices: $700,000 for a teal Cloud in 2017, $563,000 for the “Blue Angel” in 2020 at Julien’s Auctions.
The Heirs of the Cloud
After the four originals, other luthiers took over. Andy Beech built 27 more Clouds and the “Love Symbol” guitars in the 1990s. Schecter, the Californian brand, produced replicas starting in 1998, then again during the “Hit and Run” tour in 2014-2015. If you’re looking for a Schecter guitar combining flamboyant style and solid craftsmanship, it’s a safe bet. Dave Rusan himself continues to make faithful reproductions in his Bloomington workshop, each replica requiring about 100 hours of handwork.
You don’t need a $500,000 Cloud to explore Prince’s sonic universe. A maple electric guitar with active pickups will bring you closer to the clarity and versatility that defined his playing. Browse our catalog: we’ll guide you to the instrument that fits you.
More Than a Guitar, a Manifesto
The Cloud Guitar is not just an instrument. It’s a work of art, a visual statement, the extension of everything Prince embodied: boldness, uniqueness, rejection of conventions. In a world where most guitarists hesitate between Strat and Les Paul, he chose to have something made that didn’t exist anywhere else. And this guitar, born in the basement of a Minneapolis store, ended up at the Smithsonian and in the collective memory of popular music. And you, which instrument would have the same effect on you?
