The purple one is dead

[jgcable]

My point exactly. He only needed 4 frets to play this entire dribble of a solo. Sloppy, tons of effects and many bends so that he could go theatrical. Anytime there is anything that required any chops it was no more than 4 notes or the wah pedal came on. I hear these types of solos all the time at Guitar Center played by hacks on Line 6 amps with all the effects they can muster turned on. Flat bends, 4 note runs (because after they get past G string they are done), and as soon as the going gets tough.. the wah pedal comes on. Just listening to this makes me frustrated because if I ever had the chance to be onstage with Prince and he let me take that solo I would show him how it is supposed to be done. Can you imagine what Gary Moore could have done on that track? Jeez..... Maybe they are jamming together now. Still... I am good at separating church and state... Prince was a totally bad ass musician in every respect. Some things he did great, some things he did good but bottom line is he did EVERYTHING. Much respect.

[jgcable]

hey, let's not be cruel.

I think he was a really good funk rhythm guitarist. He has better blues/rock chops than a lot of guys who dedicate themselves to that style. His ability as a guitarist is grossly overstated by music fans. But then, same for Santana, Hendrix, Clapton, Page, Cobain, Frusciante, anyone who has had large commercial success.

I was never a huge Prince fan but always appreciated his contribution & legacy. His overall musicality can't be denied. His music had a massive reach and always with a crack band performing the music for real. He always seemed to keep the audience front of mind too, which I dig regardless of genre.

I disagree with the funk part. He was a good funk bass player. Regarding the guitar... he was an average blues based player. I would compare him to a VERY VERY VERY watered down Gary Moore. Because he is a thumb rapper lots of people compare him to Hendrix when in fact they couldn't be farther apart. His guitar tone... reminds me of Neil Schon. Kind of thin, tons of delay, tons of gain. Almost hi-fi sounding. I do like his cleaner tones when he rolls the volume down. Lots of body. I bet his live rig was VERY complicated.

[pianoguyy]

Wouldn't it be nice to hear some of these Prince songs, but just the guitar track with no effects.

Take out the echos and the wah (and the keyboards). I don't think the 'fans' would think he was that impressive.

[atomic charvel guy]

im thankful prince didnt spooge all over his fretboard with headache song killing arpeggios all over the place, ewwwwwwww.
thats just me though. that shit just gets so old so fuckin' fast for me.

[shreddermon]

No, Tommy, but did you know Prince had one or two guitars back in the day that had pressurized tubing through the neck? He would "stroke" the guitar neck during the show, and spooge liquid ivory soap out the tip of the headstock. LOL.

[Nimitz]

Custom Shop Spooge Shooting Jackson?

[Number Of The Priest]

Custom Shop Spooge Shooting Jackson?

With Seymour Duncan "Semen Demon" pickups.

Instead of being called the "Purple Rain" guitar, it will be "White Rain".

Party like it's nineteen SIXTY-NINE.

[atomic charvel guy]

pecker snot rain

[VitaminG]

No one ever claimed Cobain was a good guitarist! I love Frusciante but no one ever claimed he was good either. He is actually the chili peppers worst guitarist.

Yeah the whole list is overrated. Some way more than others though. Page almost gets shit on too much these days.

PLENTY of people think that Cobain & Frusciante are virtuoso guitarists. People who actually play guitar don't. But check out any of those music fan readers polls in magazines like Rolling Stone. Hendrix is always the greatest guitarist that ever lived. And many successful album-selling guitarists who are actually really good at their instruments barely crack the top 20.

I think Page is unfairly wailed on these days. He's sloppy. But clinical precision isn't everything. I wish I was half as creative. And cool.

I disagree with the funk part. He was a good funk bass player. Regarding the guitar... he was an average blues based player. I would compare him to a VERY VERY VERY watered down Gary Moore. Because he is a thumb rapper lots of people compare him to Hendrix when in fact they couldn't be farther apart. His guitar tone... reminds me of Neil Schon. Kind of thin, tons of delay, tons of gain. Almost hi-fi sounding. I do like his cleaner tones when he rolls the volume down. Lots of body. I bet his live rig was VERY complicated.

I think Prince's funk rhythm is tight. Great pocket. Probably from his bassplaying & drumming experience.

Don't get me wrong - I didn't rate his lead playing. But I don't think he's awful either. Loads of non-guitarist friends were sharing "mind-blowing" Prince solos on my FB feed after he passed away. If I saw a local coverband guy playing a solo like Prince while at the pub I'd think 'not bad'. But not mind-blowing.

I also never got the Hendrix thing - maybe it was because he was a flamboyant dressing black guy playing blues/rock licks & the idiot press needed something to glom on to. Everyone knows that black dudes don't play rock. This wasn't R&B or hiphop, so what do you call a black guy playing rock guitar? I know - The New Hendrix. Kravitz got the same thing. Vernon Reid too.

[Nimitz]

I love Frusciante but no one ever claimed he was good either. He is actually the chili peppers worst guitarist.

[Hellbat]

I bet his live rig was VERY complicated.

There is a rig rundown out there. A whammy and a bunch of boss pedals into a mesa lonestar.