Prince acoustic

[bloozeman]

I was watching a show of prince on YouTube called live at Webster hall. where he plays his Taylor in an acoustic set. He plays with such ease. Anybody know what guage strings he used for acoustic guitar?

[Blueser100]

Originally Posted by bloozeman

I was watching a show of prince on YouTube called live at Webster hall. where he plays his Taylor in an acoustic set. He plays with such ease. Anybody know what guage strings he used for acoustic guitar?

I saw him on that tour and many others in 1980s, and at his studio Paisley Park in 2004. I can ask the larger community of Prince alum and fans and se if anyone knows. My guess is he played mediums or medium lights as he didn’t seem to have trouble bending strings.

[JayBee1404]

But it wasn’t played acoustically though, was it? It was an acoustic guitar, but with a soundhole-feedback-buster, and he played it plugged and un-miked - effectively an electric. Under those circumstances, he wouldn’t need heavier strings to get tone and volume, he could have used very light strings to aid string-bends, and I’d suspect that’s what he did.

Not knocking Prince, BTW - I regard him as one of the great musicians and entertainers, a genius.

The usual disclaimers apply......IMHO, YMMV etc.

[Slothead56]

Ha! My first reaction was “he plays with such ease because he’s PRINCE!”

[fazool]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

But it wasn’t played acoustically though, was it? It was an acoustic guitar, but with a soundhole-feedback-buster, and he played it plugged and un-miked - effectively an electric. Under those circumstances, he wouldn’t need heavier strings to get tone and volume, he could have used very light strings to aid string-bends, and I’d suspect that’s what he did....

I think that is incorrect. The guitar is not an electric - it doesnt use a magnetic pickup like a single-coil or humbucker. It still has to excite the soundboard and then that vibraiton is picked up and amplified. With amplification he doesnt need the volume but it certainly still needs to get the wood moving, totally unlike an electric.

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by fazool

I think that is incorrect. The guitar is not an electric - it doesnt use a magnetic pickup like a single-coil or humbucker. It still has to excite the soundboard and then that vibraiton is picked up and amplified. With amplification he doesnt need the volume but it certainly still needs to get the wood moving, totally unlike an electric.

Hair-splitting my friend! The point I was making in response to a comment about his string-bending was that, as his guitar is using a pickup (no matter the type), is plugged, and is not miked, his tone and volume are determined by the guy on the desk and the amplification, rather than by gauge and type of strings. Therefore he could use lighter strings in order to achieve the extreme bends he employs, rather than heavier strings in order to achieve acoustic tone and volume. I thought I’d made that clear, obviously not clear enough.

But, after all, unless someone has a back-door into the technical details of the gear Prince used (and I haven’t), it’s just conjecture.

[fazool]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

Hair-splitting my friend! The point I was making in response to a comment about his string-bending was that, as his guitar is using a pickup (no matter the type), is plugged, and is not miked, his tone and volume are determined by the guy on the desk and the amplification, rather than by gauge and type of strings. Therefore he could use lighter strings in order to achieve the extreme bends he employs, rather than heavier strings in order to achieve acoustic tone and volume. I thought I’d made that clear, obviously not clear enough.

But, after all, unless someone has a back-door into the technical details of the gear Prince used (and I haven’t), it’s just conjecture.

understood.

We are guitar geeks so we debate the minutiae of such things

[Shishigashira]

Can anyone post a link for a video of this performance? I'd love to take a look as I am a big fan.

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by fazool

understood.

We are guitar geeks so we debate the minutiae of such things

Indeed we do, my friend, indeed we do! I wouldn’t have it any other way!

[EZYPIKINS]

Its not just the string. But the set up.
Acoustic players seem to be deathly afraid of low action.
Just like an electric. What sounds like light string buzz goes away when amplified.
My acoustics play just like my Les Paul's, with .011"-.052"s

[bloozeman]

Originally Posted by Shishigashira

Can anyone post a link for a video of this performance? I'd love to take a look as I am a big fan.

https://vimeo.com/215544805

[Lkristians]

That was awesome. Thanks for posting!