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One of Prince’s guitars used by the late musician on stage at the height of his fame in the 1980s and 1990s will be auctioned off later this month.
The Cloud 3 guitar, which Prince carried on tours including Purple Rain, Parade, Sign of the Times, Lovesexy and Diamonds and Pearls, is estimated to be worth between $400,000 (£320,000) and $600,000, but could surpass that estimate , to become the largest expensive Prince guitar sold at auction.
Currently, the best-selling guitar belonging to the seven-time Grammy winner is a blue cloud guitar that sold for $700,000 in 2017.
The yellow Cloud 3 was last sold nearly 20 years ago for £4,200 at Christie’s – well below its original bid of £59,000 as it was not then confirmed to be one of the original Clouds Prince played on top to his glory.
Now Julien’s auction house in California has confirmed the guitar’s provenance by performing a CT scan and interviewing Dave Roussan, the luthier behind its creation. It remains fully playable and carries a certificate of authenticity.
“Julien’s Auctions has laid the foundation for the return of Prince’s Cloud 3 guitar, exemplified by our long-standing commitment to honoring his legacy,” said David Goodman, CEO of the auction house.
“Our company proudly stands behind its proven track record of sourcing and presenting instruments of unparalleled historical significance, and Prince’s Cloud 3 now joins that esteemed category.”
The Cloud 3 is sold alongside other axes of some of rock’s greatest artists. They include Newly discovered John Lennon Help! Framus Hootenanny 12-String Acoustic Guitar and more than 200 from To Randy Bachman guitars.
It will also be on the podium Bob Dylan and Robbie Robertson’s 1965 Fender Telecaster, Bono’s 2005 Gretsch Irish Falcon, Sex Pistol’s 1974 Gibson Les Paul by Steve Jones, Nancy Wilson’s 1984 Duncan Quattro electric guitar from Heart, and Travis 1975 Bean by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead.
Prince’s Cloud 3 will join the previously announced auction exhibition tour at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville from May 15-18.
The exhibition will then head to new York for one week from May 22-28 before the May 29-30 auction, both at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square.
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