Spike Lee, in a past encounter, requested Prince's signature on his guitar. However, he was taken aback by Prince's unusual reaction.
In the realm of music, Prince was known not only for his iconic tunes but also for his distinctive taste in guitars. One of the most notable guitar gifts he bestowed was a bespoke Auerswald Symbol electric guitar, which he played extensively throughout the 1990s.
This Auerswald Symbol guitar, built by luthier Jerry Auerswald, boasts a maple body, locking tremolo, an active single coil in the neck, and an EMG humbucker in the bridge. The guitar, specifically a Gold model, was gifted to filmmaker Spike Lee after an initial cool response from Prince to Lee's request for one of his signature guitars[1].
Another interesting guitar gift from Prince was the Vox HDC-77 semi-hollow electric guitar, which he presented to Donna Grantis. This guitar, known for its hefty $350,000 price tag, was played by Prince at the White House in June 2015 for Barack Obama[2].
It's worth mentioning that Prince had a penchant for unique guitars, owning Cloud guitars and a Sadowsky-made Telecaster, among others. One of his Cloud guitars even sold for a staggering $900,000 last summer[3].
The Auerswald Symbol electric guitar, with its distinctive Purple and White models, has been featured in several of Prince's videos, including those for Endorphinmachine and Gold. However, it remains unclear if the Gold model guitar was the one Prince used or a copy[4].
Interestingly, an unreleased documentary suggests that Prince's performance of While My Guitar Gently Weeps at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was an "act of revenge" due to being snubbed by Rolling Stone[5].
Donna Grantis, a member of Prince's band, has reflected on her time with the music legend. However, the search results do not provide information about any electric guitars gifted by Prince to her, beyond the Vox HDC-77 guitar[6].
In conclusion, the confirmed guitar gift from Prince that has been documented is the custom Auerswald Symbol guitar given to Spike Lee, a testament to their unique relationship and shared love for music.
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- Prince, known for his iconic music and unique taste in guitars, gifted a custom Auerswald Symbol electric guitar to filmmaker Spike Lee.
- The distinctive Auerswald Symbol guitar, a Gold model, was used by Prince extensively in the 1990s and later gifted to Spike Lee.
- In addition to the Auerswald Symbol, Prince also owned a Telecaster and Cloud guitars, adding to his collection of unique instruments.
- Another guitar gift from Prince was the Vox HDC-77 semi-hollow electric guitar, which he presented to Donna Grantis and played at the White House.
- Prince's unique taste in guitars was reflected in his videos, where the Auerswald Symbol guitar was featured in videos like Endorphinmachine and Gold.
- Donna Grantis, a member of Prince's band, has reflected on her time with the late music icon, but there is no documented information about any other electric guitars gifted by Prince to her beyond the Vox HDC-77 guitar.
