Well, now, if you ever heard of Prince, you know he was somethin’ special. Not just for his music, but for his style too, especially when it came to guitars. He wasn’t just playin’ any ol’ guitar – no, he had somethin’ unique, somethin’ that matched his whole vibe. And let me tell ya, there’s one particular guitar of his that has folks all up in arms, talkin’ about it left and right: the Prince Stratocaster, or what folks call “The Cloud.”
Now, this ain’t no regular ol’ guitar. If you’re thinkin’ about your old hand-me-down from the neighbor, you got another thing comin’. This here guitar, well, it was built by a fella named Dave Rusan. You might not know that name, but Dave’s the man who put his hands on that guitar and made it something real special. He runs Rusan Guitarworks up in Bloomington, Minnesota, and when it comes to guitars, folks say he’s about as good as it gets. He’s the one who built that legendary “Cloud” guitar that Prince played, and lemme tell ya, it ain’t no ordinary piece of wood and strings.

Now, Dave, he’s a humble man, but he’s got stories that could fill a whole book. He’s also the go-to man for all kinds of guitar repairs, and trust me, if you bring him your old guitar, he’ll make it sing like a bird again. But that “Cloud” guitar? Well, that one’s somethin’ different. If you’ve seen it, you’d know what I mean. It’s got this curvy, smooth shape, almost like it was made for Prince himself – and it was. That guitar was built to match his style, his sound, his whole persona. It wasn’t just a tool for makin’ music; it was an extension of who he was.
And lemme tell ya, that guitar’s value? Oh boy, it’s worth more than most folks make in a lifetime. They estimated it would sell for somewhere between $400,000 and $600,000, but wouldn’t ya know, when it went up for auction, it fetched a whopping $910,000! That’s right, nearly a million dollars for one guitar. It set a record, bein’ the most expensive Prince guitar ever sold at auction. Ain’t that somethin’?
But you see, the value ain’t just in the price tag. It’s in the history, the sound, and the legacy it carries. Prince wasn’t just another guy playin’ guitar; no, sir. He was one of the greatest, a true master. His guitar skills were somethin’ to behold – a mix of pure technical talent and a whole lotta soul. He didn’t just play rock or funk or jazz – he blended ’em all together, creatin’ a sound that was uniquely his. That’s why that Stratocaster, that “Cloud” guitar, is so much more than just an instrument – it’s a piece of music history.
Now, folks who knew Prince, they’d tell ya he had a way with music that few could match. He didn’t just play the notes; he made ‘em sing, made ‘em dance, made ‘em alive. And when he picked up that guitar, it wasn’t just about strummin’ some chords. He could make that thing wail, cry, and shout, all in one go. He knew the ins and outs of every genre – rock, funk, jazz, you name it – and he could take all those sounds and make ’em his own. That’s what made him so special.
So, when folks talk about the Prince Stratocaster, they’re not just talkin’ about a guitar. They’re talkin’ about the sound of an era, a sound that changed the world of music. That guitar, and the man who played it, will be remembered for as long as folks are strummin’ strings and tappin’ feet to the beat. Ain’t nobody else could do it like Prince did, and that guitar, well, it’s a testament to all that talent and magic that man brought to the world.
Now, I don’t know if anyone else will ever play a guitar quite like Prince did, but I reckon that “Cloud” will keep singin’ for a long time to come. If you ever get the chance to hold one of those guitars, you might just feel a little bit of that magic yourself. But let me tell ya, it ain’t just about the price tag or the fame – it’s about the music. And that’s somethin’ no one can take away from Prince or his Stratocaster, no matter how much they sell it for.

Tags:[Prince Stratocaster, Prince guitar, Dave Rusan, Cloud guitar, music history, guitar auction, iconic guitars, guitar repair, Stratocaster]