In a previous post, I asked which Prince album had the best guitar tones, and many people agreed on \*Lovesexy\*.

When I asked the question, I never expected to find so many people who loved the guitar tones on this album as much as I do. \*Sign "O" the Times\* and \*Batman\* were also mentioned, all albums on which Prince literally used almost the same setup.

On this album, he used his classic Hohner Madcat and Cloud Guitar, as well as an Epiphone Emperor Thinline semi-hollow, a rather unusual Auerswald Model C, and a Sigma SE-19 acoustic guitar. The rest of the setup is shown in the picture.

Below is my analysis of the guitar tones on the songs where they stand out the most.

\* \*\*Eye No:\*\* this is the song with the simplest guitar arrangement on the album, but it's incredibly effective and provides much of the groove. I'm pretty sure he used the Madcat here.

\* \*\*Alphabet St.:\*\* a clean funk guitar tone with a less harsh sound than usual. This is also where we first hear his trademark lead lines with a touch of wah. I think he used the Epiphone for the clean parts.

\* \*\*Glam Slam:\*\* the lead guitars are really the highlight here. He almost certainly used the Boss VB-2, and some of the parts are even harmonized. At times he uses the OC-2 to thicken the sound, while elsewhere there's a guitar with flanger or chorus adding subtle textures. This is also where the acoustic guitar makes an appearance.

\* \*\*Anna Stesia:\*\* glorious lead lines with wah and flanger. The reverb surrounding the solos gives them an aura that's hard to describe. I think he used the Auerswald here, because you can hear some Floyd Rose vibrato tricks, and that's the only documented guitar in his arsenal with that feature.

\* \*\*Dance On:\*\* his classic lead style is all over this track, with some wah thrown in. It also sounds like he's playing around with the Boss VB-2.

\* \*\*Lovesexy:\*\* the distortion is a bit more restrained here and alternates with a clean guitar.

\* \*\*I Wish U Heaven:\*\* toward the end, the interplay between the distorted and clean guitars is simply beautiful.

\* \*\*Positivity:\*\* right from the beginning, the guitar greets us with a pronounced vibrato. I'm not sure whether he did it manually or with the VB-2. And man, those lead lines, often harmonized with the horns... Here we get Prince's signature flanger and wah tones.

It's no wonder this album is so beloved for its guitar tones. I hope you enjoyed the analysis.

Analysis of the guitar tone of the album "Lovesexy".