Guitar tone · rock, other

Prince & The Revolution guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 10 Prince & The Revolution songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Late-'70s Hohner/H.S. Anderson MadCat into 1981 Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB.

Guitars Prince & The Revolution used

Late-'70s Hohner/H.S. Anderson MadCat2 songs
Hohner Madcat Telecaster (Prince's main Tele-style guitar, maple neck, single-coil pickups)2 songs
Late-'70s Hohner/H.S. Anderson MadCat (Telecaster copy)2 songs
Rickenbacker (sealed, hot-rodded with G&L pickups)1 song
Prince custom-built H.S. Anderson Mad Cat (Telecaster-style)1 song
Hohner/H.S. Anderson MadCat Telecaster copy1 song
Hohner/H.S. Anderson MadCat Telecaster copy (late '70s, maple neck, Strat-style single-coil pickups, Strat-style hardtail bridge)1 song
Rickenbacker 330 (modified with G&L pickups, sealed body for feedback resistance)1 song

Amps Prince & The Revolution used

1981 Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB6 songs
Mesa/Boogie Mark I2 songs
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head2 songs
Mesa/Boogie Coliseum 300 (heavily modified, used on Purple Rain sessions)1 song
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head into Bag End 4x12 cabinets with JBL D120F speakers1 song
Mesa Boogie Coliseum (studio amp Prince used in this era, confirmed as owned by Prince in the mid-1980s)1 song
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB (1981) into two Bag End Q12 4x12 cabinets with JBL D120F speakers1 song
Mesa/Boogie Mark I (studio recording, 1984)1 song

19 Prince & The Revolution tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Purple Rain · riff	Riff · clean	Rickenbacker (sealed, hot-rodded with G&L pickups)	Mesa/Boogie Mark I	4.5
Purple Rain · solo	Solo · distorted	Hohner HG-490 Madcat (Telecaster-style)	Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head	6
Purple Rain · riff	Riff · distorted	Rickenbacker (sealed body, G&L pickups, custom-modded for sustain and feedback resistance)	Mesa/Boogie Mark I	4.5
Let's Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix) [2017 Remaster] · riff	Riff · distorted	Late-'70s Hohner/H.S. Anderson MadCat (Telecaster copy)	1981 Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB	6.5
Computer Blue · solo	Solo · distorted	Late-'70s Hohner/H.S. Anderson MadCat Telecaster copy	1981 Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB	7
Computer Blue · riff	Riff · distorted	Hohner Madcat Telecaster (Prince's main Tele-style guitar for Purple Rain era studio recordings)	Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (studio, Purple Rain sessions; Prince's main amp for this era)	6
Condition of the Heart · riff	Riff · clean	Hohner Madcat Telecaster (Prince's main Tele-style guitar, maple neck, single-coil pickups)	Mesa Boogie Coliseum (studio amp Prince used in this era, confirmed as owned by Prince in the mid-1980s)	4
Kiss · solo	Solo · distorted	Hohner/H.S. Anderson MadCat Telecaster copy (late '70s, maple neck, Strat-style single-coil pickups, Strat-style hardtail bridge)	Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB (1981) into two Bag End Q12 4x12 cabinets with JBL D120F speakers	5
Kiss · riff	Riff · clean	Late-'70s Hohner/H.S. Anderson MadCat	1981 Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB	0
Let's Go Crazy · riff	Riff · distorted	Late-'70s Hohner/H.S. Anderson MadCat	1981 Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB	7
Let's Go Crazy · solo	Solo · distorted	Late-'70s Hohner/H.S. Anderson MadCat (Telecaster copy)	1981 Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB	7
Let's Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix) [2017 Remaster] · solo	Solo · distorted	Late-'70s Hohner/H.S. Anderson MadCat (Telecaster-style) with maple neck	1981 Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB	7
Purple Rain · solo	Solo · clean	Rickenbacker 330 (modified with G&L pickups, sealed body for feedback resistance)	Mesa/Boogie Mark I (studio recording, 1984)	0
Purple Rain (7" Single Edit) [2017 Remaster] · solo	Solo · distorted	Hohner/H.S. Anderson MadCat Telecaster copy	Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ head into Bag End 4x12 cabinets with JBL D120F speakers	6.5
Purple Rain (7" Single Edit) [2017 Remaster] · riff	Riff · clean	Rickenbacker (hot-rodded with G&L pickups, exact model not specified)	Mesa/Boogie Mark I (studio recording; some sources mention Mark IIC+ in Prince's rig, but Wendy Melvoin specifies Mark I for the original recording)	0
Purple Rain (Live In Syracuse, March 30, 1985 (2022 Remaster)) · solo	Solo · distorted	Hohner MadCat Telecaster (custom, H.S. Anderson copy)	Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head	5.5
She's Always in My Hair · riff	Riff · distorted	Hohner Madcat Telecaster (Prince's main Tele-style guitar, maple neck, single-coil pickups)	Mesa Boogie Mark II	6.5
When Doves Cry · riff	Riff · distorted	Prince custom-built H.S. Anderson Mad Cat (Telecaster-style)	Mesa/Boogie Coliseum 300 (heavily modified, used on Purple Rain sessions)	6
When Doves Cry · solo	Solo · distorted	Prince custom Hohner Madcat Telecaster	Peavey Classic (exact model not confirmed, but Peavey Classic series is most cited for this era/recording)	6.5

Prince & The Revolution songs on popular amps

Exact settings ToneAdapt players use for these songs on their own amps.

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Prince & The Revolution use?

Across 10 researched songs, the amps that come up most are 1981 Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB (6 songs), Mesa/Boogie Mark I (2 songs), Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head (2 songs), Mesa/Boogie Coliseum 300 (heavily modified, used on Purple Rain sessions) (1 song).

What guitar did Prince & The Revolution use?

Most often: Late-'70s Hohner/H.S. Anderson MadCat (2 songs), Hohner Madcat Telecaster (Prince's main Tele-style guitar, maple neck, single-coil pickups) (2 songs), Late-'70s Hohner/H.S. Anderson MadCat (Telecaster copy) (2 songs), Rickenbacker (sealed, hot-rodded with G&L pickups) (1 song).

How do I get Prince & The Revolution's tone on my amp?

Open any Prince & The Revolution song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.