Portrait of American singer Prince (born on 07 June 1958 in Minneapolis) taken in February 1985 on stage in Paris. Portrait du chanteur américain Prince (né le 07 juin 1958 à Minneapolis) pris en février 1985 à Paris. (FILM) AFP PHOTO/PASCAL GEORGE (Photo by AFP)
American singer-songwriter played when recording his “Diamonds and Pearls” album is set to go under the hammer at Gardiner Houlgate in March.
This Fender Gemini II acoustic guitar comes from the personal collection of two British Prince fans who acquired it directly from Sylvia Massy. The American producer notably worked with Prince during the recording of his 13th studio album, “Diamonds and Pearls,” at Paisley Park Studios. According to auctioneers Gardiner Houlgate, Sylvia Massy rented a selection of guitars for one of her sessions with the artist, hiding her own modest Fender Gemini II in a corner. But that didn’t stop Prince picking the humble instrument to record tracks like “Walk Don’t Walk.”
“Prince used the Gemini II on several other songs, and at the end of the sessions he casually directed his crew to pack the guitar up into one of his road cases. I don’t think he realized it was mine and assumed the rental company would just charge him for it. I noticed what Prince was doing, and said, ‘Excuse me, you can buy one of your own for $200; they aren’t that expensive.’ He smiled at me, and said, ‘But I want this one,'” recalls Sylvia Massy ahead of the sale.
Collectors can bid for the guitar March 10 when it goes up for auction at Gardiner Houlgate, where it is estimated to fetch GB£40,000 to $80,000 (approx. US$55,000 to $110,000). Still, this Fender Gemini II is unlikely to break the record set by the artist’s “Blue Angel” Cloud 2 electric guitar, which sold for $563,500 in 2018, tripling its initial estimate.
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