The man who made Prince’s last guitar

Prince’s last guitar was made by Simon Farmer, AKA Gus of Gus Guitars. He hand-made the custom Purple Special nine years ago, but only got it to Prince a few weeks ago. In a photo taken five days before his death, Prince is showing Gus’s guitar off to a select audience at Paisley Park. In this exclusive video, Gus talks to us from his small studio in East Sussex

The Guardian on YouTube:

[patrickfoster]

I'm sure he would have told you what a great guitar it was. He would have never played it on stage if he didn't really like it. It's not as if he couldn't have any guitar he wanted so you should feel very honored. Congratulations on your excellent work, it is such a shame he was unable to use it longer than he did.

The design is nothing short of amazing.

[africanhistory]

Sad story about a beautiful artist and a beautiful instrument

[hnrnevermind]

wOw i remember seeing this guitar online years before PRINCE ever had it☆...It was always called PRINCE guitar even before PRINCE ever touched it. When i seen the photo of PRINCE displaying his New Purple Piano & Guitar i wouldn't have known it was this particular GUITAR wOw!

[therealkingfrances]

The guitar killed prince ? I’m confused 🤷‍♂️

[athenatheshewolf]

He should be making a lot more money for handcrafted guitars :(

[rickyvalenzuela]

Prince holding your guitar on stage man that's priceless.... wow!!!

[bambijay]

I just came back from Paisley Park and the thing that caught my eye the most was this guitar, it's right there on display in the lobby, I bet he was so happy when he received it, what an amazing job you did, 💜

[aprilwelch]

I was in the front when he held up your guitar, it was beautiful and we were trying to get him to play it just a bit for us. He said he was focused on the piano and practicing to get better for his tour. (imagine the best ever still striving to be better) I would have loved to hear him play it, it was clear he really liked it. He pretended like he was going to let us touch it then he pulled it back quickly like "this beauty is mine...for later"

[batmanbill]

Beautiful guitar! I'm sure it will end up in the Paisley Park Museum.

[sixstringlove]

Those are works of art. When he said that there is a certain joy about making guitars, he wasn't bullshitting. One of my passions is creating my own custom guitars. I don't have a wood shop, so I buy the bodies and necks from Warmoth, which makes stunning creations. I do the fretwork, finish, assembly and all the wiring myself. My hands are covered with solder burn marks. When I am finished and plug it in for the first time, it's like being there when your kid is born (not really, but you know what I mean. Nothing is like a person being born) And you hear that newborn for the first time...MAGIC! But what I do is nothing like this guy. These are just on a whole other level

[michaeljulien]

It's a beautiful guitar! Would of so wished that Simon could have had that conversation with Prince. :( #PrinceGoneTooSoon Simon, your guitar creations are stunning, man!

[therealawakener]

That axe is the business, it oozes 'Prince'. Even the case is as ostentatious as he was. I bet he friggin' loved it. It's just a shame he never got to write some more fantastic music on it, gutting. R.I.P. Prince arguably the best musically gifted recording artist of the 20th century.

[skygazer]

I remember reading about Simon making this guitar for Prince. Watching this makes me feel sad that Simon never got the chance to see Prince perform with it. Bittersweet memories thats for sure!!

[MakeArtNotWar]

That is a beautiful work of art. I'm drooling over its design. I'm an artist, so I can appreciate the time it took for him to produce it. It's sad we didn't get to see and hear him play it live and Simon didn't get to have that talk with him.

[richardvictor]

I read somewhere that next Prince´s guitar would be a Harley Benton Dullahan. Not sure though.

[bones]

My uncle who I've never met (my moms brother) Zeke Clark also built a guitar for him. He worked with Prince for awhile.

[prepstein]

I cry everytime I watch this. He was my close personal friend and colleague for eleven years and to this day I still feel like I am on a lonely cloud sometimes without him.

[MrGordonGartrelle]

We saw your guitar displayed in the soundstage of Paisley Park this weekend.

[kiuakakirstine]

Prince had so many differed guitars. Some acoustic, some electric, some really nice and a bunch of awful guitars.
💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜❤️ may he play in peace!