In 2003, Rolling Stone published a list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Prince was not included.

A few months later, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Among the other honorees that year was George Harrison, and the ceremonies closed with an all-star group—Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood, and Harrison’s son Dhani—performing “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” from the White Album. About three-and-a-half minutes in, Prince magically materialized onstage and in place of Eric Clapton’s iconic recorded solo, spent the next one hundred and fifty seconds tearing through a swooping, soaring, dazzling display that many have called the finest guitar solo ever.

Even the musicians onstage had no idea this was coming; he had only played through the chords in rehearsal and they’re visibly astonished. As Prince wrapped up, he tossed his guitar in the air and strutted off stage. Many who were there swear the thing never came down.

Prince never directly said that this performance was a response to the Rolling Stone list, but it’s easy to believe that the snub was part of his motivation—he used that stage at the Waldorf Astoria hotel to show an institution closely allied with the Hall of Fame that there was no question, no debate, that his guitar mastery was among the best we will ever see.

He could, of course, play anything. On his 1978 debut album, For You, he was credited with 27 different instruments, and as a bassist and drummer, he was truly world-class. (He once walked over to me at the side of the stage during a sound check and said—without interrupting his guitar playing—“You see how hard it is when you can play anything you want, anything you hear?”)

But Prince’s relationship to the guitar was special. On that first album, the fuzzed-out fretwork on “Bambi” established him as a major force. Unforgettable guitar moments anchored his career, with such peaks as “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man,” “Joy in Repetition,” and “Free.” Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top begged Prince to show him how to play the intro to “When Doves Cry,” but he still couldn’t replicate it. And of course there’s “Purple Rain,” with one of rock’s definitive guitar solos—which, amazingly, was recorded live the very first time he played the song in front of an audience.

The “Cloud 3” guitar included in Julien’s 2024 “Music Icons” auction was one of Prince’s most beloved instruments. It was the third of four guitars in the distinctive shape that was built for him—this one completed in 1985, with a white finish and gold and brass hardware, for use on the triumphant Purple Rain tour.

He kept Cloud 3 in rotation for the next eight years, the period in which he became one of the biggest stars on the planet. It was played on every tour during those years including Purple Rain (1985), Parade (1986), Sign o’ the Times (1987, when it was stripped and refinished in peach), Lovesexy (1988-89), and Diamonds & Pearls (1992, refinished again, this time in yellow). Around the time of Prince’s controversial name change, he started to move on from the Cloud guitars, and Cloud 3 was given away at the beginning of 1993’s Act 1 tour as part of a contest through New York radio station Z100.

More than thirty years later, Julien’s has gone to great lengths to authenticate the instrument, including a CT scan to confirm its construction, its filled-in pickup rout, filled tuner holes, and other key details. It’s in perfect shape and is still very playable, if you’re brave enough.

Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, dancer, producer—Prince could do more things than any other musician, and he could do each one of them as well as anybody. His guitar playing, though, was always close to his heart, and the Cloud 3 was one of the vehicles that allowed him to create and to express himself during a crucial era in his career. In 2007, Prince finally got around to writing a song titled simply “Guitar,” and the chorus went “I love you, baby/But not like I love my guitar.”

Last year, Rolling Stone updated their Greatest Guitarists list. This time, Prince came in all the way up at Number 14, one spot ahead of Keith Richards and twenty places higher than Eric Clapton, who played on the original “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” I guess that solo made its point.

And speaking of icons whose mastery made the doubters eat their words – want to own a piece of that fierce, groundbreaking energy? Julien's "Music Icons" auction showcases artifacts that connect you to the legends you love. Explore instruments, clothing, and memorabilia that tell the stories behind your favorite songs and performances – start your collection today!

Alan Light is an Emmy Award-winning music journalist, author, and the co-host of the music news podcast “Sound Up!” The former Editor-in-Chief of Vibe and Spin magazines, and a former Senior Writer at Rolling Stone, he is a frequent contributor to the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Esquire, among other publications. Alan is the author of Let's Go Crazy: Prince and the Making of "Purple Rain," as well as books about Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, the Beastie Boys, and the song "Hallelujah."