First Look: Eastwood Customs Prince Mad Cat Tribute Guitar
Prince's legendary Hohner Mad Cat guitar has inspired many copies, but this tribute gets it right where others might've not... here's a first look at the prototype.
As befitting of any legendary guitar, Prince's Hohner Mad Cat has inspired countless copies, from cheap Chinese- made versions for $200, to high-end custom builds for $3,000+, to the originals that sell for $7,000 or more.
After many years of people asking us to make a tribute model of Prince's Mad Cat guitar, we've decided to finally pull the trigger. Compared to other manufacturers' attempts, this will be done right, fitting a gap in the market: a Mad Cat tribute at an affordable price range. The final result will be a high-end, professional-quality instrument.
Featuring an ash body with flamed maple top and maple neck, and looking as faithful to the original as possible, the Eastwood Mad Cat certainly won't disappoint, and will be the finest Mad Cat tribute ever in its price range.
The Mad Cat is now available to order from our website.
NOTE: this image is of the first Eastwood prototype. The Prince Estate is not affiliated, associated, or connected with Eastwood Guitars or Eastwood Custom Shop, nor has it endorsed or sponsored Eastwood Guitars or Eastwood Custom Shop. Further, the Prince Estate has not licensed any of its intellectual property or Eastwood Guitars or Eastwood Custom Shop.
About Prince's original Mad Cat
According to a Premier Guitar article:
"In addition to his sheer musical genius, Prince has always had an eye for style. And as any experienced axe-spotter knows, it didn’t stop with the Purple Dandy’s amazing suits. His Dave Husain-built cloud guitar and Jerry Auerswald-built symbol guitars became some of Prince’s most identifiable style trademarks. But though those larger-than-life guitars were among the flashiest of his accoutrements, Prince will probably always be most associated with his comparatively pedestrian H.S. Anderson-designed Hohner T-style that he used on albums like Purple Rain, 1999, and Musicology.
"The Hohner’s subdued style had a way of enhancing the mystery around it. It wasn’t a vintage Fender, and yet one of the most inventive and ripping guitarists of the day was doing major damage with the thing—there had to be more going on than meets the eye. Indeed, Prince’s Hohner was more than just another cheap Fender knock-off. In fact, Prince’s Hohner is a Japanese version of the H.S. Anderson Mad Cat, which was released in 1973 by the Morris company. The über-rare originals (there were only a little more than 500 produced) fetch top dollar whenever they pop up, but there have been quasi copycats under various brands over the years, too."