Song Rig

When Doves Cry

Prince · Purple Rain · 1984

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

One of the strangest hit singles in pop history — famously has no bass guitar. Prince plays a scratchy, rhythmic funk guitar riff with a hyper-processed sound, somewhere between a synth and a guitar. The tone is thin and bright by design, leaving space where a bass would normally sit.

Signal Chain

1Hohner Madcat Telecaster-style guitar (Prince's primary at this era)
2direct input (DI) or processed amp signal
3studio processing (compression, gating, pitch effects)

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume7

Bass2

Mid7

Treble9

Bass deliberately cut — this is the production choice that defines the song. The guitar needs to be bright and thin to fill the space without becoming a bass substitute. Heavy studio compression gives the scratchy, staccato attack. Not a typical amp tone — the processed, gated sound was created in the studio.

Technique

How to Play It

Rhythmic, staccato funk chord scratches — Prince mutes the strings between every chord hit with his palm and fretting hand, creating the percussive "chicken scratch" funk rhythm. The guitar functions rhythmically, not melodically, in the main groove.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Bright single-coil guitar (Telecaster or Strat bridge) → heavy compressor → bright, treble-forward amp with bass cut. Boss CS-3 compressor + Fender-style amp works well.

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