“I had the honor of crafting one of the most iconic guitars in music history.”
“I had the honor of crafting one of the most iconic guitars in music history.”
It all started in 1983 when Dave was working at Knut-Koupée Music, a guitar repair shop in Minneapolis. He was asked to create a guitar to be used on-stage and also featured in a new movie called Purple Rain and the rest, as they say, is history.
Are you still playing the cloud guitar?
“Yeah, but it’s painted blue now.”
And who built that guitar?
“It was made by Dave Rusan.”
— Prince, Guitar Player, Jan 2000
Dave continues to make guitars with the exact same specifications in his workshop Rusan Guitarworks in Bloomington, just south of Minneapolis.
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Handcrafted
“Unlike most copies, my reproductions are custom-made, one at a time—carved by me in my shop—just as I did thirty-some years ago at Knut-Koupeé Music. They are built to exactly the same specifications as the original.”
Specifications
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![Close up of knob details on Rusan Original guitar]()
Master volume, master tone and pickup selector switch
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![Close up bridge detail on Rusan Original guitar]()
Schaller 457 bridge
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![Close up of neck of Rusan Original guitar]()
All hard rock maple neck-though-body construction
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![Close up of Rusan Original guitar fretboard]()
12” fretboard radius
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![Close up of Rusan Original guitar tuners]()
Schaller M6 tuners
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![Close up of Rusan Original guitar pickups]()
EMG active pickups powered by a 9V battery in the control cavity, with an 81 humbucker in the bridge position, a SA single-coil in the neck
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![Close up of Rusan Original guitar headstock]()
13 degree headstock angle
Custom options
Have your instrument made exactly like the original or choose from options including the guitar and strap color plus various knobs, string brands and gauges.
Custom options
Have your instrument made exactly like the original or choose from options including the guitar and strap color plus various knobs, string brands and gauges.
Colors
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![Blue Rusan Original Cloud Guitar]()
Blue
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![Yellow Rusan Original Guitar]()
Yellow
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![White Rusan Original Guitar]()
White
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![Purple Rusan Original Guitar]()
Purple
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![Peach Rusan Original Guitar]()
Peach
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![Rave Blue Rusan Original Guitar]()
Dark Blue
Colors
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![Blue Angel Cloud Guitar]()
Blue
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![Yellow Cloud Guitar]()
Yellow
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![White Cloud Guitar]()
White
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![Purple Cloud Guitar]()
Purple
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![Peach Cloud Guitar]()
Peach
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![Rave Blue Cloud Guitar]()
Dark Blue
Attention to every detail
Each Rusan Original guitar is numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity and a period-correct strap, all delivered in a custom-made flight case.
Order your hand made Rusan Original
“Orders are taken by email where we'll discuss options and I'll answer any questions you might have. I promise you I'll put my best efforts into making you the most authentic and highest quality guitar available.”
