Prince, who died suddenly on Thursday, was an unparalleled musical artist, known for his uncanny ability to play many different instruments like an expert. But his talents didn't end at performing -- he actually went so far as to design gear.
Prince is listed as the sole inventor on a U.S. patent for a particular custom keytar, a variant of the keyboard-guitar hybrid that resembles a scimitar. Dubbed the Purpleaxxe, the instrument looks partly inspired by the glyph that served as Prince's name for a good chunk of the '90s.
After filing with U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Prince got the official patent in 1994. It's unclear how many often the Purpleaxxe made appearances at Prince's shows, but a Google image search shows it wasn't just a flight of fancy -- the keytar made appearances on stage more than once.
It's unclear if Prince himself every played the Purpleaxxe -- he apparently created the Purpleaxxe for his keyboardist, Tommy Barbarella, according to The Atlantic.
As a design patent, Prince's rights to the Purpleaxxe expired after 14 years, or in 2008. If you'd care to make your own version, the USPTO has detailed drawings for Prince's invention.
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Topics Music
