More highs can then be cut using the master tone knob, allowing for softer, jazzier tones when dialled in clean a nice option tohave, even if Simmons himself tends not to go there. With so little video evidence from this part of the tour it's hard to say whether these are two different pickups or just the trick of light and angles but considering the next (and later) developments I'm going to put my money on the light/angles hypothesis. They have one album and a handful of collaborations, but thats not all. All rights reserved. - Hard Shell Gene Simmons fitted bass case signed by Gene Simmons. Now, 46 years later, he and Gibson are teaming up for G2, a new line of basses and guitars announced this past week during the NAMM conference. Along with the refinish the knobs were changed to match the new color. These are smaller, all black with a small white dot that shows the naught setting (mk III). 1's, Paul only changing from his own LoBue custom V when it was stolen. The pickup is still the original one as we can see from the lovely closeups. [] I had two of them on the road with me, but I liked the sound of the off-red one." You've written some truly timeless basslines over the years so what exactly is the Gene Simmons guide to finding the perfect part? Things went from bad to worse when two women accused Gene of behaving inappropriately, something he denies. For the better part of the Spirit Tour '76 the LoBue retains the mk VI look. It was probably added to help the intonation problems inherent in any set bridge like the original, but this one proved problematic as the few surviving pictures show that the strings had a tendency to skip out of position. As Simmons explains, Well, you cant avoid feeling badass Its not the first instrument I think of when I want to play Yesterdayby The Beatles. Everybody knows that Kiss bassist Gene Simmons has a long tongue. His many accomplishments include his work as an outstanding actor and television actor, guitarist, singer, singer-songwriter, film producer, composer, voice actor, blogger, songwriter, and record producer, to name a few. The result? Since this part relies entirely on picture evidence of miniscule details clicking the individual pictures below will bring up higher-res images. Larry Harris had set up an endorsement deal which apparently specified that the band use Gibsons exclusively on stage in exchange for free instruments (see. [*] Spiro of tribute band fame has mentioned that Gene told him it was stolen while being away for repairs after Gene "fell off the front of the stage". on August 28, 2019. However, the couple was never in a rush to make it down the aisle. The new collection will launch with the release of the G Thunderbird bass later this year. Apparently, he didnt like Terrys supposed holier-than-thou attitude. However, Gene Simmons had his own views on it all and they werent very popular. In the words of Mr. Simmons himself: "Stu Spector made me another bass at the same time, very similar, but the horn on the top was slightly warped and longer than the bottom one" (Guitars that Rule the World, Metal Edge presents KISS Alive 1996). When KISS did their first "European" tour in 4 years they stopped by a TV studio in Hilversum, Holland on May 29 to record singback versions of Unholy and God Gave Rock 'n' Roll To You II for the show Countdown. The laser-engraved skull logo on the pickguard may not be to everyones taste, so youll either love it or hate it, though it does tie in with the rocknroll aesthetic associated with Kiss and therefore has its merits. It looked as though he needed it as Genes outfit weighs quite a lot thanks to all those theatrical additions. Overview. But, during the Convention Tour of 1995 this bass was part of the museum and was labeled as a prototype Gene Simmons Axe (see pic and video below). The luthier and Gene's fellow NYC resident (whom Gene describes as a consummate craftsman, something he feels is missing in today's world), would build Gene his first custom bass. So I started out with the visuals, because when somebody walks in, that the first thing that hits them. The pics below are from a show in January, either on the 21st or 22nd. Last years news that he was launching his own G2 brand pronounced G squared through the American giants nevertheless came as a surprise, the new collaboration pledging to release a whole range of guitars and basses built with the Demons personal seal of approval. If the LoBue could be considered to have a long and complicated story then the tale of the Spectors is worthy of Sherlock Holmes. Gi. [*] The reddish Grabber was re-finished since Gibson never offered the Grabber in any kind of metal flake finish. First off there is no Thunderbird logo visible in the few pics showing the white pickguard version which means that it's probably a replacement. The line-up shot from Knoxville with the slim lower horn has led me to believe that this is a re-finish rather than the re-appearance of the all-black from the Alive II tour. Radio stations Power 97 and Timple M both announced they were pulling all Kiss songs from their lineup as neither agreed with Genes controversial comments. It's only taken us 50 years to go play the final shows 10 blocks away on 33rd Street, which is Madison Square Garden," the band's bass player, Gene Simmons, said on . Earliest known appearance of this version is 75.05.06 in Milwaukee, WI. It looked as though he was all set to reach the big time as it wasnt long before his work gained plenty of fans worldwide. Gene Simmons's new haircut. Apparently, Gene has always been obsessed with comic books and knows some of the biggest names who have worked on the art over the years, but it was getting his hands on certain Golden Age books and turning them around for $10,000 each that really saw the money start rolling in from a young age. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Below are a few early shots of Gene using the LoBue in 1972-73 starting with the loft rehearsals as a three piece, a shot from one of the shows at the Daisy, and the soundcheck for the Filmore shows. According to Simmons' tech at (13:16), "This is the main bass for the show. From there it goes out to an Empress Compressor and one of two Tech 21 VT-Bass 1969 amps. This mkV version stays unmolested for the remainder of 1979, the last photographic evidence being from 79.12.06. The inception of the Axe Bass came from the adage of referring to a guitar as an axe. As Simmons explained, [Cort] started mass producing them and selling them for a cheaper price, obviously, so the wood was cheaper everything was cheaper, and the paint started to crack. Designed to meet the musical needs of modern bassists, it features the classic Reverse Thunderbird body and headstock shape. It seems that Gene thinks its time for one genre in particular to disappear: rap. By. Gene Simmons, bass guitarist for Kiss, gets ready to breathe fire during the crescendo of "Firehouse," a number performed during a concert in Hartford, Conn., Feb. 18, 1977. By the time we're through, there will be a Flying V, and there's even going to be a double-neck guitar and bass. The Spector takes over as the #1 and during the early part of the Love Gun tour it is brought out only occasionally soon to disappear completely. KISS frontman Gene Simmons delivers briefing at Pentagon podium that has not seen a spokesperson in almost a year By Tom Kludt , CNN Business Updated 10:54 AM EDT, Fri May 17, 2019 Gene did have some thoughts for those less fortunate as he continued to tell the world that rich people are the ones keeping things afloat. Contact our experts for a recommendation of great alternatives. Stuart shaved down the normally bulbous horns of the SB-1 into points.". As Simmons explains, because I owned the name and the design, it qualifies as an invention in the library of congress. Gene Simmons is a legendary rock icon and the bassist from KISS, and his new Gibson Gene Simmons G2 Thunderbird Bass reflects his tastes. The string of prototypes that Carr eluded to were probably the ones shown below. So much so that Gibson put out a demo vinyl record showcasing the various tones the system was capable of. See the evolution of Gene's Bass technique!! To highlight a detail that entered the story a little earlier when the Fender bridge was installed I've chosen these particular pics. Gene Simmons inspects the folder with the documents about his mother's persecution. Long believed to be a prototype for a possible Gibson Gene Simmons signature guitar, this bass is actually a heavily modified 60's Gibson EB-0. Metal, wood. Let's talk about your Axe basses. At the time Spector only had two model bass guitars, the SB-1 and the SB-2. Diana Ross. Gene Simmons is one of those who has proven he has what it takes to keep calm and carry on as he tripped over a raised part of the stage during a performance in Montana back in 2016. The bass lines Gene plays on Kiss songs aren't terribly technically difficult to learn if you have the tabs or sheet music, but to write the bass lines Gene writes and hold down those grooves in the pocket, really requires a good understanding of what the bass is supposed to be used for. During the time they were selling in Spencer's, various companies manufactured the . The friend in question? The headstock featured Gene's autograph and the pointy shape of the head was mirrored by a bizarre pointed part below the bridge. It has also been suggested that this one is actually from 1981 but that would make it later than the production model Kramer Axe which would cast some doubt on Carr's statement above. The axe-shape body has the same style and flare as the demon's own, complete with a painted silver blade on a shiny black . This version of the bass was Gene's #1 bass more or less from 1973 until the summer of 1975 when he started altering it. The first change (mk II) is to simple clear lucite knobs with 1-10 numbers on them. PURCHASE & PAYMENT PLANS. After the re-finish (more info below) the coverup disappears, most likely because the hole was filled before the finish was applied. Probably taken straight from an old EB-0 or Thunderbird it first appears on 76.02.23 and will stay on until the bass disappears for good despite a few later changes to the bridge underneath it. Page 108 of KISS Alive Forever has a nice shot of Spector #1 at the Palladium show. It seems thats always been the case for Nick as the star has been working on his own band, Peroux, for the last few years. However, there might be a reason that Nick isnt always by his dads side: he wants to try and break out of Genes shadow. He's interviewed everyone from Ozzy Osbourne and Lemmy to Slash and Jimmy Page, and once even traded solos with a member of Slayer on a track released internationally. Of course, it could also be so simple that the band and management felt that the new, more serious concept album KISS weren't properly represented by an instrument that looked like an Axe. Im spectacular, before adding, Oh Im stunning. Yes, it seems that Gene has struggled to find room in his heart for anyone other than himself as the star often loves to talk about his love for himself, even if its left some people wondering if he knows how to be down to Earth. It showed a mirror image of the #1 Spector and erroneously dubbed it a "Spectre" bass, even claiming it was the first "Spectre" ever made. It turned out the bass player wanted to trademark the devil horns sign. For some reason the remaining original knobs also get changed at this time, making all three controls black speed knobs. I drew what the Axe might be. For the past eight years, Thayer has been touring exclusively with a pair of his signature 100-watt Hughes & Kettner DuoTone heads (Thayer . During one interview, the rockstar was asked if he admired anyone else more than himself. I have a very large ego, dont wonder about that! Roland 555 space/echo (for solo) controlled by manipulating the intensity and . This guitar was purchased brand NEW in the year 2000! People accused Nick of plagiarizing ideas from the likes of Hellsing, One Piece, and Bleach, something that was enough to see the youngsters dreams of becoming a graphic novel author vanish before he got his time to shine. But did he ever imagine such a strange instrument would become as successful as it has? From the Spector site - For 20 years, Gene Simmons of the legendary band KISS recorded and toured with his custom made Spector bass. See the Pedulla section. It might sound impossible, but its true. A long-tongued, fire-breathing, towering bass player who performs in a demon warpaint, massive platform boots, and stylized armor, Simmons is a sight to behold. Gene Simmons, bassist and co-vocalist of rock band Kiss, looks back on the band's career, and how he has been in charge of the group's highly lucrative business affairs. His grandparents and one uncle were murdered by Hitler's henchmen. 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