Contact our experts for a recommendation of great alternatives. PURCHASE & PAYMENT PLANS. One can see the sparkling of the finish during his blood-spitting routine. Or maybe the rather strange decision to use the Axe for a song like Reason to live during the Crazy Nights tour drove home the point that the Axe was a somewhat odd fit for the image at the time. (It would be easy to assume that it was a shadow cast by, or reflection of, the volume knob but the tone knob shows nothing similar. Its one thing to be in a band. The 1970s rock scene was one that had to be enjoyed to be believed. Some of the modifications included a special gloss black paint job with white binding along the sides of the body. The Vega wireless system is mentioned in KISS Alive Forever on p. 83. Sophie reportedly pestered major streaming sites instead. See Gibson for more details. The offstage shot also gives us the first look at the tape coverup of the original bridge holes as discussed below, thus beginning Gene's long use of tape coverups. Founding KISS bassist Gene Simmons has partnered with Gibson for a new line of electric guitars and basses dubbed G. [*] The shape of the bass was indeed completely original in that it was custom shaped but it wasn't an original design. Love him or hate him, Gene Simmons has probably become one of the most high-profile ambassadors of electric bass since Kiss released its self-titled debut album in 1974. They werent the only ones who had something to say, as Nikki Sixx from Mtley Cre has been open about his battles with depression. Apparently, Gene thinks there are some similarities between the two as rockstars and teachers both have an audience; its just that one might have to perform to people who dont want to be there. Right after the guitar was purchased, it was immediately packed in its hard case along with all of the items the guitar came with, which included: The Certificate of Authenticity, the original Gene Simmons hard . However, there is a dark side of Gene Simmons that not many have learned about over the years. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). It has a twin horn, small body, with one DiMarzio pickup." The Fender Jazz basses Ive used on some songs, but live, theyre too boomy. 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. The iconic Kiss bassist promises his new signature instrument is "The most fun you'll be able to have with your pants on". According to Gene "the original one was made by Valdez here in Los Angeles, and I still have it around here somewhere". It has been suggested that it was a series/parallell switch which is feasible. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Studio legend Carol Kaye gave KISS bassist Gene Simmons an impromptu bass lesson at Sunset Sound studios in Hollywood, and luckily cameras were rolling to catch it. Metal, wood. Both stars were known for their use of illegal substances, and both lost their lives while they were still in their prime. Stage Played Pkg n/a. That was until a friend suggested Gene get in touch with the singers best friend to try and find a Christmas present. [**] In a 2013 interview at G-Club in Tokyo Gene threw another wrinkle to the story of the LoBue's demise, this time suggesting that he used the bass on stage in 1982 when he fell off the front of the stage, cracked the neck and promptly gave the pieces to a member of the audience. That Gene managed to play that bass and actually got something resembling music from it is a true accomplishment. 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. The Les Paul Triumph bass, actually designed by Les Paul himself, had been introduced in 1971 as a successor to the Les Paul bass. It might sound impossible, but its true. Once you do, the ceramic magnets in the Rhythm and Lead T-Bird humbuckers pack a powerful and immediate response, with no shortage of punch and depth, making for a bass that sounds, much like the American groups landmark 1975 release, truly alive. [*] The reddish Grabber was re-finished since Gibson never offered the Grabber in any kind of metal flake finish. The final change in a very short time frame was the addition of a Gibson chrome bridge cover (mk VI). Sadly, we get the feeling that Gene would have rocked a lot less face paint during his time in the classroom. Sadly, Gene Simmons wasnt impressed with the look. However, Gene Simmons had his own views on it all and they werent very popular. The Kramer Axe was fine for playback but for one of very few live TV performances (the first one since 1974?) 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. tour. "I saw a bass he had built hanging on the wall and decided right then that I wanted it. The contrast between the ebony nitrocellulose lacquer finish against the mirrorplex pickguard and truss-rod cover is eye-catching, treading thefine line between modern edge and classic finesse. 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. According to the Spector web site "Gene Simmons of mega-group KISS commissioned several Brooklyn Era SB-1 basses from Stuart in the late 1970's. Some of the modifications included a special gloss black paint job with white binding along the sides of the body. No matter what Gene may say in various interviews, the various instruments he's tried and modified over the years all point to him wanting a simple, no-frills instrument. Perhaps most importantly of all, its a bass thats tailor-made for conjuring this larger-than-life characters earth-conquering tones. Okay, its not always simple to figure out how much someone is worth, especially when their name is tied to a well-known company or, in this case, a band. In contrast, Spector #2 takes a serious beating throughout (the pics below span the entire tour). Apart from those changes it appears identical to the Jackson right down to the black tuning pegs. Though he speaks measuredly . For many years, Simmons' primary . In 1987 Gene turns up with what looks like a slightly altered version of the Jackson. Find out more about the Axe Bass at www.genesimmonsaxe.com. Introduced in 1973, the Grabber was Gibson's first bolt-on neck bass and featured a sliding pickup (you "grabbed" it to change the pickup position, hence the name). 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. In a rather unprecedented move the bass is left alone with no noticeable modifications. Search child forums as well Perhaps most importantly of all, it's a bass that's tailor-made for conjuring this larger-than-life character's earth-conquering tones. At the heart of the axe-shaped Simmons bass is its electronics system. If one is to believe the quote from Gene above it may just be locked away in storage since it didn't surface for the auction. Oftentimes we find that ownership of an idea is just as important as the idea itself. The change to mkIV happens sometime early July: the original pickup is on display during the Largo show 79.07.08 but by the shows in New York there is a new pickup in place. Stuart shaved down the normally bulbous horns of the SB-1 into points.". However, it wasnt long before people learned that he was talking about the hand gesture he was pulling at the time. . 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. I don't often have a lot of good things to say about . The Kiss aesthetic wont appeal tonon-fans. Its one thing to date two of the biggest names in music, and its something entirely different to break up their friendship as a result. . This mk III retains the original violin-type bridge. New rock and roll stars lurked around every corner, and it seemed that plenty of people couldnt wait to head to the latest party on the block. According to the Spector web site "Gene Simmons of mega-group KISS commissioned several Brooklyn Era SB-1 basses from Stuart in the late 1970's. As Simmons explains, because I owned the name and the design, it qualifies as an invention in the library of congress. Thats not individual products. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. The three-night stand in Detroit from 77.01.27, represented here by the pro-shot video from the third night, is the first sighting of the last incarnation of the LoBue (mk VIII). Published. Though the marriage only lasted for a few years, Gene Simmons her only son was born in . 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. Gene was walking backward when he took the fall, and it wasnt long before someone rushed in to help the star back to his feet. Gibson Gene Simmons G2 Thunderbird: Price Comparison, We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices. We will meet you at a designated area at the venue, prior to the show to organize details etc . There are, to my knowledge, precious few pictures of Spector #2 in the Love Gun/Alive II costumes. . As one of the founding members of KISS, Gene Simmons is certainly one of the most recognizable faces in rock music. Exactly what happens to the LoBue is matter of some confusion. 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. Alas, by mid-1977 the cherised LoBue's days are numbered. There is a bass resembling the Grabber, based on the headstock, standing offstage in a pic from 76.02.01, in. See the Pedulla section. [*] The Axe presented here has quite a different design than the one that would end up being used but according to the photos it actually made it on tour with the band, seen here in Knoxville on 79.09.12 next to Spector #2. This is where Gene's search for something very specific seems to start. Gene Simmons: "Everything Vinnie Vincent did sounded like Yngwie Malmsteen on crack". It's only got one pickup with one dial for volume, one for tone; you can either turn it up or down. There are no actual live shots of the bass and after the promo videos it just disappears never to be seen again. In the pic from 76.03.12 it's hard to tell whether the back of the body is just worn or if there is a protective cover, but by the time the band hits European soil for the first time, as shown here from Mannheim 76.05.18, there is a distinct reddish overlay screwed onto the back. They dont have the attack you need in arenas., Simmons isnt a nostalgic type of guy when it comes to his instruments, even the vintage ones and the prototypes, I dont have that sort of I have to keep this one because its my first mentality. Gene had another story in 1996: "A couple of years later I lent it to Micki Free, whose band Smokehouse opened for us once, and never saw it again." If there is one thing that several musicians hate more than most things, its people pirating their music. Wherever the LoBue eventually ended up it is one of the great lost treasures of KISStory, one that deserves enshrinment. Gene and his bass finally did part ways, though by all accounts he was reluctant to give it up. Gene simply replied, Nobody. First seen in Detroit on 78.01.20, these knobs will thankfully stay on for quite some time. So I ended that relationship and continued to make them on my own.. So what is the Axe Bass, then? 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. Gene Simmons is one of the most legendary names in music, thanks to his time with Kiss. Gibson havent let themselves down here at all, with this review model feeling lighter than it looks. These pics, which found their way into the later versions of the tour book, show the bass with a black blade and black knobs. It has a 30" scale which matches that of the LoBue. . Gear 2021: Ending a big week for Gibson that began with the acquisition of Mesa/Boogie, the company has now announced a new partnership with Kiss icon Gene Simmons. On the one hand it has an inlay of Gene's makeup on the headstock that looks very similar to the one that Carr did on Spector #1. The second shot from the Japanese leg of the Alive II tour show that spot seemingly covered up by a small dab of matte paint. What I will call mkII actually makes it's documented debut in Detroit 74.12.20. (Plenty of 1980 shots are improperly labeled 1979 online. Gene Simmons has often been questioned about who he has been with and how many people have made their way to the list over the years. Simmons estimates hes sold about 10,000 instruments over the past 10 years. Cort GS Ax Punisher 2 Bass - One of Gene Simmons' two basses is a Cort GS Ax Punisher. It turns out that none of the record labels Sophie contacted actually wanted to work with the star, meaning her plan worked and worked against her. 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. It also speaks volumes of Gene's "working-bass" concept: as long as it works and looks good enough, it will do. )Although not as obvious this is also seen in the pic from Toledo 76.07.30. [*] 1996 Guitars that Rule the World, Metal Edge presents KISS Alive! . Bath The LoBue worked tirelessly night in and night out and didn't go through any changes except the wear and tear of heavy use. 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. The idea that it was a built-in fuzz is much less likely. All rights reserved. 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 Spector #2 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 . Gene also caused a stir when he admitted he feels immigrants should all learn to speak English before moving to the States. Gene brings out the metal flake Grabber for 100,000 years at Winterland. There was little change as the band headed into 1974 and started on what would turn out to be a lifetime of heavy touring. I originally thought that the natural satin finish, introduced in 1975 and seen in this well-known footage from San Fransisco 75.01.31, was Gene's first which was later re-finished but he actually had two Grabbers on the road with him and he used both during the Winterland show. Considering that the mkI version had a single coil pickup (possibly a stacked humbucker) the third knob is somewhat of a mystery. The following day, Fox News announced that Gene had been permanently banned from the studios, with some reports claiming there is a photo of Gene behind the security desk to ensure he never sneaks in. The best indicator when it comes to Gene is the belt part of his cod piece which was leather for the Dynasty tour but got very distinct silvery scales for Unmasked.). The result? The bass icon on bass rigs, riches and 50 years of music. So the three mentioned is probably two #1's and one #2 (more of which later). Before we move forward we need to take a step back (and get a little ahead of ourselves) and adress a slight "wrinkle" in the photos. However, some. I sell out every night., Just as different paintbrushes might inspire us to paint differently, the Axe is a very different instrument and commands a different vibe when it is played. 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