But at the end of the day a guitar is just a tool to create art. If theres one thing that Gene Simmons is proud of in his life, its the supposed number of women that hes been with throughout his career. Later in the year, in Columbus 76.11.30, the cover is very obviously split into two colors, a very sharp delineation that wasn't there in March and May, which suggests that it's been at least partially replaced. My bass is the only musical instrument that is an 'invention'.". Whether or not the change to the new bridge occured earlier than Cobo Hall 76.01.25 is anybody's guess. )Although not as obvious this is also seen in the pic from Toledo 76.07.30. This obviously reflected the economic state of the band at the time, Paul and Ace also had very clear no. Simmons estimates hes sold about 10,000 instruments over the past 10 years. As seen in the pictures below, all taken from the first month of the Love Gun tour, there is an "irregularity" in the finish below the volume knob that can't be explained by a reflection or a shadow. 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. The bridge is a thornier issue. The theory is that this is a simple piece of tape covering up a hole that used to fit a mini switch and the photo from San Diego 77.08.19 even seem to show that hole. As mentioned in the Axe section this could be considered a comment of sorts on the differing sonic qualities of the two basses. I dont care, it doesnt mean anything to me.. As a session guitarist, he's played alongside members of Judas Priest and Uriah Heep in London ensemble Metalworks, as well as handling lead guitars for legends like Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols, The Faces) and Stu Hamm (Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, G3). And most people know that he was partial to using it while spending time the many thousands of women the frontman claimed to have spent time with . by Jacob Uitti 2 years ago. In a rather unprecedented move the bass is left alone with no noticeable modifications. That was until 2011 when Gene suddenly got down on one knee and decided to make things official. Tweed and Simmons were together for 28 years before they decided to tie the knot in 2011. April 13, 2022. 1979 saw the introduction of the Axe bass into Gene's repertoire and the beginning of a life-long association. "[The Grabber] was a well built instrument that weighed a ton, [] the body was too big and I couldn't move as easily with the thing. Contact our experts for a recommendation of great alternatives. "Well, that is very kind of you to say. 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. Stage Played Experience = $14,995. Simmons is announcing a new signature bass guitar in collaboration with Gibson, called the Gene Simmons G Thunderbird Bass. Add in a healthy dose of compression or overdrive, as well as some heavily repeating delays, andits hard not to picture a possessed Simmons spitting out blood infront of you, screaming Oh yeah! before attacking that open low note in God Of Thunder. Unfortunately it is exceedingly difficult to try and identify which Spector is which in most photos, even if they are well-lit. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. Or why not treat yourself? As Simmons explains, I started out playing Ampeg SVTs and for a while we were going to do a line of SVT amps and they were originally going to be called The Punisher, and I was able to beat Marvel to the trademark for the name Punisher, even though they had a character named The Punisher. Just because Gene was a part of the scene doesnt mean that he took part in everything that came his way. Name: Frank Benpensata From: Staten Island, NY USA First Backstage Bass Experience: Wizard World Comic Convention What I remember most: Getting a private meet and greet with Gene's at his hotel in New York City.This was the night before the NYC Vault Experience in 2018. Under the hood, in the 70s and 80s the Axe featured a boost, but the current models feature only EMG pickups and a preamp. It turns out the people at Fox News were less than impressed with Genes alleged behavior as the security guards reportedly had to intervene and escort the star from the building. What I will call mkII actually makes it's documented debut in Detroit 74.12.20. Then, all he needs to do is let it start trickling from his mouth to up the performance. Believe it or not, but Gene is quite the entrepreneur when hes not working with the band. Princes cause of passing was ultimately ruled as an accidental overdose. For many years, Simmons' primary . The original single-coil pickup seems to be gone and in its stead is what looks almost like the Filtertron pickups that Gretsch made. Metal, wood. Spector #1 Spector #2 Thunderbird. In fact, his passion for comic books even helped to inspire The Demon that we see at Kiss shows as Biography reports Gene shaped his character on Marvels Black Bolt. (Plenty of 1980 shots are improperly labeled 1979 online. Amit has been writing for titles likeTotal Guitar,MusicRadarandGuitar Worldfor over a decade and counts Richie Kotzen, Guthrie Govan and Jeff Beck among his primary influences. My reference points were people like Paul McCartney. Become part of our community of travelers to receive exclusive tips, tricks and travel expert secrets, By Hannah Pennington, Published on Mar 24, 2021, Gene Simmons claims that hes been intimate with thousands of women, The Cheapest Countries In The World For Traveling, Tourists Share The Craziest Things They Have Seen While Traveling The World, Hilarious Breakup Notes That Are Bordering On Awkard, Everything You Could Possibly Need to Know About Subscription Travel, Bizarre Photos Youd Only Ever See In Thailand, The Worlds Most Anticipated Bar Has Finally Opened In London, These Valentines Destinations Are Perfect For Every Type Of Couple. 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. The string of prototypes that Carr eluded to were probably the ones shown below. As a subscriber enjoy big savings off the shop price! Sadly, Gene Simmons wasnt impressed with the look. The neck has pearl diamond inlays just like Gene's, and the detail in the paint and set up is just like the Demons. The technical info on the EB-0 is taken from the January 2007 issue of Vintage Guitar (also avilable online). Whatever the case, it wasnt long before Gene Simmons had something to say about it all. If there is one thing that many of us have learned, its that Gene Simmons knows a good business opportunity when he sees one. Gene brings out the metal flake Grabber for 100,000 years at Winterland. 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 . We asked the man himself. Things didnt get off to a good start as he accused them of playing a victim, but he made things even worse by stating in an interview that they should take their own lives. I think it's fair to say that Gene's techs have made quite imaginative use of simple black tape throughout the years. 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. In fact, it couldnt be further from the truth. Watch Marty Friedman play with Megadeth again, Journey and Steve Lukather play Black Magic Woman. In an interview with his son for Esquire in 2014, Gene confessed he believes that rock music has finally come to an end, and even went as far as to say the music industry could be on its last legs. 1970 replacement Gibson pickup has been added and moved closer to the bridge; and a new, custom shape pickguard has been added. "I just had a guy named Stuart Spector build me one with a longer neck. Published. 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.). G, from Gene to Gibson, will introduce new collections of right and left-handed electric guitars and basses across . This is one of first Gene Simmons (KISS) signed Axe Basses made available to the public. 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. Overview. Apparently, the staff were all in a meeting when Gene burst into the room unannounced. Gibson havent let themselves down here at all, with this review model feeling lighter than it looks. We cant say that weve ever thought about a world where Gene Simmons is the one giving us fashion advice, but the more we think about it, the more we want to know what thats like. My theory is that this is the third Spector mentioned on the Spector web site (I will more or less ignore the all-black curiosity above for now). The application claimed that Gene first used the gesture in 1974 while posing for a photo with the legend that is Dave Grohl. Gene simply replied, Nobody. Gene and his bass finally did part ways, though by all accounts he was reluctant to give it up. In the case of Kramer, Jackson and Cort, as soon as quality started to dip, a new builder would be found. In 2013, the rockstar spoke about Amy and Kurts passing in a radio interview, where he said that just because they have passed, it doesnt mean theyre an icon. Of course, it didnt sit well. The GENE SIMMONS Meet & Greet Bass Signing Includes: - Choice of Gene Simmons Bass, signed & personalized by Gene Simmons. 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. None of the pre-1974 pics I've found suggest that the body was more than a slab-style with some rounding for the upper horns. Theres a good chance that you might have to be prepared for things to go a little wrong. The earliest known date for this is from Uniondale 79.09.01. Pastorious,Wooten,Sheehan,Hamm,Graham,Johnson,Miller,and many other players through the years that had something I liked to form my own style of playing. At least, thats what most lists would have you believe. But as far as what its going to mean after Im gone, oh my god, who cares? He is the God Of Thunder, after all. which run through July of 2022 at present. As Simmons explains, because I owned the name and the design, it qualifies as an invention in the library of congress. 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 bass player was planning on rising up above the stage on some wires. The first G model is a Thunderbird Bass. Cort GS Ax Punisher 2 Bass - One of Gene Simmons' two basses is a Cort GS Ax Punisher. It looked cool on a piece of paper so I thought it would look cool as a bass., The Axe has become such an integral part to not only KISS, and Genes Demon character, but Gene Simmons himself. None of the known LoBue basses had a bridge like this so it was probably not LoBue's work. Gene Simmons went through the folder compiled for him, containing approximately 100 pages. 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. Its another to be such a great performer that you carry on with your show even when you take a tumble. Apparently, some people think the rockstar actually had a cow tongue surgically attached to his mouth, and thats how hes achieved such an impressive length all these years. Every manufacturer will tell you that they try to ensure their guitars feel playable, but greater care needs to be taken with larger-bodied instruments like this Thunderbird, or they can end up feeling bulky and demanding. The offstage shot shows Gene with the bass and the action on that thing could make a grown man cry. The rosewood fretboard and EB6 4-string bridge add clarity to the Gene Simmons Axe, so you get definition with each note you strike. Things went from bad to worse when two women accused Gene of behaving inappropriately, something he denies. Below are pictures detailing the rather slight differences between them. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Although he managed to get it back up and running, the group quickly took Gene down again to try and take away his voice on the matter. However, being so popular means there have been plenty of conspiracy theories about Genes tongue. Celebrating 50 years in rock (1966-2016) Gene Simmons, multi-hyphenate entrepreneur, co-founder and front man of KISS, America's number one gold record award-winning group of all time in all categories (RIAA), and one of the most recognized performers in the world, recently announced the . Everything starts with me, he explains. [] I had two of them on the road with me, but I liked the sound of the off-red one." More importantly, however, this feels like a real Thunderbird and being handmade in the USA, it very much is one, with an incredibly resonant mahogany body that rings loud acoustically beforeyouve even plugged it in. 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. Switching to just the bridge pickup, theres a huge shift in the midrange and a noticeable drop in the low-end thats perfect for chords or riffs that need less sonic boom and more snarl, such as Simmons opening lines to Love Gun and Shout It Out Loud, played higher up the neck on the first string. Over the group's 42 . 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. One can see the sparkling of the finish during his blood-spitting routine. It seems this only made Gene even angrier than ever. Exact year is unknown but Gibson transitioned to this body type in 1961. Im clear about that. First the finish is re-done to be an all-black and Steve Carr makes a headstock inlay of Gene's makeup face. 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. Gene's version is either a '76 or '77 ebony version that was modfied from the get-go. 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. Its one thing to be in a band. Spector #2 was also a part of the traveling circus that was The Return of KISS but it doesn't seem to have gotten much action. The pickup cover has been removed and the original Thunderbird humbucker it covered has been replaced with a larger humbucker (probably a DiMarzio since Gene were fond of those and happened to know Larry DiMarzio from school). The picture on the far left here clearly shows that the body was beveled where Gene rested his right arm. The photo shoot at Stuart Air Force base during the rehearsals on 77.11.09 and shots from opening night in Oklahoma City on 77.11.15 show the original silver knobs but by the time the band hits St. Louis on 77.12.02 the new knobs are in place. In 1978 Gene recalled that: "[I used that bass] For about four years, until one night I threw it to my roadie. 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." Genes got some good . There was a reason that so many people tried to live the life of groupies. The problems with the bridge above promted another change. By. All that twerking and tongue flashing was enough to change peoples minds about the star. Search titles only; Posted by Member: Separate names with a comma. It has a 24 frets and the deep cut away which allows me to easily reach the 23rd and 24th frets - a real bonus. 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. It appears as if the Fender-style bridge that was previously under the bridge cover is moved back, sans the saddles, and a different bridge used in its stead. There is something else that Nick Simmons has been working on over the years, and it comes in the form of his graphic novel. One person in particular had plenty to say as Ice Cube took to social media, which started a pretty heated feud between the two. This time it looks like a fairly standard Fender bridge (mk V). The clip is an outtake from the 2012 documentary Sample This. The legendary rocker Gene Simmons has gone through various hairstyles over the previous decade. It even has the original pickup right up to the end of 1980. The move to Gibsons during 1975 was purely financial. The bass touts a mahogany body with a bolt on C shaped maple neck and rosewood fretboard with a 15 radius. But did he ever imagine such a strange instrument would become as successful as it has? Stage Played Pkg n/a. 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. - Bass Certificate of authenticity signed by Gene Simmons. 1980. From 2006 until 2012, Gene Simmons and his family starred in the reality show Gene Simmons Family Jewels. [**]. The bass(es) were high-gloss black with white trim and a very distinct "point" on the back where the body finish met the unfinished neck (see further down). It's not shown in the tour book photos shot at SIR studios but instead makes its "proper" debut in the video for. In the end the long-scale neck and the rather elaborate Q-system electronics probably proved unnecessary for Gene's no-frills style. Now, depending on the pic and the angle the new pickup doesn't look quite like itself: at times it looks grayish and with barely discernible pole pieces, and other times it looks black with large and obvious pole pieces. According to Gene "the original one was made by Valdez here in Los Angeles, and I still have it around here somewhere". In fact, the rockstar went as far as it saw Mileys tongue was okay, but quickly put his foot in it with a few derogatory comments. 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. Some of the modifications included a special gloss black paint job with white binding along the sides of the body. There was suppose to be 1,000 . All in all, this first offering from G2 delivers on virtually every front, from the dazzling black diamond aesthetic through to playability and versatility. The two entities have teamed up for G, which will offer multiple electric guitar and bass collections across Gibson Brands, including Gibson, Epiphone and Kramer. It also arrives with a low enough action for more technically ambitious styles of playing, as well as basic root-noted rock, making bends, stretches and hammer-ons more comfortable than expected. Although it was supposed to be a simple shopping spree, its said the couple ended up falling head over heels in love with one another, destroying Chers relationship with Gene and her friendship with Diana. Off-Red one., custom shape pickguard has been added and moved closer the. ) Although not as obvious this is also seen in the reality show Gene had! His blood-spitting routine be gone and in its stead is what looks almost like the Filtertron pickups that made! 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