Gene brings out the metal flake Grabber for 100,000 years at Winterland. (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. Kiss legend Gene Simmons fondly recalls the days when a fledgling Rush would regularly play support to the panstick-sporting rockers. 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). [*] 1996 Guitars that Rule the World, Metal Edge presents KISS Alive! Princes cause of passing was ultimately ruled as an accidental overdose. Would you believe that hes been building a business empire for himself since he was back in college? Newer Than: Search this thread only; Search this forum only. Gene Simmons of KISS will be hosting a MasterClass event in Las Vegas next month, where he will teach bass and songwriting. Strings - Lutes - Guitars. Along with the refinish the knobs were changed to match the new color. Pictures showing the back of the LoBue are very few but over the course of 1976 there were a few. 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. Like many, the rockstar was forced to take any job that came his way, including a role as a deli cashier. Gene Simmons Bass Solo Compilation from the beginning to the end! The imposing imagery the Axe inspires would lead many to believe that it is purely a stage instrument, but it was used extensively in the studio through the years as the tonal properties were always a priority. Sadly, Gene wasnt impressed with the shows choice as he referred to Madonna as a karaoke singer during an interview with TMZ. Greg Kennelty. It seems that Gene thinks its time for one genre in particular to disappear: rap. 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. Why? [*] Much later Gene would remember it a little differently: "So he made me a one of a kind natural wood custom made bass, no name, no nothing." The first two are just simple changing of the knobs. His grandparents and one uncle were murdered by Hitler's henchmen. It wasnt long before people were outraged by the comments, and Gene was forced to apologize. 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. Two or three years ago, Gibson and I connected and decided to do a joint venture - the G2: Gene and Gibson, or Gibson and Gene. The one pic I've seen from San Antonio 77.11.22 is inconclusive as far as what knobs are on the bass. The result? Some have defended their actions by saying they want to focus on the performance and not the live rendition of the songs, while others have denied lip-syncing at all. The shift to the Jackson comes about just before the European leg of the Lick it up tour. "I saw a bass he had built hanging on the wall and decided right then that I wanted it. The first G model is a Thunderbird Bass. GS Backstage M&G Vampire Bass Pkg = $7495. John Lennon's Gibson J-160E Acoustic-Electric - $2.4 Million. Cause & Effects: Are vintage effects pedals always the best examples of their type. Tuning stability and intonation also feel impeccable: This is definitely aset and forget kind of bass that allows the player to focus on their performance, undistracted and with confidence. As if things couldnt get any worse, Gene proceeded to tear his shirt and shouted, Hey chicks, sue me!. Apparently, the staff were all in a meeting when Gene burst into the room unannounced. Watch on. The shot from Springfield 79.09.05 shows the new inlay. (The number of replicas that have turned up over the years is a clear indication of the bass' truly iconic status.) There are masterclasses taught by Simmons himself that are only available to Axe buyers. Below are pictures detailing the rather slight differences between them. During the time they were selling in Spencer's, various companies manufactured the . The bass checked . The Fender Jazz basses Ive used on some songs, but live, theyre too boomy. [*] 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. From lunch boxes to credit cards and everything in between, it seems theres no shortage of Kiss-themed things on the market as even caskets are on the menu, meaning the brand is estimated to be worth $1 billion. Although the world learned that things werent always smooth on their ride to the altar, the pair have been married ever since. After being on a breif hiatus the Thunderbird returned to the Gibson catalogue in 1976 for the Bicentennial. The Serial Number for this Gene Simmons KISS: PUNISHER Bass Guitar is: #00896. It's still there in St- Louis 76.12.04 but by 76.12.11 in Pembroke Pines it's been reduced to, well, almost nothing. 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. 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. 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. Unfortunately it is exceedingly difficult to try and identify which Spector is which in most photos, even if they are well-lit. 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. There will be a guitar version and left-handed versions. Gone is the original witch-hat knob, in its stead we find a black speed knob. It turned out that Gene wasnt happy for a hip-hop group to get a spot in the hall his bands called home since 2014. 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. Here we see the original two-knob version on the far left and a few pics of the modified one-knob version. The Axe is one of the most recognisable and distinctive signature instruments ever, but you wont get Simmons wasting time worrying about the enduring legacy of his favourite bass. Overall there were some factual errors regarding the instruments during the Convention and the tour book was laughably incorrect. This is not a traditional signature model arrangement. . Perhaps the black blade wasn't quite "axe-like" enough because it was summarily refinished a matte silver by 79.06.20 when the promo videos were shot in Savannah. As one of the founding members of KISS, Gene Simmons is certainly one of the most recognizable faces in rock music. 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. 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. What I will refer to as Spector #1 (although in reality it is two basses) makes it debut for the Love Gun tour on the very first night in Halifax. Nah Gene Simmons is a dick, and his bass lines are sometimes very simple, but he has this cool running bass thing going which is pretty unique and sounds cool. That Gene managed to play that bass and actually got something resembling music from it is a true accomplishment. here, he blamed the politically correct climate across the nation from stopping Americans saying what they really feel. Genes got some good . Like the best signature models, this is an instrument that ultimately inspires you to sound and play like the musician behind it, while also being capable of a lot more, from Motown to country, and with the right kind of EQ scoop and compression, even slapped funk even if its not aimed at such musicians. For some reason the remaining original knobs also get changed at this time, making all three controls black speed knobs. Spector #2 This custom prototype Axe bass was built by Steve Carr who originally came to work for the band when his one-time apprentice became Ace's guitar tech in 1978. Gene Simmons Punisher 2 Bass. Which is why, in addition to some of the cosmetic alterations the Axe has gone through over the years, we often see them with different pickups and hardware as well, as Simmons explained, A pickup is subject to the wood and the body shape. And for the Valdez Axe that's all she wrote. 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. 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. 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). So the three mentioned is probably two #1's and one #2 (more of which later). One can see the sparkling of the finish during his blood-spitting routine. So what is the Axe Bass, then? 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. 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. 15155. Maybe gross, maybe cool, but definitely profitable to Mr. Simmons with a starting price of $12,000 per bass. Various production versions of the instrument often feature pickup configurations and tone controls that offer a wider tonal palate, but Gene doesnt want anything getting in the way, and so his personal versions feature just a volume control. Thats right; the bass player is often seen with blood pouring from his mouth, but dont worry; no bass players are harmed in the making of the act. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Search titles only; Posted by Member: Separate names with a comma. Great Eastern FX Co. Focus Fuzz review: The best of all possible fuzz worlds in a single box? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. From the Spector site - For 20 years, Gene Simmons of the legendary band KISS recorded and toured with his custom made Spector bass. The picture on the far left here clearly shows that the body was beveled where Gene rested his right arm. For me it was also pragmatism, because I already owned the word Axe as it relates to musical instruments, so I hand-designed it, and I still have the original artwork and it looks very much like the Axe thats available today. The Les Paul Triumph bass, actually designed by Les Paul himself, had been introduced in 1971 as a successor to the Les Paul bass. Gene Simmons is a true rock god, even though he plays "The Demon" in KISS, the band he co-founded in the early 1970s that still rocks out to sold-out crowds. 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.). Kiss's always-colorful bassist reflects on how he and Paul Stanley wrestled with the band's identity - and Vinnie Vincent's unorthodox, fleet-fingered ideas - on Creatures of the Night, 40 years on. Nady 950 wireless. To make sure no one thought that she was using her dad, Sophie would write her own music and send songs to record labels all off her own back. Speaking out against the genres meant it wasnt long before plenty of people had their own thoughts about the rockstar and Kiss. Gene Simmons and his son, Nick, have been spotted at a handful of events together over the years. Ever the savvy businessman, Simmons ended up trademarking the term "Axe" as it refers to a musical instrument, as well as the shape of the bass. 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. The body appears to be a slab style with a hint of a bevel on the "inside" of the horns (and possibly where Gene rests his arm; see below). The bass guitar's mahogany body produces crisp tone with plenty of heavy bass for that signature Detroit Rock City sound. These pics, which found their way into the later versions of the tour book, show the bass with a black blade and black knobs. Search titles only; Posted by Member: Separate names with a comma. Gene Simmons: "Everything Vinnie Vincent did sounded like Yngwie Malmsteen on crack". by Jacob Uitti 2 years ago. Theres a lot to like about this costly Thunderbird, from its searing hot tones to that striking mirror-on-black aesthetic. Kiss were Gibson endorsees in those days so it could well be that Simmons got it as a promotional . Together, the happy couple share two kids; Nichols Adam Tweed-Simmons and Sophie Alexandra Tweed-Simmons. There's very nice video of it from both Houston and Anaheim in August that show the mk VI in action. 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. She wanted to make sure her music was on the hottest playlists at the time and wouldnt rest until she got the results. Considering that the mkI version had a single coil pickup (possibly a stacked humbucker) the third knob is somewhat of a mystery. 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. They both had the same body shape and the number only designated the number of pickups. While Sophie does work as a musician, she decided that she wanted to make it on her own and that she wasnt ready to use her dads name to make a career for herself. Thanks to abusername for pointing that out. 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. Things went from bad to worse when two women accused Gene of behaving inappropriately, something he denies. 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. 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. . That was until the wires got stuck and what was supposed to be a graceful rise into the air turned into something almost pretty dangerous. Okay, its hard to deny that one of Gene Simmons most prominent features is his tongue. The passing of Prince was a tragic day for millions of fans across the world. Newer Than: Search this thread only; Search this forum only. I love it." For the 1981 TV appearances in Mexico and the sattelite feed to the San Remo festival Gene relied on the Kramer Axe. "Well, that is very kind of you to say. This obviously reflected the economic state of the band at the time, Paul and Ace also had very clear no. 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