Gene has gone through quite a few different basses over the years. Chances are Gene just took the opportunity afforded him by the Gibson sponsorship the band enjoyed at the time (see the back of any KISS album from the time) but found that the basses weren't to his taste. The women and shady affairs that destroyed Gene Simmons' life. One of the least used basses in Gene's arsenal, the Gibson Les Paul Triumph doesn't appear in any live photographs from 1976. Gene Simmons is a legendary rock icon and the bassist from KISS, and his new Gibson Gene Simmons G2 Thunderbird Bass reflects his tastes. Before that, the beautiful acoustic instrument had . 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. 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. Perhaps most importantly of all, it's a bass that's tailor-made for conjuring this larger-than-life character's earth-conquering tones. Just because Gene was a part of the scene doesnt mean that he took part in everything that came his way. Fender teams up with Mastodon's Troy Sanders for well-spec'd Silverburst signature P-Bass, Zoom unveils new B2 Four bass multi-effects pedal, with Multi-Layer IR, 300 patches and a 60-second looper, 50 years ago: The Runaways guitarist Lita Ford was invited to replace John Paul Jones in Led Zeppelin, Jeff Berlin explains why playing bass is like playing kazoo, To be honest, I'm not really a bass player. . BA1 1UA. What is a guitar but a collection of wood, magnets and metals? 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. All of his business-savvy moves and investing in several companies, such as a financial company, a restaurant chain, and a sports team, means hes earned quite the fortune over the years. 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 . 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. 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. Thanks to abusername for pointing that out. According to Steve Carr his first version of the Axe shown below was made for Gene in 1978 and even used for a few shows that year but no photographic evidence of that exists. This is the story behind the iconic Axe Bass which has been wielded by Gene Simmons for decades. . 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. What one can argue is that it seems highly unlikely that a rear output jack would be placed on the upper part of the body, far away from the rest of the electronics.). It turned out the bass player wanted to trademark the devil horns sign. Gene also caused a stir when he admitted he feels immigrants should all learn to speak English before moving to the States. In 2108, Sophie told Harpers Bazaar that she knew she wanted to become a musician since she was four years old. However, he's also been known for the varied love life he's led over the years, with his numerous relationships having been . In order to cover the screw holes from the original (and replacement) stringmount below the then-current bridge cover, Gene's tech simply added a piece of what appear to be electrical tape. That was until 2011 when Gene suddenly got down on one knee and decided to make things official. Gene Simmons went through the folder compiled for him, containing approximately 100 pages. 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). Oftentimes we find that ownership of an idea is just as important as the idea itself. She wanted to make sure her music was on the hottest playlists at the time and wouldnt rest until she got the results. The Return of KISS!! 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. Skip to main content. Now, Kiss is linked to an incredible number of product categories 3,000 to be precise. All that twerking and tongue flashing was enough to change peoples minds about the star. In fact, in 1974 it was only offered in ebony and wine red (a high-gloss, see-through finish that looks nothing like this bass). Oh no, its merely the number of categories that Kiss is now involved with. Its difficult for me to walk past a mirror without stopping to say, yo, whats up?. Modifications soon follow of course. Sadly, in 2014, Gene upset quite a few people during an interview with HuffPost Live. 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. 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. Hot on the heels of the announcement of Gibson's acquisition of Mesa/Boogie, the company has unveiled another new partnership, this time with Kiss bassist Gene Simmons. 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. On first glance, this debut in the seriesnot in the form of a Grabber or Ripper, but a Thunderbird, interestingly is certainly impressive. That is probably going to be a very big item. After showing off a few licks, Simmons points out a particular passage he wants to learn, and Kaye obliges. LoBue custom Gibson Grabber Gibson Ripper. Overall there were some factual errors regarding the instruments during the Convention and the tour book was laughably incorrect. Watch on. [*] The reddish Grabber was re-finished since Gibson never offered the Grabber in any kind of metal flake finish. The pics below are from a show in January, either on the 21st or 22nd. Genes got some good . PART I : Why there is virtually no bass on KISS' 80s music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgipSAdZiKw&t=3s If you like what you see please support_____. Sadly, Gene wasnt impressed with the shows choice as he referred to Madonna as a karaoke singer during an interview with TMZ. Founding KISS bassist Gene Simmons has partnered with Gibson for a new line of electric guitars and basses dubbed G. Since neither of the Gibson basses worked out, even though Gene certainly tried to honor the endorsement for the better part of 1975, I think it's safe to assume that long-scale basses (only the EB-0 and the Triumph were short scale) weren't to Gene's liking at the time. The Kramer Axe was fine for playback but for one of very few live TV performances (the first one since 1974?) At least, thats what most lists would have you believe. He is the God Of Thunder, after all. Considering the photographic evidence the natural finish Grabber doesn't seem to have gotten much action. 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. PURCHASE & PAYMENT PLANS. 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. Talking about rap and hip-hop was enough to get plenty of people talking about Gene Simmons and his ever-changing music views. I wanted to share this video because of how li. Guitar World is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. He called her tongue the girls version. Apparently, Gene thinks it shows girls cant play with the guys because it will, in his words, never be as good. Im clear about that. 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. This mk I version shows the "standard" SB-1 controls with one volume and one tone knob (both in silver) and a front output jack (missing is the mini-switch which was standard on the SB-1). Fans of the band get to enjoy an entire performance thats been carefully choreographed to be an experience like none other in the world. Gone is the original witch-hat knob, in its stead we find a black speed knob. 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 . (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. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. It's not shown in the tour book photos shot at SIR studios but instead makes its "proper" debut in the video for. But in the three pictures below I'm having a. Exactly what happens to the LoBue is matter of some confusion. Both stars were known for their use of illegal substances, and both lost their lives while they were still in their prime. . 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. 1 bass for Gene and the exceedingly brief appearance of the Fender Precision is only in the role of backup. Its another to be such a great performer that you carry on with your show even when you take a tumble. He is the God Of Thunder, after all. Gene Simmons now thinks people pirating songs was enough to see the end of rock and roll as he confessed he thinks no one values the music enough to pay for it.. . For the 1981 TV appearances in Mexico and the sattelite feed to the San Remo festival Gene relied on the Kramer Axe. Get the latest news, reviews and features to your inbox. Some have wondered why the Kiss star hasnt used his time in the limelight to help other people on their rise to the top. So what is the Axe Bass, then? As one of the founding members of KISS, Gene Simmons is certainly one of the most recognizable faces in rock music. 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. The inception of the Axe Bass came from the adage of referring to a guitar as an axe. 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. Some time in November mk VII shows up. Before that he had an old rickety Epiphone which was stolen, bought a Fender P for $150, sold that P for $300, took that cash and had Charlie build his . 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. After the re-finish (more info below) the coverup disappears, most likely because the hole was filled before the finish was applied. Apparently, he wasnt impressed with someone so prominent sharing such questionable opinions. And for the Valdez Axe that's all she wrote. All the latest gene simmons celebrity news, videos, and more. His wife, Canadian actress and 1982 Playboy Playmate of the Year Shannon Tweed, just shelled out $5.8 million for a Malibu . The rockstar replied Ice Cube should get in touch when Jimi Hendrix gets into the hip hop hall of fame.. There is no evidence of the Thunderbird actually being used on stage during the Love Gun tour but for the Alive II tour it shows up in a limited number of pictures. 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. 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 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. I heard there's a special package including one of your Axe or Punisher basses. 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. Designed to meet the musical needs of modern bassists, it features the classic Reverse Thunderbird body and headstock shape. The friend in question? I have yet to figure out what this bridge was. The shot from Springfield 79.09.05 shows the new inlay. I love it." Whatever the case, it wasnt long before Gene Simmons had something to say about it all. The second change of the Return of KISS tour are actually two changes. The one in the middle does feature the pointy headstock that was a feature of all of the guitars Carr built for KISS (see Ace's mini-Explorer and Paul's Star guitar for instance). This wasnt the first time that Gene had found himself on the wrong side of people, and several think it wont be the last. The body is completely original but based on the concept of an old Gibson Melody Maker. The pickup is still the original one as we can see from the lovely closeups. These days the basses are available through his own website [GeneSimmonsAxe.com] and every Axe Bass is built by hand, and is personally inspected by Simmons before being shipped to the customer. It turns out that some people were so offended by how Gene Simmons conducted himself and the thoughts he has on people suffering from their mental health that they decided to protest against the rockstar and his band. For Gene, its simple: he thinks that future rockstars should give up on their dreams as the barriers in the way to the top have become insurmountable. Thankfully, many talented bands have continued to prove Gene wrong in recent years. Talking with legendary rock 'n' roll musician, Gene Simmons, one thing becomes clear pretty quickhe likes a good thrill. Since this all-black Spector shows up with both sets of replacement knobs it was re-finished early on. The bass player was planning on rising up above the stage on some wires. 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. - Bass Certificate of authenticity signed by Gene Simmons. Jan 11, 2009. so I read an article years ago where it talked about gene simmons' live rig, but i couldn't find any info anywhere and the magazine is long gone, so I spoke with his tech Spike and he said basically this is it: 1 SVT-2 Pro. 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