Perhaps youve found yourself wondering how Gene could have landed himself in such hot water when talking about immigration as he and his family immigrated to the US when he was a child? Apparently, the staff were all in a meeting when Gene burst into the room - unannounced. 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 string of prototypes that Carr eluded to were probably the ones shown below. It even has the original pickup right up to the end of 1980. All in all, this first offering from G2 delivers on virtually every front, from the dazzling black diamond aesthetic through to playability and versatility. 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. Let's hope it turns up in somebody's basement. 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). This is the story behind the iconic Axe Bass which has been wielded by Gene Simmons for decades. 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. Call us at 800-449-9128. Search child forums as well They have one album and a handful of collaborations, but thats not all. One of the many things that fans often cant wait to see is Gene Simmons performing his famous blood-spitting routine. The first part of the Dynasty tour shows the Spector #1 mk III hanging in there. 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. Gone is the original witch-hat knob, in its stead we find a black speed knob. 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 end of our show [I] walk offstage and I throw the guitar off the stage, and everyone gasps. 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. Nady 950 wireless. Apparently, Gene didnt want to break his mothers heart after her family survived World War II. For this occasion Gene borrowed a Thunderbird and proceeded to "thumb" his way through the songs.). 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. 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. I beat DC in using The Demon they tried to stop me, but I was able to prove that my Demon was far more famous than their Demon character!, By trademarking the name and shape of the Axe, Simmons was able to control who builds the instrument for him, and sure enough hes switched builders many times over the years. 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. 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 . Overview. It has a 24 frets and the deep cut away which allows me to easily reach the 23rd and 24th frets - a real bonus. In 2108, Sophie told Harpers Bazaar that she knew she wanted to become a musician since she was four years old. Viewed as a whole it is obvious that the LoBue was far and away Gene's favorite. The G2 Thunderbird Bass is voiced with a pair of powerful T-Bird pickups, each with individual Volume controls and paired with a . Some time between Toledo 75.11.12 and Chicago 75.11.22 Gene changes the volume knob. Following up on this thread, I found an article on one of the Gibson basses Gene Simmons used in the early years of KISS. Shannon Tweed - Now Published. Believe it or not, but Gene is quite the entrepreneur when hes not working with the band. Guitar World is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Sadly, that all changed in 2017 when the rockstar made a bit too much of a lasting impression at the new network after a meeting gone wrong. 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. There was once a time that Gene Simmons appeared to be on Fox News at every waking moment. All of the basses are built at a shop in South Korea [although there are some specialty one-off builds done in the USA by master builder, Jim Cara]. Alas, by mid-1977 the cherised LoBue's days are numbered. That was until the scandal that rocked Nicks world in 2010. The jury is out on that one. Once we move into 1978 and the Alive II tour the second Spector (henceforth known as Spector #2) makes its first appearance. After having used a few different basses during the time in Wicked Lester, an Epiphone that was stolen and a Fender P-bass with a Gibson EB-0 pickup, Gene finally found his weapon of choice in the shape of a Charlie LoBue custom bass. That was until a friend suggested Gene get in touch with the singers best friend to try and find a Christmas present. 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). 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. Though he is known for his woodsman-inspired Axe guitar, he told me it . Contact our experts for a recommendation of great alternatives. 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. A Tribute to the Pedulla 1988 MVP4 - The Gene Simmons Vampire Punisher. 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. Founding KISS bassist Gene Simmons has partnered with Gibson for a new line of electric guitars and basses dubbed G. 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. Plenty of articles can tell you what the Axe is, the wood and the metal the specs, but to get the real insight on what this legendary instrument meansyou have to go to the source, the man whos been playing it all these years, Mr Gene Simmons himself. tour. As mentioned in the Axe section this could be considered a comment of sorts on the differing sonic qualities of the two basses. 1979 saw the introduction of the Axe bass into Gene's repertoire and the beginning of a life-long association. But as far as what its going to mean after Im gone, oh my god, who cares? Malcolm Young more influential than EVH or Clapton? The entrepreneurial bassist recently reaffirmed his belief that "rock is dead . The Vega wireless system is mentioned in KISS Alive Forever on p. 83. The most high-profile appearance during 1984-1986 is in Animalize Live Uncensored where it gets taken for a spin for Gene's solo spot. In the end the long-scale neck and the rather elaborate Q-system electronics probably proved unnecessary for Gene's no-frills style. This phenomenon can also be spotted at the start of the Return of KISS tour. All the latest gene simmons celebrity news, videos, and more. It seems that Gene thinks its time for one genre in particular to disappear: rap. Just walking through the hotel lobby and hallways chatting with Gene was an unbelievable experience. The application claimed that Gene first used the gesture in 1974 while posing for a photo with the legend that is Dave Grohl. Speaking out against the genres meant it wasnt long before plenty of people had their own thoughts about the rockstar and Kiss. 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. 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. In a rather unprecedented move the bass is left alone with no noticeable modifications. [] I had two of them on the road with me, but I liked the sound of the off-red one." Gi. 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). 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. Princes cause of passing was ultimately ruled as an accidental overdose. The clear knobs make the transition into the new year appearing in Chicago on 78.01.15. (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. Fans of the band get to enjoy an entire performance thats been carefully choreographed to be an experience like none other in the world. Talking about rap and hip-hop was enough to get plenty of people talking about Gene Simmons and his ever-changing music views. Then came the aftermath. Sadly, neither relationship lasted for Gene. . Like many, the rockstar was forced to take any job that came his way, including a role as a deli cashier. It seems this only made Gene even angrier than ever. Exact year is unknown but Gibson transitioned to this body type in 1961. In Atlanta 76.08.29 it's still mk VI but for the start of the Winter Tour in Savannah 76.11.24 the new bridge is in place. 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. The video clips are from one of the German dates (the blood spitting clip) and Sydney. Gene also caused a stir when he admitted he feels immigrants should all learn to speak English before moving to the States. Kiss were Gibson endorsees in those days so it could well be that Simmons got it as a promotional . That is probably going to be a very big item. Among the promo pics taken at Stewart Air Force Base 77.11.09 is the photo on the left below which seem to show a hole where the above coverup was placed. In fact, it couldnt be further from the truth. Heading to a Kiss concert is about more than listening to some of your favorite tunes. For the past eight years, Thayer has been touring exclusively with a pair of his signature 100-watt Hughes & Kettner DuoTone heads (Thayer . 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. Actually, whether it was actually custom made for Gene is an issue on which Gene himself seems less than clear (something that is a recurring theme when Gene talks about his gear and makes the history of his basses a little difficult to untangle). (And the look of the #1s from behind betrays no evidence of a rear output jack but in all fairness the entire bass isn't visible. The basic design of the bass has changed a little through the years and it's been made by several luthiers and companies. We're sorry-this item is unavailable. It looks as though Gene Simmons has plenty of opinions that he wants to share with the world, but not all of them have landed. 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). Being a well-known name in the world of music means that Gene Simmons has plenty of opinions when it comes to other musicians and genres. Nashville, TN (January 8, 2021) -- Gibson, the iconic American guitar brand, has entered into a joint venture with Gene Simmons, international rock legend and co-founder of KISS, America's #1 gold record award-winning group of all time, in all categories (RIAA), to create G. 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. There's a high-gloss, mirror-like finish on the body and headstock, added rivules on the body near the pickup, and, true to form, a hole where there should be (or had been) a tone knob. 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. If there is one thing that many of us have learned, its that Gene Simmons knows a good business opportunity when he sees one. And the first time I used this was on New Year's Eve, Dubai, 2020. "The first instruments are the Thunderbird basses, which will come in a few different colors. The bass guitar's mahogany body produces crisp tone with plenty of heavy bass for that signature Detroit Rock City sound. 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 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. 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. This mkV version stays unmolested for the remainder of 1979, the last photographic evidence being from 79.12.06. Gene Simmons of KISS will be hosting a MasterClass event in Las Vegas next month, where he will teach bass and songwriting. 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. Greg Kennelty. The iconic Kiss bassist promises his new signature instrument is "The most fun you'll be able to have with your pants on". Get the latest news, reviews and features to your inbox. According to Simmons' tech at (13:16), "This is the main bass for the show. Gene has nothing but nice things to say about the stories that have been brought to life and the art thats used throughout each graphic novel. 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. "Kiss was born on 23rd Street. The bass icon on bass rigs, riches and 50 years of music. Its said that he would judge peoples intelligence depending on the noise it made. 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. And then we come to the "how many Spectors" issue. The LoBue worked tirelessly night in and night out and didn't go through any changes except the wear and tear of heavy use. [**] 1996 Guitars that Rule the World, Metal Edge presents KISS Alive! 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. But did he ever imagine such a strange instrument would become as successful as it has? 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. No matter the angle or lighting, up until now the white binding has been clearly visible at all times. , videos, and everyone gasps LoBue was far and away Gene 's repertoire and the beginning of a association... 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