Not only did Terry tell the rockstar that she thought it was a really obnoxious thing to say, but Gene initially refused to let the interview hit the air. 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. 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. There is also a new, wider binding. At the heart of the axe-shaped Simmons bass is its electronics system. [***]. There are people that want to leave a legacy and are concerned with what is said about them after theyre gone. Sadly, the truth isnt quite so exciting as Gene apparently discovered he had an impressively long tongue when he was 13 years old and realized it was a hit with the ladies. The shift to the Jackson comes about just before the European leg of the Lick it up tour. 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. 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 . 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. We'll let him know. Page 108 of KISS Alive Forever has a nice shot of Spector #1 at the Palladium show. At the time Spector only had two model bass guitars, the SB-1 and the SB-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 . According to Simmons' tech at (13:16), "This is the main bass for the show. Gi. Its another to be such a great performer that you carry on with your show even when you take a tumble. Its difficult for me to walk past a mirror without stopping to say, yo, whats up?. Whether or not the change to the new bridge occured earlier than Cobo Hall 76.01.25 is anybody's guess. The Les Paul Triumph bass, actually designed by Les Paul himself, had been introduced in 1971 as a successor to the Les Paul bass. 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. "The first instruments are the Thunderbird basses, which will come in a few different colors. During one interview, the rockstar was asked if he admired anyone else more than himself. 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. I don't often have a lot of good things to say about . The first G model is a Thunderbird Bass. Conclusion. . here, he blamed the politically correct climate across the nation from stopping Americans saying what they really feel. . Talking about rap and hip-hop was enough to get plenty of people talking about Gene Simmons and his ever-changing music views. Although he has a huge net worth and plenty of income from his Kiss brand, Gene Simmons isnt in the top richest people in the world. Thankfully, everyone walked away from the incident without any injuries. The G2 Thunderbird Bass is voiced with a pair of powerful T-Bird pickups, each with individual Volume controls and paired with a . What are you waiting for. In 2012, Madonna fans were in for a treat as the pop star was lined up to star at the Super Bowl halftime show. The thunder starts with a Shure U4D-UHF into a Radial JD-7 Injector. Alas, by mid-1977 the cherised LoBue's days are numbered. Greg Kennelty. 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. The caption next to this Axe bass noted that it was a limited-edition built by Kramer. LoBue custom LP Triumph Gibson EB-0. "[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. 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. 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. It has a 30" scale which matches that of the LoBue. The clear knobs make the transition into the new year appearing in Chicago on 78.01.15. Speaking out against the genres meant it wasnt long before plenty of people had their own thoughts about the rockstar and Kiss. 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. Although I've found nothing to support this the general assumption among those who know far more about early Spectors than I seem to be that the pickup in the mk I was a Model 1. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Contact our experts for a recommendation of great alternatives. A backstage pic from Atlanta 74.07.18 also seem to suggest some shaping of the back. We get an excellent close-up of it in the instrument line-up pic from Knoxville but live shots seem to be lacking. See the evolution of Gene's Bass technique!! It wasnt long before people were outraged by the comments, and Gene was forced to apologize. 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. There are, to my knowledge, precious few pictures of Spector #2 in the Love Gun/Alive II costumes. Gene Simmons went through the folder compiled for him, containing approximately 100 pages. Spector #2 This wasnt the first time that Gene had found himself on the wrong side of people, and several think it wont be the last. 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. Published. Reports have varied throughout the years, but Gene is confident that hes been with thousands of partners. Looking closely at the pictures the refinished part of the blade is slightly different than the original finish on the edge. Kiss legend Gene Simmons fondly recalls the days when a fledgling Rush would regularly play support to the panstick-sporting rockers. Gene Simmons has occupied the public consciousness since 1973, when Kiss first burst into the scene. What we can say for sure is that it is black with a new pickguard by 75.11.07 and then emerges backstage in Toledo on 75.11.12 sporting a P-bass pickup. This is one of first Gene Simmons (KISS) signed Axe Basses made available to the public. [*] 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 inception of the Axe Bass came from the adage of referring to a guitar as an axe. 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). During an October 28 question-and-answer session with fans aboard this year's Kiss Kruise, KISS frontman Paul Stanley was asked what he has learned about himself through his 50-year friendship and . Though he speaks measuredly . 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. In contrast, Spector #2 takes a serious beating throughout (the pics below span the entire tour). Simmons unveiled the Thunderbird during KISS' elaborate New Year's Eve livestream concert in Dubai. [**]. Oh no, its merely the number of categories that Kiss is now involved with. . Photographic evidence doesn't allow for three #1 Spectors, there are only two. The first known sighting of this bass is on 75.08.09 and it doesn't seem to survive 1975. 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 . The first change (mk II) is to simple clear lucite knobs with 1-10 numbers on them. Gene Simmons is one of the most legendary names in music, thanks to his time with Kiss. 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. Now, 46 years later, he and Gibson are teaming up for G2, a new line of basses and guitars announced this past week during the NAMM conference. 1996 Guitars that Rule the World, Metal Edge presents KISS Alive. Let's hope it turns up in somebody's basement. The bassist will bring back the Gene Simmons' Axe MasterClass for fans . 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. This one-of-a-kind instrument recently (Oct 2005) sold on Ebay for $29, 995. But, during the Convention Tour of 1995 this bass was part of the museum and was labeled as a prototype Gene Simmons Axe (see pic and video below). The LoBue was the undisputed no. Gene Simmons's new haircut. Simmons is announcing a new signature bass guitar in collaboration with Gibson, called the Gene Simmons G Thunderbird Bass. There is a bass resembling the Grabber, based on the headstock, standing offstage in a pic from 76.02.01, in. The iconic Kiss bassist promises his new signature instrument is "The most fun you'll be able to have with your pants on". I wanted to share this video because of how li. So I ended that relationship and continued to make them on my own.. 1979 saw the introduction of the Axe bass into Gene's repertoire and the beginning of a life-long association. As Simmons explains, "because I owned the name and the design, it qualifies as an invention in the library of congress. Over the group's 42 . England and Wales company registration number 2008885. The reddish metal flake Grabber appears at the Midnight Special taping on 75.04.01 where we get a fairly close look at the almost matte finish (and a taste of the obvious sonic qualities it possessed). 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. At the end of our show [I] walk offstage and I throw the guitar off the stage, and everyone gasps. (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. It turned out the bass player wanted to trademark the devil horns sign. As one of the founding members of KISS, Gene Simmons is certainly one of the most recognizable faces in rock music. Then came the aftermath. The shot from Springfield 79.09.05 shows the new inlay. 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. 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. It has the same basic hardware as the #1 but a slightly different body shape and a mirror-like pickguard with a jagged lower edge. One can also see that the material under the studs is completely different from the rest of the bass. I seem to remember there was a bass purporting to have belonged to Mr. Simmons on eBay, and a thread back in the DP2 days? Gene Simmons isn't telling California to kiss off yet. 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. 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. [*] The shape of the bass was indeed completely original in that it was custom shaped but it wasn't an original design. The rockstar has been open about how hes never tried illegal substances and says that he doesnt get along with people who dabble with narcotics or those who have a dark cloud over their heads.. The Fender Jazz basses Ive used on some songs, but live, theyre too boomy. The picture on the far left here clearly shows that the body was beveled where Gene rested his right arm. Thankfully, some things have gone in her favor, as Sophie has done some modeling and worked as a reality TV star in a handful of shows, including Gene Simmons Family Jewels. Thats all when Sophie doesnt work as a body positivity advocate. The luthier and Gene's fellow NYC resident (whom Gene describes as a consummate craftsman, something he feels is missing in today's world), would build Gene his first custom bass. Sophie reportedly pestered major streaming sites instead. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. To start, people need to take a look at how much Gene brings home from his time with Kiss, which it turns out isnt as much as some people would think. You know, I dont think in those terms, he explains. I think it's fair to say that Gene's techs have made quite imaginative use of simple black tape throughout the years. The pickup is still the original one as we can see from the lovely closeups. Gene has gone through quite a few different basses over the years. Find out more about the Axe Bass at www.genesimmonsaxe.com. The Kramer Axe was fine for playback but for one of very few live TV performances (the first one since 1974?) 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