Since they recorded R&RO at the old Nanuet Star Theater (a theater in the round just over the NY/NJ border), there were plenty of stories around here at the time. Local legend from a music store in the area had it that Gene either rented or purchased a Rickenbacker 4001 for use on those sessions. Nobody has ever bothered to quiz Gene on what he used to record with in those days, and since the answers wouldn't directly lead to a previously untapped revenue stream, he would likely have little interest in that line of questioning. There is a Kiss photo shoot from that period that includes a blue 4001, along with the obligatory scantily-clad model (may have been Star Stowe), but it could also have been a prop bass. Cork-sniffers will note that some of the bass sounds on R&RO are a departure from Gene's standard fare. He was still using the LoBue live, now festooned with a studded area that eventually may have subsequently wound up as part Rob Halford's toilet seat. The Model One-equipped Spector made its first appearance a year later on the Love Gun/Alive II tour.
All of which adds up to - who knows?
