The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Other Bass Brands => Topic started by: Blackbird on October 16, 2009, 12:52:45 PM
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Gene does it again:
http://www.genesimmonsaxebass.com/ (http://www.genesimmonsaxebass.com/)
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In Classic Rock Magazine several years back he was bragging about being able to sell a bass for 2K that only cost $300 to make. Wonder if these are more of the same.
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I cannot imagine these basses selling well at all.
Of course he would never admit that.
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In Classic Rock Magazine several years back he was bragging about being able to sell a bass for 2K that only cost $300 to make. Wonder if these are more of the same.
No, these are $5,000! Seriously! Look under Order Axe Bass, a few will be available at each stop. And it looks like some of the early stops are sold out, if you can believe it.
Guess he'll find out one way or the other how much his name is still worth.
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I think the previous run of Axe basses were over $3000 and they sold out. Of course times are a little different now, and I think the Gene image is a little more tarnished for most of us. I'd rather have the Punisher bass than the Axe any day. I've never seen the Axe styles as anything other than a novelty item.
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I'm pretty sure Cort is making this run. Not that that means they won't be well made, but it's not like Cort is a name that historically meant high quality (certainly not $5000 worth). I read they're offering 4 per stop, so you can gauge demand from that. Frankly, I'm surprised he's sold as many as he already has. And remember, concert tickets are not included in the price of the bass. :o
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Two have sold in Houston for the show in early December - go figure.
I thought the same thing - Cort!? But it does look like the freakin things are selling ??? Love the motor home that they're delivered in ;D Notice that there's a link to the provider of the motorhome - never miss an opportunity for cross promotion ;D
Still, you have to give him props - it ain't bragging if you can do it!
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Still, you have to give him props - it ain't bragging if you can do it!
There you go - that's the reality of it.
And buying that bass at $5000 makes as much sense to me as paying $6,000 or more for an original 60's Fender. But there are many people who have silly money to throw around.
My folly is limited to a much lower level of silly money. Example: I can afford the mocha instead of the black coffee! YAY!
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My folly is limited to a much lower level of silly money. Example: I can afford the mocha instead of the black coffee! YAY!
My level is much lower yet. I can afford Hanes instead of Fruit of the Loom.
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Do you want ice with that water...? ;D
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5K for a Cort ? Never in a million years. I love this concept very cool, I think he did himself a disservice by going with such a off brand name. Aging Kiss fans with this kind of disposable income I think would demand better. Cool idea waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay overpriced. I wonder what they will do with the left overs after the tour ? Burn the lot so the ones that sold are more valuable ? I bet they do ( pun intended) Destroy them.
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Providing that 4 were/are available in each city I count 73 sold. However, it looks like one city in FL has five for sale - if this is the case then he's sold many more.
$365000.00 gross - Yeah, there's some sweet profit in that ;)
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I guess they'll AXE the range, Scott... ;D
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This isn't anything new, is it? Wasn't his Punisher Bass also supposedly MIK?
Anyway, you wouldn't be paying 5K for the country of origin. Whether you like the idea or not, it's an exclusive club. Gene's not autographing off the shelf Korean basses.
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I remember a guitarist associate putting himself in "serious-hoc" to the man (boss) borrowing the money to buy a punisher, to hang on the wall... a sad little obsessive kiss collecter... he didn't even own an Iceman to play...
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I would own a Punisher but even then I'd prefer the sunburst one (no signature please).
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Me too. I'm fine with black but I could do without the P/J pickups - rather have have some type of humbuckers.
What gets me is why the selector switch after all of these years? I thought that he only used the P pickup on the Punishers? ???
Also did the Punishers have a 16" radius fingerboard like these do? Seems Warickian in it's flatness.
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Except for the body shape, those new Axes look an awful lot like Punishers. Punishers were made by Fernandes - they are well-made (if not strikingly original as regards the components, it#s just their design that is different) basses (active with EMGs, maho construction, neck-thru, Schaller hardware, double-octave neck, yet the bass balances excellently), so he's at least not selling junk under his own name though of course only the collector/Kiss nerd effect commands a price as high as 5.000 bucks for a bass that cost probably one fifth or less than that.
Cort makes fine instruments these days, you're getting value for money, just like with Yamaha or Ibanez.
I don't think that a single one of these Axe basses will remain unsold for long. Previous runs of Axes and Punishers were all gobbled up by the insatiable Kiss Army too.
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I don't think that a single one of these Axe basses will remain unsold for long. Previous runs of Axes and Punishers were all gobbled up by the insatiable Kiss Army too.
$5000 in today's economy seems a bit of a stretch. I remember Spencer's blowing out Punishers at $1200 after the reunion tour. Should've grabbed one then but even that seemed insane to me. Yeah, I'm a KISS fan but I'm not retarded!
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The one I know of (Punisher) was an autographed one and he paid £1,400 (around $2,800 at the time IIRC) in 2000... I thought that was a ridiculous figure... He was definitely K.A. type...
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Uwe bought a Punisher off eBay about 5 years ago, I think he paid around $1500.
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I'll stick with my "original" Gene Simmons signature bass. ;D
(http://i38.tinypic.com/ato21.jpg)
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Just think about how much more you would have had to pay if it had Gene's signature on the headstock.
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I'm sure a gentle dab with some cleaning products would remove any unsightly blemish like that off so fine an instrument...
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IIRC Uwe was hesitant because he would rather have had one without Gene's signature. But the price was right and it is a collector's item.
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I like the Adams Family look of the bass. It also has great upper register access, a perfect fret job and a sleek yet stable neck. I'm no fan of split coils, but here it is put up that close to the neck, it has a nice dark growl. While the EMGs are active, the solitary tone knob works passive and therefore unfussy. Some small user-friendly detail: trc just has one screw, yet is firmly in place. Yup, I bought mine for the amount Dave said, Gene's signature played no role, but at least he has a nice signature and has applied it in a fitting place on the body not just all over (like T.M. Stevens did on the 8 string LP and then upside down to boot!).
At the end of the day it is a well-made Japanese (or Korean) rock bass with an individual styling and state of the art pups and hardware. Something you might expect from, say, ESP. Not really worth more than 2.000 bucks new, but in no way a crappy or lovelessly executed instrument. For some reason, the E string on mine is so dominating and overpowering that I have to slant the upper half of the split coil quite a bit to have the E balance with the other strings. But that is hardly a drawback.
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Is the P pickup position really different, or does it just look that way because the neck is 24 frets instead of 20?
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Good question, I'll measure tonight.
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There's a Grabber for £450 as a "buy it now" on UK ebay at the moment - Simmons "wine" coloured one... UK only... don't know if that is a good price...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1974-Gibson-Grabber-Bass_W0QQitemZ110447546492QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item19b72fd07c (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1974-Gibson-Grabber-Bass_W0QQitemZ110447546492QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item19b72fd07c)
Shift this to Gibson if you want to Dave...
Would be possible for me to dismantle and ship-on if someone wants her...
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The Cort Axe is available in The Netherlands for 444 euro.
That is something different than 5000 dollar... :o
link to silly € 444 bass (http://www.cortguitars.nl/epages/62445965.sf/nl_NL/?ObjectPath=/Shops/62445965/Categories/%22HOT!%20Gene%20Simmons%20Axe%20bass%22)
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They have been turning up on Ebay as a limited edition Cort bass. Most listings have been for less than $500, or 10% of what the meet & greet models would cost.
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They're silly at any price level.
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They're silly at any price level.
Word!
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The Cort Axe is available in The Netherlands for 444 euro.
That is something different than 5000 dollar... :o
I read that there would eventually be a more reasonably priced model available. That looks like it might be the one. The pickups are different and maybe some other things (I don't remember the expensive one having the Cort logo on the headstock). Still not something I'd want but if I was in a KISS tribute band I'd be happy about the cheaper price. ;D
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$5000 in today's economy seems a bit of a stretch. I remember Spencer's blowing out Punishers at $1200 after the reunion tour. Should've grabbed one then but even that seemed insane to me. Yeah, I'm a KISS fan but I'm not retarded!
I remember them selling on ebay for like $500-$800 too.
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I'm sure the old Punisher basses that sold at Spencers were made by Cort. I remember reading an article in Classic Rock Magazine back in '02 where Gene was bragging about being able to build a bass for $200 and sell it for a large profit.