KISS Bass

[chromium]

Did you KISS fans notice this one?



http://cgi.ebay.com/COMBAT-JAPAN-REPLICA-OF-EARLY-KISS-GENE-SIMMONS-BASS_W0QQitemZ180213612200QQihZ008QQcategoryZ64402QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I don't know much about KISS, nor the bass that this is patterened after, but I have seen Combat basses on the block before - a couple of Ampeg Scroll copies that looked pretty high end (with prices to match).

Interesting bass.  All maple construction with mudbucker?  I wonder if it would sound similar to Uwe's single cutaway Ripper prototype?

[marcnorth]

I saw that one, I think it's cool. If it were short or medium scale I would buy it.

[Dave W]

Uwe paid less than that for his genuine Gene Simmons Punisher Bass. Personally signed by Gene.

I don't know how close this is to what it claims to be replicating since I hardly paid any attention to them back in the day. Even if the one-of-a-kind claim is correct, it sure seems high for an unauthorized replica.

[OldManC]

Dave, you're right. And while it may or may not be a quality instrument, it's not even a replica, but a similar copy at best. I know you have to be a KISS nerd to even pick up on that, but there ya go! 

[HornetAMX]

Isn't that a copy of his modified Charlie Lobue bass?  He got the original one back in '73 or so and used it on the first 3 records.  Not sure if he had a replica of his original Lobue built or modified the original one to look like this one looks.  Uwe may know the answer!

[Nocturnal]

I think it looks close to the original. I always thought that the "horns" weren't quite right on the original version that Gene played. Something about them just seemed wrong to me. I think the original was an ugly brown (walnut?) finish that later was pained like this copy, and then later he had studs added to the front of it.

http://dl7.glitter-graphics.net/pub/207/207727w3cwfpbgmx.jpg

http://www.afgrant.com/images/kissonline/blood3.jpg

He did the same thing with the studs on his custom Spector that he used around the Love Gun era. I thought that the Spector bass looked cool as Hell until he put the studs on it.

http://www.spectorbass.com/images/genespector.jpg

[hieronymous]

I've been going through magazines, looking for stuff to throw out, and found an article on an EB-0 played by Gene. Here's a small scan:



I have higher quality (i.e., BIGGER) scans of the entire article - let me know if you want them and I can email them to you (there's 2, as-is they are 3.6 MB - I can shrink them a bit but the text is pretty small).

[OldManC]

I'd LOVE to get that article. gcarlston at hotmail dot com

Thanks!

[Iome]

I'd like a copy too: jpanada at infinito dot it
thanks

[hieronymous]

I messed up one of the scans I made yesterday, so I just rescanned it, and will try and email it out to you guys some time today. Also, I think I will start a thread on it in Gibson Basses. Finally, the magazine it comes from is the January 2007 issue of Vintage Guitar.

[OldManC]

Just got the scans in. Thanks a lot!

[hieronymous]

Started a new thread here.