NancyJohnson

I've got an old Marshall Guv'nor pedal that I take everywhere. I don't even know if it works anymore. I've also got my old teddy bear from when I was a baby. P

A few years ago a local music store had an early '70s Fender Jazz bass...it was old and trashed...[sonic?] blue finish. This is before Jazz prices started to skyrocket. The shop clearly had no idea of it's worth. It was around £350.00. It had a set of old/dead flatwounds on and I asked if they'd restring the instrument so I could demo it. The shop declined. I got home and my wife said that if I wanted it, I should go get it. I slept on it, went back next day and it had gone. P

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='161043' date='Mar 20 2008, 07:40 PM']sorry for another imminent question, but I am genuinely interested: which bass did he use on Alive II?[/quote] I wouldn't go with the photo that graced the inside cover of Alive II, as I don't believe that it was taken from the LA Forum show...I'd read this somewhere around the time it came out - Geoff Barton (Sounds) - I think. I used to keep every Kiss cutting I could find back then! That said, the bass in this picture looks like one of the Spectors mentioned above. Incidentally, Barton was in LA on the behest of the label/management of New England (who were produced by Paul Stanley) - they were supporting Kiss at the LA Forum show. Barton, who I'm sure was cognizant that Kiss were recording, gave New England a small (albeit good/accurate) article in Sounds, while, within a week or two, a multi-page spread on Kiss appeared. Incidentally on its review in Sounds, Alive II carried the strapline 'Perhaps the greatest live album of all time'...I think for me, at fifteen or sixteen, it was the best thing I'd ever heard. P

[quote name='cetera' post='160129' date='Mar 19 2008, 10:14 AM']The two basses he used in the 'Turn On The Night' video were a black Pedulla Buzz (originally got in 1983) which he had customised with a painted dragon face on the body in 1987..... and his Jackson Axe. The Jackson Axe is either his original one from 1983, dipped in chrome, or a second one.... Actually, on the subject of his Pedulla.... he also had a white one from 1983... which he subsequently had painted with his 'make-up face' in 1987. Both Pedullas were sold in the Butterfields KISS auction for many $thousands a few years back...[/quote] ...I think you need to post some pics of your basses on the porn page. P

[quote name='Calderone' post='160044' date='Mar 19 2008, 05:11 AM']that's the lobue !!! thanks for your replies .... Hey what about the Axe he used on Turn on the night ? that was really chrome !!!! i've never seen that axe before ![/quote] The You Tube video I just watched is pretty pixellated, but there's at least two basses on that video - an Axe bass - it looks like a Jackson one (simply from the headstock design) - and maybe the Pedulla Buzz? He was using a Pedulla finished with his made up face on it following the unmasking...the You Tube clip is pretty awful quality. That said, when I watched the You Tube clip my first impressions were that it looked like a Modulus Graphite/Flea bass (although I doubt it!). P

Two or three shots..well three. P

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='159554' date='Mar 18 2008, 01:07 PM']I love this thread! BTW who made the Axe bass for him?[/quote] Steve Carr built the prototype. There was a Kramer production model. Incidentally, I've e-mailed Micki Free to see whether he still has the bass mentioned earlier in the forum. For me, it's one of those important instruments - one of the first I really recognised as being associated with a musician. P

[quote name='cetera' post='158827' date='Mar 17 2008, 10:35 AM']Apparently Gene lent the Charlie Lobue bass to Micki Free. Micki was in various bands in the 80's & was a friend of Gene's. He was later in 'Crown Of Thorns', a superb rock band that Gene & Paul Stanley managed. The band also featured Jean Beauvoir (Plasmatics) and Tony Thompson (Chic)! From what I hear, Micki never gave it back and it's unknown as to whether he still has it. [/quote] Christ! Micki Free. I loved the first Crown Of Thorns CD - must dig it out again. Have to say I was more interested with Jean Beauvoir being involved more than anything else. Great update. Cheers P

[quote name='cetera' post='158514' date='Mar 16 2008, 07:01 PM']That replica in the first post was mine. I sold it recently What do you want to know about Gene's 2nd Spector? It was made for him around the same time as his first one in late 1976 I believe, though he didn't use it much until the early 80's.... It's not much different from his first one, except the longer top horn and a mirror scratchplate. Stuart is correct, Gene used a Charlie Lobue bass from the first tour in 1973/4 through to 1976 (Rock n Roll Over Tour). He also used a Gibson Grabber/Ripper from 1974-1976 (Hotter Than Hell Tour to Alive Tour). Gene started working with Spector in 1976 & I believe the first recording the 'original' Spector was used on was the 'Love Gun' album. The original Spector was eventually sold at the Butterfields Auction for many thousands of dollars.... Gene still has the 'second' Spector referred to as the topic of this thread....[/quote] Do you know what happened to the Charlie Lobue bass? I loved how that early bass looked, especially with the armour. P

[quote name='Stuart Clayton' post='158461' date='Mar 16 2008, 05:16 PM']That bass you speak of was custom made for Gene by a luthier named Charlie Lobue, who also made guitars for Paul Stanley. Gene's Lobue bass was used for the first 3 KISS albums, and the Alive shows (as I recall), then he switched to Gibson Grabber/Ripper basses, before using the Lobue again (for Love Gun, again, as I recall), then he had a couple of Spectors built. The bass in the photo is a Spector, not a BC Rich. Stu[/quote] I didn't realise I could view the photo larger...yup, I concur, it's the Spector - the logo is discernible on the headstock. While trawling the web this afternoon (trying to find out about Charlie LeBou), in my defence, there is a BCR that looks almost identical to that bass. P

[quote name='NancyJohnson' post='158349' date='Mar 16 2008, 11:17 AM']I think you'll find that the bass pictured is a BC Rich and not a Spector. P[/quote] ...also, while we're on the subject of Gene Simmons, who was the New York luthier who built the bass he used until he started endorsing Gibson? The bass had a distinct Gibson Melody Maker shape, it was originally brown, then was refinished in black. The last time I saw it was during the Destroyer tour and in the Phantom movie it had a silver thing stuck on the top half of the body. P

I think you'll find that the bass pictured is a BC Rich and not a Spector. P

Cetera...you need this. [url="http://tinyurl.com/2l5nbp"]Gene Simmons Axe Bass[/url] P

I knew there was something new coming, but to be honest I've been a little bit lazy about going through the web locating what exactly it is. Good link. Cheers P

There's a trader selling Signature bass parts on eBay - usually they're loaded jazz bass bodies. I know that Alex Lifeson owned the [Signature] business and they were run out of business due to Fender lawsuits. TBH I'm tempted...£125 (obviously plus P&P and other stuff) for a loaded metallic red body. [url="http://tinyurl.com/2rrax5"]http://tinyurl.com/2rrax5[/url] Anyone bought anything from here? P

Try [url="http://home.comcast.net/~pickguards/index.htm"]Jeannies[/url] - they specialise in Lakland replacement guards. The website is a little cheesy - they'll probably direct you to an eBay auction. I just got a black pearl (aaar!) one for a DJ5 and I don't even have the bass yet, but I know when it arrives it's a mod I want done straight away. P

I'm thinking about using [url="http://www.basscentral.com"]Bass Central[/url] (Florida) for a DJ5 - I know this is a different model to yours. Thomann will charge me about £1,200 for bass+case (but free shipping), the same deal through Bass Central (including import tax & duties/insured UPS shipping/Lakland case) will come in at around £1,040 - a saving of £160.00 - I also know the driver who would do the delivery at this end, so maybe less . Bass Central say their Laklands are in stock and 'factory boxed' - they'll obviously ship in the case inside the shipping box. They're doing Bob Glaubs for $980, so a similar deal will set you back c.£820.00. I know where I'm going. P

This was mine - I bought it as a project bass and replaced the machines, the bridge, and put a [black] John East unit in it. I kept it for a short time then sold it on because I had building work to pay for. Incidentally, it's also the bass I'm holding on my picture thingy on the left...I thought that was my Precision. When I first saw the Aerodynes (via a link off alt.guitar.bass) I wasn't really that taken with it - the binding reminded me of the type of guitars ZZ Top used to use, so it wasn't love at first sight, more a long term love affair. It was a lovely bass, the finish was beautiful, the neck was thin and fast and [before I did the upgrades] it sounded sweet straight out of the box. None of the upgrades took anything away from it, but I would say that fitting the East unit didn't contribute to the sound that much, other than overloading my amp. A couple of words of warning; my right forearm would be all red and achy after playing it due to the slab body and the control cavity wasn't deep enough to house the East unit, so I had to rout out a battery cavity on the rear. ADDED: I fitted a BadassII to it and there were no problems whatsoever - direct replacement - a ten minute job tops. Yes, there was a cavity the original bridge sat in, but the BAII covered it neatly enough...no horror stories. Would I buy another one? Hmmm. I don't think so...it was nice to have one for a while, but I'd be more inclined to put my money towards a Geddy Lee or one of the Jap JB75 reissues. P