'Kiss Alive': Coupla inquiries

[Willie G. Moseley]

I'm working on an article about mid-'70s Gibson basses, and while I'm aware that Ol' Titan Tongue played a Grabber (shown on the cover of Alive), I need to fine-tune a bit:

1. Wasn't that particular bass refinished in a sparkle color (hard to tell in the cover photo)?

2. Is that a (type of) menorah on the left, behind Simmons? It's almost embarrassing to admit I never noticed it before....

Thanks in advance.

[Montelovesco]

No menorah AFAIK. The seven "pots" for the candle an all on the same heigth on a menorah (sorry for my poor english here).

What you see on the cover of Alive 2 is for him spitting fire, I think.

[MCChris]

I don't recall Gene ever having a sparkle bass. He did have a custom double cut with pyramid studs on part of it IIRC. Not a Gibson, though.

And that's more of a candleabra.

[cmatthes]

Correct - it is a gothic styles candelabra. He used a few Grabber and Ripper models but none were sparkle finished. That hideous 70s Gibson walnut or wine finish, as well as a black one.

Paul played an L6S in a sparkle white finish, but those were the ones he smashed on the Destroyer and Love Gun tours, IIRC.

[Willie G. Moseley]

Go to this link, scroll about halfway down, and tell me whatcha think. That image is why I'm askin'. I want to think I had seen another image of this bass (and yes, its basic hue is like Gibson's wine color), and the other image (which I now can't find online, wouldn't ya know) seemed to indicate even more that was refinished in a glittery color.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/other-guitars-other-instruments/317341-fake-gene-simmons-bass-ebay-germany-2.html

Thanks in advance again.

[FrettyMcgee]

Ya, I don't think Gene had a sparkle bass. McChris is right about the studs bass, I think it was a early Spector. Come to think about it, it might have been a old Lobue bass.

On a side note...as a kid I thought that Grabber bass' headstock kinda looked like Gene's face on the on Alive album cover. Like the tuners were eyes, and they kinda had the same expression. I know...kids are stupid...but I still can see it to this day, lol.

Now, for no reason here's Scarlett Johansson...because this is one of the images that came up when I searched "Alive". As in sexiest woman alive.

Good lord, I'm pissed I didn't become a rich and famous rock star....

[Mitch]

Didn't he play the Lobue more than anything else back then?

http://www.axeology.com/LoBue.html

[HSB0531]

Ya, I don't think Gene had a sparkle bass. McChris is right about the studs bass, I think it was a early Spector. Come to think about it, it might have been a old Lobue bass.

On a side note...as a kid I thought that Grabber bass' headstock kinda looked like Gene's face on the on Alive album cover. Like the tuners were eyes, and they kinda had the same expression. I know...kids are stupid...but I still can see it to this day, lol.

Now, for no reason here's Scarlett Johansson...because this is one of the images that came up when I searched "Alive". As in sexiest woman alive.

Good lord, I'm pissed I didn't become a rich and famous rock star....

Scarlett Johansson

And she's a New Yorker !!!

[Armitage]

I wouldn't bet money on it, but I think Gibson did a number of sparkle finishes on that era of guitar, '74 Rippers, Marauders and stuff could have a I'll call it a maroon sparkle. Some people called it eggplant sparkle. It wasn't a catalogue colour as far as I know, but either was Paul's Midnight Special guitar. I've bumped into a few "eggplants", it's not very attractive. It's a really fine flake, kind of sparse too. Some people claim Gene had his painted that colour... but I can't imagine he'd do that ugly colour to a free bass he wasn't really fond of. Why bother. And I can't imagine anyone else painting the other guitars I've bumped into in that colour either.

I had a black Grabber, I really liked it.

Here's a sparkle L6-S on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoVHZOmPMEo

[Armitage]

Here's a L6-S in what's claimed to be the Anniversary Maroon Sparkle Finish

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1975-Gibson-L6-S-Midnight-Special-OHSC-Rare-Anniversary-Maroon-Sparkle-Finish-/301265441481?pt=Guitar&hash=item4624d1d2c9