A Moody Masterpiece
Y’know what’s hilarious? Watching this video of Vinnie Vincent (hanging with KISS fans in full makeup in 1996) with the sound off while listening to Lana Del Rey’s ‘Video Games.’ Try it!
NAMM: Washburn Time Traveler Series
Still have a couple of bucks left over after buying up a crate of KISS ice-cream? Well this guitar is probably the greatest KISS-related tie-in ever, and it’s the kind of thing that you don’t need to be a huge mega KISS fan to appreciate: the Washburn Limited Edition Time Traveler series. Taking some cues from the Gibson Firebird but going in a different direction, the Time Traveler, features Seymour Duncan mini humbuckers, Buzz Feiten Tuning System and very impressively applied ageing. These guitars attracted a lot of attention at NAMM, regardless of their connection to KISS and Paul Stanley: folks were just digging the fact that they were killer guitars.
Here’s the press release.
Washburn Guitars Presents the Limited Edition Time Traveler Series
Chicago, February, 2013 – Washburn Guitars is proud to introduce the Time Traveler series with the model PS2012R, a classically inspired guitar for the ages. Designed in conjunction with Paul Stanley of Kiss, the Time Traveler guitars are hand crafted and aged to look, feel and play as if they’re 40 years old.
Tommy Thayer shows off his Epiphone signature axe
KISS’s Tommy Thayer has a new Epiphone Les Paul signature model coming out soon, and you can see him putting it through its paces in this video from Guitarist:
http://youtu.be/ket_5LzuitA
Only one “I thought it’d just be an Ace Frehley model but taller” joke per reader, please.
Family Guy & KISS join forces
PRESS RELEASE
FAMILY GUY AND KISS COMBINE FORCES FOR A NEW, ROCKIN’ CONSUMER PRODUCTS LINE
Collaboration Kicks Off Co-branding Strategy That Will Pair Animated Franchise With Other Iconic Names
On their own, FAMILY GUY and KISS are two of the most recognizable names in entertainment. Today, Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products and KISS are proud to announce an upcoming co-branded FAMILY GUY/KISS product line that will hit shelves this coming fall. Moving forward, Fox Consumer Products and Kiss will look to create a line of co-branded merchandise inspired by other prominent guests from the show.
The FAMILY GUY/KISS line is an organic collaboration that taps into the band’s references within the show. So far, KISS has appeared three times on the series, providing viewers with insightful and hilarious nuggets that include Peter Griffin’s love for the band and the fact that Lois Griffin once dated KISS’ bass playing Demon, Gene Simmons before he became famous.
To support the program, Fox Consumer Products and Live Nation Merchandise, Kisses’ licensing agent, will be looking for partners in the following categories: vinyl figures, bobble heads, apparel, plush, novelty, barware, social expressions and fine art.
So, KISS’s new album, Monster…
Y’know how KISS’s new album is going to be called Monster? And y’know how they just opened KISS by Monster Mini Golf in Vegas? Well I’ve been wondering… is the album called Monster because of some marketing arrangement with Monster Energy Drink or something? Just curious. Certainly wouldn’t put it past Gene Simmons to pull of such a marketing coup. If so, I wonder if it’ll set a trend. Will Ace Frehley put out a CD called Red Bull? Will Danzig’s next record be titled Fresh Step Cat Litter? Will the next Metallica album be called Tampax?
INTERVIEW: Ace Frehley
It’s the Les Paul that launched a million guitarists: the 1974 Cherry Sunburst three-pickup Gibson Les Paul used by Ace Frehley during KISS’s breakthrough era. The guitar, known as the Budokan Les Paul in honour of the historic Japanese venue where it was given one of its best-known public showings, left Ace’s stewardship a few years ago, and it was long since retired from the road. But now it’s back, in spirit at least, in the form of Gibson Custom’s new Ace Frehley “Budokan” Les Paul Custom. This limited edition instrument will be available in four versions: fifty signed guitars aged by Tom Murphy in the Gibson Custom Shop; one hundred aged (but not signed) pieces; a further 150 finished with Gibson’s VOS (Vintage Original Spec) process; and 1000 pieces of an Epiphone version which retains most of the design features of its Gibson big brother. Ace took some time to talk with I Heart Guitar about the new guitar, the 30+ year old classic it’s based on, and his future plans.
“It was my favourite guitar that I used pretty much exclusively through the 70s and 80s, I guess,” Frehley says of the original instrument. “I continued to use it even with Frehley’s Comet. I don’t even remember when I got it! It was some time around 1975, 76. I had three or four backups, but the particular one that they just released, which is called the Budokan guitar, it was always my favourite guitar, my number one. It just felt the best and played the best.”
Hey! What? Vinnie Vincent stole my photo!
Exhibit A: Above – My photo from NAMM this year (See the post here).
Exhibit B: Rotating images at the website for Vinnie’s guitar, from http://www.vinnievincentmodelguitar.com/
Exact same pic! All the reflections and shadows are identical. Vinnie, dude, if you wanted to use the pic I coulda given you the hi rez version! How about at least a credit or a link, huh? Professional journalist here with family to feed!
NEWS: Megadeth, Metallica & Lou Reed, new KISS album, fake Van Halen teaser
Jam Master Series Standard A-Style Mandolin – click the pic for more info.
Here are my latest news stories for Gibson.com. How about that fake Van Halen track, eh?
And did anyone else notice that the new Megadeth and Metallica albums come out on the same day?
Megadeth Album Recalls Entire Discography
Metallica & Lou Reed Album Called Lulu
And don’t forget my recent Susanna Hoffs interview. A different, longer interview will be on I Heart Guitar in a few weeks.
NAMM 2011: Vinnie Vincent Model Guitar by Guitarmageddon
Here’s something for all you KISS fans: the official Vinnie Vincent guitar by Guitarmageddon Guitars.
Custom pickups and configurations are available by special order, and the guitar will be available in various models including a 6/12 string double neck and a 4-string bass. Special cases are also available to protect your chunk of rock power.
Here’s some more info:
Vincent John Cusano, a.k.a. Vinnie Vincent, presents, in association with Guitarmageddon Guitars, the world premier of the official Vinnie Vincent model guitar, to be unveiled at the winter NAMM international music industry trade show. Each Vinnie Vincent model guitar is handcrafted by Tom Palecki (Vincent’s only choice of luthier) from Vinnie Vincent’s original specifications of the very first classic prototype designed by Vincent, down to the very last minute detail. The result is sheer perfection, from its original double V body and headstock design and original classic colors, to its custom “V” abalone neck inlays and sleek neck design to insure complete comfort and ease in playing. Whether you’re a “slowhand” or “speedfreak,” “the boyz are gonna rock” with the official Vinnie Vincent model guitar, which offers the best of all worlds, from its exotic looks, comfort and ease of playability to its versatile pickup configuration, offering the most discriminating shredder a virtual cornucopia of sound from its rich warm tone to blistering overdrive.
After years in the making, all the elements came together to make possible the availability of this truly spectacular creation to all who have dreamed of owning this work of art. Not only is the Vinnie Vincent model fully authorized, but each Vinnie Vincent model guitar will be consecutively numbered and will come with a certificate of authenticity signed by Vinnie Vincent.
For ordering information, pricing and availability, send an e-mail to order1@vinnievincentmodelguitar.com.
NEWS: Paul Stanley Super Bowl Washburn on eBay
Wow, it’s a big week for ex-rockstar axes being sold on eBay. First Nine Inch Nails offload an arsenal of axes, now this: The Washburn Black Diamond played by Paul Stanley at the 1999 Super Bowl. Rad!
Here are some details from the listing:
PAUL STANLEY`S PERSONAL AND HISTORIC WASHBURN BLACK DIAMOND No 9 – “THE SUPERBOWL GUITAR”
PLAYED ON 31 JANUARY 1999 AT THE SUPERBOWL XXXIII at the Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida
Comes with FULL and personalized COA and is also signed on the guitar back, and well documented in both rock and American History..
This is NOT just your typically signed limited edition guitar, This is Paul Stanley’s Personal and customised Black Diamond No 9, ONE OF A KIND, “Played” live in front of America and across the world
This is it…… This is KISSTORY ….this is THE SUPERBOWL GUITAR …….
SET UP TO SUIT PAUL STANLEY AND CUSTOMISED WITH THE UNIQUE SUPERBOWL PICKGUARD. PERSONALLY SIGNED AND DATED ON THE BACK PLEASE NOTE – THERE IS A NUMBER OF SMALL PERFORMANCE SCRATCHES ON THE BACK OF THE GUITAR CAUSED BY PAUL`S STUDDED COSTUME. AND SIGNING THE DATE OVER THESE HAVE CAUSED THE DATE TO RUN AND BLUR, HOWEVER THIS IS EXACTLY AS THE GUITAR WAS SIGNED.
EXCELLENT ORIGINAL CONDITION AND IS JUST AS PAUL HANDED THE GUITAR OVER
The Guitar has only been strummed a few time since !!!!
There were Only 3 guitars taken to the Superbowl. There were 2 backup guitars – one being the Green PS200 which is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The other is a black version which is in the BSG collection …. But there is only one Original
The Washburn Paul Stanley Model PS2000M Black Diamond Cracked Mirror #9 of 100. Is a Mahogany Body, Maple Top, Mahogany Neck Ebony Fingerboard with pearl/abalaone/pearl block inlays. Buzz Feiten Tuning System, Seymour Duncan SH6 Distortion and a 59′ model in the neck. Multiple layer binding on body and headstock. This guitar originally had a list price of $10,000.00 and the first Guitars were sold for that price, and the run was never finished !!
THE CURRENT PS2000 “10th ANNIVERSARY” CRACKED MIRROR GUITAR RETAILS AT $9999.00
So you can see what a steal this piece of Kisstory actually is.
Comes with a custom G&C leather case with black crushed velvet lining made for the Limited edition Black Diamond.
You can see Stanley use the guitar in this video:
Hi! I'm Peter Hodgson. I write for Gibson.com, Australian Guitar, Australian Musician, Mixdown Magazine (including my instructional column, 'Unleash Your Inner Rock God,' which has been running since 2007), Blunt, Beat (including their weekly hard rock/metal column Crunch) and The Brag. And I'm Assistant Social Coordinator with Seymour Duncan.
I've been playing guitar since I was 8 years old, and I've been writing for magazines since I was 18. I've also worked as a guitar teacher (up to 50 students a week), a setup tech, a newspaper editor, and I've also dabbled in radio a little bit. I live in Melbourne, Australia, and my hobbies include drinking way too much coffee, and eating way too much Mexican food.
You can check out my guitar playing at Bandcamp or on YouTube, and feel free to email me at iheartguitarblog@gmail.com