Ace Frehley

[Mats A]

Modded plexi's back in the early 80's. I recorded a few tracks in the studio Kiss started in, Backstreet Studios in "Da Bronx". My amp was sounding like shit so Eddy Solon (engineer / and owner I think) pointed to a half stack and said try that. It killed and I said so. Eddie said " yeah, that's one of Ace's, modded by a guy in Brooklyn, Jeff" (Bloch I think is the guys last name and he's still in Brooklyn!)

Did you mean Ace used modded plexis ( Couldn´t it have been metal panel Marshalls? Wasn´t it Eddie that started this hype for Plexis?) From the beginning in Kiss or in the 80´s?

[Mats A]

I used to think that Ace and Paul started using the 2203 Master Volume amps by that point ('77), but I saw some shots of the amps, and they were still 4 holers, though they were the 1959 'JMP' models with the larger Marshall logo and rocker switches. I think they stopped using the earlier 1959 versions on the '76 tours.

Both Ace and Paul were using more gain at that point though .

I think that Ace is using WAY too much gain nowadays. I think that 99 % of Rock guitarists are using too much gain nowadays.

There is a certain point that you can get too, and then boom, you've gone too far. I feel vintage EVH (as well as the chasers here, myself included) is at that point of perfection, gainwise.

Isn´t Eddies tone on VH1 pretty gainy?

[NY Chief]

Modded plexi's back in the early 80's. I recorded a few tracks in the studio Kiss started in, Backstreet Studios in "Da Bronx". My amp was sounding like shit so Eddy Solon (engineer / and owner I think) pointed to a half stack and said try that. It killed and I said so. Eddie said " yeah, that's one of Ace's, modded by a guy in Brooklyn, Jeff" (Bloch I think is the guys last name and he's still in Brooklyn!)

Did you mean Ace used modded plexis ( Couldn´t it have been metal panel Marshalls? Wasn´t it Eddie that started this hype for Plexis?) From the beginning in Kiss or in the 80´s?

There was life (lots) before the mighty EVH, yes.

[Tone Slinger]

Ed had as much gain as you could get, BEFORE you lose the fundamental dynamics of the guitar. His amount of gain was still MUSICAL. To get more gain (like multiple cascaded12ax7 gain stages) is where the buzzy sound comes in.

Ed's gain on VH1 isnt as much as alot of people percieve.

Ace didnt need alot of gain. His gain level on ALIVE! was pretty low. You got to MEAN what you say when your playing through that tone. I doubt Ace could play on that tone today.

[RRJackson]

Ed's gain on VH1 isnt as much as alot of people percieve.

Ed supposedly used a Boss OD-1 here and there on the first album.

BTW, it always seemed to me that the 'Strange Ways' solo had some kind of comb filter thing going on. I kinda wonder if Ace wasn't slightly rocking a wah and running that into a phaser...or even a couple of phasers. It's one of the coolest solo tones ever, IMO. Very much like something Hendrix might have done tonally if he'd lived another few years, IMO.

-Rob

[bdc]

I agree players today use too much gain....I wouldn't wanna go with the tone on the old Kiss records myself, but it's classic and fits those records. There are players that do a lot with that super saturated sound. I know a player whose pretty good with a real light touch and he wouldn't be able to do much on my rig. I use either one of my 18 watt builds or a 73/74 1987 with a Sparkle drive (gain on 6) 18 watter vol 9/ or 1987 on 7. From there I use guitar vol/ Ernie Ball vol pedal/ sparkle drive for my various cleans and OD tones. Often used too with 1987s is an Airbrake build of mine.....EL 34s in 50 watt amps/ EL 84s in 18s. My sound isn't real gainy but I think it always sounds heavier when I jam with a high gain player...High gain doesn't really sound heavy to me, more like a buzz saw that struggles in the mix....I'm old school....

Alive is Kiss at it's best everything-wise (though not really a live album-most ain't)but I'll always think they would of sounded better with EL 34s in their amps....but I think VH1 would sound better with them too...and I think Page sounded best in his Hiwatt period using EL 34s, as oposed to Marshalls with KT66s....JMHO

The best 6550 Maarshall tone (if it actually is) for me would be Hendrix on band of Gypsies, but strats like those cleaner lower mid type tubes.

[Tone Slinger]

I agree bdc, a real high gain sound gets buried by a sound that is using less gain. You are right, that hi gain sounds thin and buzzy by comparison, ALMOST sounding like it isnt really a guitar sound when it is up next to a purer, lower gain type tone.

RRJACKSON, you are correct, Ace did use a phasor on 'StrangeWays'. He was using his '73 tobacco burst Les Paul Deluxe (fitted with a Dimarzio Super Distortion and a Dimarzio Paf, both creme) into a '73 100 watt super lead into a 4/12 cab (25 watt greenbacks) into a EH big muff into a Mutron phasor. That does sound like Hendrix on a good day huh ? Thats one of the most emotional, aggressive type solo's I've EVER heard !

Ace also used the phasor on 'Goin Blind' as well as the next albums (Dressed To Kill) 'Get Away'.

[Tone Slinger]

I know Ace bought his '73 Tobbacco burst Les Paul Deluxe (it was fitted with hb'ers by someone else ) and his '73 100 watt Marshall stack in around Sept or Oct of '73 ? The fronted money from the Casablanca deal was obviously used for the purchases. The Super Leads went to PCB by the mid of that year ('73). I wonder which Ace had, PCB pr PTP ? I think Ace pretty much used and relied on that top for the first couple of years in KISS. It would be cool to have specific info on some of this stuff .