Gene Simmons LoBue Tribute Build - Page 9

bassgod76 · #**161** 02-08-2013, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hopkins

I had a cheap mudbucker that went micophonic. I'm having a hard time finding it, but if I do, you can have the cover if you want it, but I may have thrown it away

I think if you shave the mounting ears off of a MM pickup it should just fit under the Mudbucker cover.

Even with the ears off, the MB mounting holes are blocked by the MM pickup. My plan was to keep the MM ears and use them as the fastening point to the body. The sides of the metal MB top would be trimmed off and the top would be epoxied to the MM pup.

Opinions?

bassgod76 · #**162** 02-08-2013, 03:44 PM

Maybe my estimation for the size of a MB pup is off?

Growly Lytes · #**163** 02-08-2013, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassgod76

See the top left corner of the article.

Sounds Like gene is trying to cover up that the recordings they did back in the day werent very good quality wise.
But no matter what it sounded like before that bass is unreal !

THand · #**164** 02-08-2013, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Growly Lytes

Sounds Like gene is trying to cover up that the recordings they did back in the day werent very good quality wise.
But no matter what it sounded like before that bass is unreal !

I think they sounded great. I like the rawness of the first three albums.
I'm pretty sure he didn't record with the Lobue but a Pbass,anyway, I took it to mean their live sound may have lacked the bottom end he wanted.
I didn't see them live until '79, and the Lobue was long gone by then, so I don't know what it sounded like live...but I DO know this...They were LOUD...VERY LOUD in 79...much louder than any time I have seen them since then. I'm pretty sure it is illegal to be that loud today.
They (especially the bass) were SO loud, that I was almost nauseous from it shaking my guts...I was front row.
I imagine, they were at least that loud in the earlier shows.
I guess my point is, I think Gene didn't just want you to "feel" the bass, he wanted to assault you with it and turn you inside out...maybe he couldn't quite do it with the pre-dimarzio version of the Lobue...I think that is what he meant about the bottom not being there...my two cents, anyway.
Did I mention...they were LOUD!!

bassgod76 · #**165** 02-08-2013, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THand

I think they sounded great. I like the rawness of the first three albums.
I'm pretty sure he didn't record with the Lobue but a Pbass,anyway, I took it to mean their live sound may have lacked the bottom end he wanted.
I didn't see them live until '79, and the Lobue was long gone by then, so I don't know what it sounded like live...but I DO know this...They were LOUD...VERY LOUD in 79...much louder than any time I have seen them since then. I'm pretty sure it is illegal to be that loud today.
They (especially the bass) were SO loud, that I was almost nauseous from it shaking my guts...I was front row.
I imagine, they were at least that loud in the earlier shows.
I guess my point is, I think Gene didn't just want you to "feel" the bass, he wanted to assault you with it and turn you inside out...maybe he couldn't quite do it with the pre-dimarzio version of the Lobue...I think that is what he meant about the bottom not being there...my two cents, anyway.
Did I mention...they were LOUD!!

I was going to say that I enjoyed the sound of their earlier albums.

Ironfingers · #**166** 02-08-2013, 10:47 PM

LOUD. Yeah, that was my impression also.

I saw them for the 1st time in '77 in San Diego. I know he was playing the Spector, because I had already switched to bass by then and I remember thinking, hey that's not the bass in all the pictures. It was shinier.

I remember that somewhere in the middle of the set, Gene tripped and fell forward as he was walking stage right. The bass hit the stage with a big CLAAAAANG!! He recovered himself and didn't go all the way down. He jumped up, ran up the the front of the stage and looked back and forth the way he does as if daring anyone to say anything. I want to say it was during Detroit Rock City, but I can't be sure...

**mjac28** · #**167** 02-08-2013, 10:49 PM

That is going to be sweet nice job

THand · #**168** 02-08-2013, 11:05 PM

In 77 they ruled the world!

Edit: Sorry for the little de-rail BG!

wraub · #**169** 02-09-2013, 12:27 AM

Pretty sure 76-77 is when I joined the KISS army. Had the stickers and everything.

wraub

Blazer · #**170** 02-09-2013, 07:03 AM

You guys forget something about that first album: the LoBue back then still had the stock single coil pickup. which I'm pretty sure DID have the proper string spacing to work with the bass as it was back then.

The LoBue in 1974 before Gene swapped the stock pickup for long range of pickups before settling on a Mudmucker. Note how close the pickup is to the bridge it would explain how he got the tone he had on a song like "Acrobat" (AKA love theme from kiss)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G31C0KDtm0
The studio version. Listen to that growl, that couldn't be a precision.

Here's a live version, listen to the tone he gets here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIdn5r-L_VA

I played Gibson EB-3's and I know that if you select the bridge pickup and play through a cooking tube amp you get really close to that sound.

So while I'm not ruling out that gene used his Fender on the record, the LoBue certainly was there too, you only have to look for a bass sound which is not unlike Jack Bruce' "Bumblebee buzz"

No matter what Gene says, in its original guise with the single coil pickup, the LoBue actually sounded pretty good. Gene Probably changed the pickup for a P-bass pickup and later for a Mudbucker because of the problem with single coil pickups: they hum.
http://axeology.com/LoBue.html#LoBue1973

bassgod76 · #**171** 02-09-2013, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blazer

You guys forget something about that first album: the LoBue back then still had the stock single coil pickup. which I'm pretty sure DID have the proper string spacing to work with the bass as it was back then.

The LoBue in 1974 before Gene swapped the stock pickup for a Mudmucker. Note how close the pickup is to the bridge it would explain how he got the tone he had on a song like "Acrobat" (AKA love theme from kiss)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G31C0KDtm0
The studio version. Listen to that growl, that couldn't be a precision.

Here's a live version, listen to the tone he gets here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIdn5r-L_VA

I played Gibson EB-3's and I know that if you select the bridge pickup and play through a cooking tube amp you get really close to that sound.

So while I'm not ruling out that gene used his Fender on the record, the LoBue certainly was there too, you only have to look for a bass sound which is not unlike Jack Bruce' "Bumblebee buzz"

No matter what Gene says, in its original guise with the single coil pickup, the LoBue actually sounded pretty good. Gene Probably changed the pickup for a P-bass pickup and later for a Mudbucker because of the problem with single coil pickups: they hum.
http://axeology.com/LoBue.html#LoBue1973

What bugs me about Gene is that he says things to appear that he's somewhat gear head minded, but I get the feeling the true reason for pickups being swapped etc was something his techs pushed more. Who knows.

THand · #**172** 02-09-2013, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassgod76

What bugs me about Gene is that he says things to appear that he's somewhat gear head minded, but I get the feeling the true reason for pickups being swapped etc was something his techs pushed more. Who knows.

Gene BS's reporters alot...instead of a tech being behind it, I think Larry Dimarzio was. They were buddies going back to college. Larry starts making pups, and Kiss starts getting attention about the same time...so I picture this:
Larry: Gene, Please use my pups, I can give you more thundar...and less hum.
Gene: Do ett!
I don't picture Gene with a soldering iron. They have people for that, lol.

The comment about he may have been trying to remove hum is a pretty solid theory too...I remember something about when he went to EMG's, he was boasting how advanced they were and that they did not hum, and hum really got on his nerves. No hum, and a less chance of getting electrocuted..that's a big plus on that stage.

bassgod76 · #**173** 02-09-2013, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THand

Gene BS's reporters alot...instead of a tech being behind it, I think Larry Dimarzio was. They were buddies going back to college. Larry starts making pups, and Kiss starts getting attention about the same time...so I picture this:
Larry: Gene, Please use my pups, I can give you more thundar...and less hum.
Gene: Do ett!
I don't picture Gene with a soldering iron. They have people for that, lol.

The comment about he may have been trying to remove hum is a pretty solid theory too...I remember something about when he went to EMG's, he was boasting how advanced they were and that they did not hum, and hum really got on his nerves. No hum, and a less chance of getting electrocuted..that's a big plus on that stage.

Wouldn't a dual coil Dimarzio be pretty quiet? No, I don't see Gene soldering anything.

Ironfingers · #**174** 02-09-2013, 11:21 AM

No hum, and a less chance of getting electrocuted..that's a big plus on that stage.

Yeah, just ask Ace...

THand · #**175** 02-09-2013, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassgod76

Wouldn't a dual coil Dimarzio be pretty quiet? No, I don't see Gene soldering anything.

quieter than a single coil, but not as quiet as EMGs....ya know, thinking about it, I don't remember anyone ever shielding basses, or star-grounding back then...I doubt it was shielded, plus amp and PA technology was totally different back then...and no wireless...

bassgod76 · #**176** 02-09-2013, 12:46 PM

Couldn't imagine navigating a stage in platforms, with a cord.

THand · #**177** 02-09-2013, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ironfingers

No hum, and a less chance of getting electrocuted..that's a big plus on that stage.

Yeah, just ask Ace...

It's odd that Ace stuck with passive pups, even in the late 80's when everyone who was anyone was playing EMGs...

bassgod76 · #**178** 02-09-2013, 12:51 PM

Ace's weird Washburn during his Comet days had an EMG

THand · #**179** 02-09-2013, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassgod76

Couldn't imagine navigating a stage in platforms, with a cord.

They must have had some hard-core rehearsals with Delaney and Aucoin, because they never really looked where they were going, or at what they were playing...but seldom had a problem.

THand · #**180** 02-09-2013, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassgod76

Ace's weird Washburn during his Comet days had an EMG

He didn't really play that tho' did he? I thought he stuck with his Les Paul, and just marketed that lightenbolt guitar in some ads and I remember a video with it...

I had a concert video of Frehley's Comet playing in London, and I don't remember seeing anything but his 2 LPs being played.