In my farting around on Youtube, I found a concert video from '77 of KISS while they were on the Love Gun tour. Gene is using one particular bass that I have absolutely no clue as to what it is. It could be a Gibson, but I doubt. Anyone know? http://youtube.com/watch?v=ydR-ExD8vLA (You get a real nice look at it around 9:44)
In 77 that would have been a Spector Gene Simmons bass. Edit: Kmonk beat me to it I think it sold for like $30k or something crazy like that about 5-6 years ago.
I remember when it was on Ebay in 2005. At the time that I found it the bid was around $18,000 and it hadn't reach the reserve price. I think you are right that sold for somewhere around $30k. I saw Gene playing that bass in Providence in 1978. I was in the third row center. My first "real" concert. I say "real" because I had seen Aerosmith playing a park when they were first starting out in 1972.