Gene Simmons
Latest about Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons says Kiss was one of the first bands to take downtuning into the mainstream
By Janelle Borg published
Dropped and downtunings became a defining characteristic of many ’90s guitar bands, but Simmons explains how and why downtuning became an integral part of Kiss' live act
One of California’s top music entrepreneurs has left behind one of the finest vintage guitar collections we’ve ever seen
By Janelle Borg published
The astonishing collection includes guitars signed by Van Halen and Gene Simmons – and some extremely rare 1950s Fender Strats
“Gene Simmons used a Grabber for a reason – because they play like nothing else on earth”: Epiphone Grabber Bass review
By Nick Wells published
With its classic looks and budget-friendly price tag, is the revived Grabber still as iconic?
“Carol Kaye taught me real hard”: Gene Simmons names 6 bass players who shaped his sound
By Andrew Daly published
The Kiss icon explains how Ronnie Wood is a better bassist than guitarist, why he can’t recall anything John Paul Jones played, and what makes him the Burger King Whopper of bass players
Gene Simmons on why technical skill doesn't really matter
By Matt Owen published
The Kiss bassist values memorable music over displays of virtuosity – and singled out jazz to hammer home his point
Gene Simmons recalls the moment Jimmy Page complimented his bass playing – and turned out to be a KISS fan
By Janelle Borg published
The KISS bassist on that time he nearly passed out after Jimmy Page praised his bass playing
“Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have tried to destroy my reputation over the years. 10,000 Volts is going to make them look like imbeciles”: He may have missed Kiss’ last-ever performance, but Ace Frehley is set to make a statement with his new solo album
By Matt Owen published
The former Kiss guitarist says he's “always been the kind of guy to let the music do the talking” – and that's exactly the plan for his forthcoming record
“Chris Cornell said I created ‘a symphony of chaos’ – it was his favorite thing about the track. It meant even more because he was gone less than a year later”: Meet Ryan Wariner, go-to session guitarist for everyone from Dave Mustaine to Ann Wilson
By Andrew Daly published
He may be a Nashville session cat, but Ryan Wariner doesn’t play country. Music City’s resident rock guitar enthusiast reveals how he ended up playing slide with Megadeth, what it takes to perform a last-minute show with Gene Simmons, and why he sought a different path to his father, country legend Steve Wariner
“Gene Simmons is breaking ground again”: Gibson unveils second signature bass guitar for the Kiss icon – and it’s the brand’s first 30.5” scale custom shop model
By Matt Owen published
Following Simmons' G² Thunderbird model from last year, the limited-edition EB-0 is based on the bassist's heavily modded '59 example, which he used throughout the 1970s
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