All Eras of KISS Tone

Moshermax9

Member
I'm starting a KISS tribute band but we are going through all eras. I'm doing all the lead parts so I need to replicate Ace Frehley, Mark St John, Vinny Vincent, and Bruce Kulick. I believe the basis of most them is just an overdriven Marshall with a cab loaded with v30s, but I wanna see if anyone else has suggestions on what else I can do. Also, I am using a Les Paul for the Ace stuff and an Ibanez S series for the other guitarist if that helps.
 
Early KISS records had some pretty weird EQ on the guitars. Listen to the (raw, bootlegged) live stuff for a better representation of how they sounded. Or I don't know, maybe you want to evoke the records. Having the right guitars will also be a big part of the sound. You've made me think about looking for some KISS stems to tone match. I'm sure they're out there. I work one of Ace's former techs sometimes. I'll see if he has any contraband recordings.

PS: I saw them in 1978 at Madison Square Garden. My first concert!
PPS: You forgot Steve Farris (Creatures of the Night) ;-)
 
For amp models: Plexis Plexis Plexis ....this is 1975-1980 stuff before the Marshall JCM800 era I think?...Amps not as distorted as you might think...
 
Early KISS records had some pretty weird EQ on the guitars. Listen to the (raw, bootlegged) live stuff for a better representation of how they sounded. Or I don't know, maybe you want to evoke the records. Having the right guitars will also be a big part of the sound. You've made me think about looking for some KISS stems to tone match. I'm sure they're out there. I work one of Ace's former techs sometimes. I'll see if he has any contraband recordings.

PS: I saw them in 1978 at Madison Square Garden. My first concert!
PPS: You forgot Steve Farris (Creatures of the Night) ;-)
I wanna represent them as a live band not really them on the records because the essence of KISS was live. And yes you are right Steve Farris was on Creatures :D also if we wanna get technical Bob Kulick recorded a couple songs on Alive 2 I believe as well
 
Early Kiss tones were pretty much unadulterated Marshalls IMO. I'd say they never (rarely?) pushed the front of them with anything as well. To me Paul's tones sounded loose and barely breaking up while Ace's were distorted but not overly driven or pushed. I found this live recording of just the guitars. One in each speaker.

 
Early KISS records had some pretty weird EQ on the guitars. Listen to the (raw, bootlegged) live stuff for a better representation of how they sounded. Or I don't know, maybe you want to evoke the records. Having the right guitars will also be a big part of the sound. You've made me think about looking for some KISS stems to tone match. I'm sure they're out there. I work one of Ace's former techs sometimes. I'll see if he has any contraband recordings.

PS: I saw them in 1978 at Madison Square Garden. My first concert!
PPS: You forgot Steve Farris (Creatures of the Night) ;-)

I saw them in 78' too at the Providence Civic Center. My first concert as well, and I was in 2nd grade! Changed my life! :) We had great seats on the floor and I was on my sister's boyfriend's shoulders when the confetti fell... Maybe it was all the pot smoke I was breathing, but I thought I was in another world! That was the day I enrolled in the KISS Army. Haha!
 
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