The powerhouse collaboration between KISS’s Gene Simmons and Gibson has come to fruition with the release of the G² Thunderbird bass guitar.
The G² Thunderbird is described as a bass guitar for ‘modern’ players but it is really the rock animals that will be sticking their tongue all the way out in excitement. The G² Thunderbird’s iconic reverse body is finished in ebony, coated with nitro, and complemented nicely by the Mirror Plex pickguard and truss rod cover plate, with multi-ply binding to complete the look.
The look is contemporary but the fundamentals of the build harken back to classic Thunderbirds, with solid mahogany all the way for body and neck, a 34” scale length and 1.6” nut width Simmons, however, has gone for bound ebony for the 12” radius fingerboard, with pearloid split diamond inlays to count out the frets.
Providing the thunder we have a pair of high-output T-Bird pickups, each with their own volume control, and a master volume. Simmons has always been one of rock’s high-rollers so it is gratifying to see some top-tier hardware on the G², with Hipshot supplying the Mini Clover tuners and the bridge, Graph Tech supplying the nut. The G² logo can be found on the rear of the headstock
Simmons is over the moon with the collaboration.
“Gibson is an outstanding company and has earned its place as a leading guitar brand with fans around the world,” he says. “ The new G² Thunderbird basses are all handmade in the USA, with a sound that is off the charts. The design is so beautiful and collectible, they are simply works of art.”
Cesar Gueikian, brand president, Gibson Brands, said there was more where that came from, and noted that it was the Gibson’s privilege to be working with Simmons.
“The Gibson Gene Simmons G² Thunderbird Bass guitar has been more than a year in the making. It looks and sounds EPIC, and it is unmistakably Gene,” said Gueikian. “A legendary musician who has touched the lives of generations of music fans, Gene is also a creative and successful entrepreneur. This is the first of many ways in which the G² partnership will be paying tribute to Gene, his iconic status, and continue to inspire new generations of Gibson and Gene Simmons fans to play and create music.”
The Gibson Gene Simmons G² Thunderbird Bass is out now, priced £2,499 / $2,799.
See Gibson for more details.
