Gene Simmons

According to Simmons’ tech Jason Lemiere, the KISS frontman plays through Ampeg 8x10 cabinets. At (12:35), he says, Gene Simmons is “super, super loud. We point them backwards to cut the stage volume a little bit for the other guys.” Simmons uses “Just one [cabinet]. We run one cabinet, one main, one backup.”

Simmons runs his signal through Tech 21 Solid State 1969 heads. According to Simmons’ tech, Jason Lemiere, (11:07) “It's simply straight right into the new Tech 21, their 1969 heads. It's an all solid state head. It really, really has the sound of a tube amp. They really done a really good job of getting that tone you always want with a tube, but it's hard to get from Solid State. What they've done, is they've figured out a way to get it. It's the reliability of the Solid State. I'm not going to have to switch tubes, it's going to sound the exact same every night, I don't have to let it warm up. I can literally turn this rig on, hit on, play it, and it's going to sound the same the whole night. Where a lot of times the older ampegs I have to turn it on an hour, two hours before the show. By the end of the show, because we drive it really hard, we drive the amps really hard, the tone is changed because those tubes are so hot and the capacitors are so hot that it doesn't sound as good.

The Source URL is a rig rundown by PremierGuitar Magazine. PG caught up with current guitarist Tommy Thayer, along with techs Francis and Michael Berger, to dig into all the axes (in some cases, literally), effects, and amps that the band brought out on their 2014 tour with Def Leppard.

The Source URL is a rig rundown by PremierGuitar Magazine. PG caught up with current guitarist Tommy Thayer, along with techs Francis and Michael Berger, to dig into all the axes (in some cases, literally), effects, and amps that the band brought out on their 2014 tour with Def Leppard.

"The signal then hits one of two Tech 21 SansAmp PSA 1.1 preamps and is blended with the 1969 for Gene’s in-ear mix."

In a recording session at Sweetwater Sound studios, Gene Simmons used the Aguilar DB 751 750-Watt Hybrid Bass Head to lay down a bass track. This is documented in the YouTube video "Gene Simmons Vault Sweetwater - Bass Track Recording" by CG Anna.

During the Vault experience at Sweetwater Sound studios, participants recorded with Gene Simmons, who used the Aguilar SL 410X for laying down the bass track, as documented in the YouTube video "Gene Simmons Vault Sweetwater - Bass Track Recording" by CG Anna.