As revealed in the company’s press release, Gibson has teamed up with Kiss bassist Gene Simmons for a signature bass guitar. The model in question is a Thunderbird, with a designated name G² Thunderbird (pronounced as “G-squared”). As the statement reveals, “two music icons and will bring multiple electric guitar and bass collections across Gibson Brands” and this also includes Epiphone and Kramer. Additionally, this also marks the first-ever official collaboration between Simmons and Gibson for a signature instrument.
Gene Simmons said in a statement:
“Gibson is an outstanding company and has earned its place as a leading guitar brand with fans around the world. 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.”
Gibson brand president, Cesar Gueikian, adds:
“We are excited to launch the first of many projects together with Gene 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. Working with him is such a privilege for all of us at Gibson; he is deeply involved in every aspect of developing the guitars and planning our launch. 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 instrument, which is already available on Gibson’s website (link here), https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Guitar/USAKRR84/Gene-Simmons-G2-Thunderbird/Ebony comes with a standard mahogany body and a gloss nitro finish. So far, the only color option is ebony which works perfectly with its multi-ply binding. On the body, we can also find a mirror pickguard with Gene Simmons’ logo.
The neck is also a mahogany one, sporting an ebony fingerboard with 20 medium-jumbo frets. The fingerboard radius measures 12 inches while the scale length is your standard 34 inches.
G² Thunderbird also bears a single-ply binding on the fretboard with Pearloid reverse split diamond inlays. There’s also a Hipshot bridge and Hipshot tuning machines, all with a black chrome finish. Finally, the instrument is equipped with T-Bird pickups, two volume pots, and one tone control.
The instrument’s price on Gibson’s website is $2,799. You can check out this ’80s-style promo video in the player below.
PHOTOS: Gibson press release
