Ace Frehley's Smoking Guitar Explained

[@eric9575]

John Elder Robison made these pickups.

[@donhopf]

Yep, brother of famous author Augusten Burroughs.

[@PicoPistolero]

I was going to say the same thing!

[@CaptainMiserable-gv1ts]

I was going to put the same thing. He has a book called, "Look Me In the Eyes". He did all kinds of cool stuff.

[@PicoPistolero]

@@CaptainMiserable-gv1ts I spent the day with him shooting a documentary on savantism. John Elder is a brilliant and cool guy!

[@scottybrowndotca]

Brilliant .. And rather timely as I was wondering about a few of those very things (damage due to heat/fire, how it was powered and ignited, etc) .. I really want to do this to a guitar someday, just for fun .. And to surprise the crap out of my band on stage

[@philipreedwallace]

I always loved Aces guitar solos. Especially the first time I saw them in 79.

[@morbusxx7]

Saw him do that in concert in Anaheim CA in 1977 or '78. Back when Kiss was good.

[@RichardBinder-dx7fk]

My friend was the late luthier Steve Carr. I remember him replacing the neck joint wood in the smoker guitar. The smoke had made the wood weak. Steve also built the UFO lightshow guitars He let me play one. He really liked Ace. Miss Steve.

[@hkguitar1984]

Yeah, all that heat would eventually cause the glued joints to release from each other. Very Cool

[@jamesreid5134]

While Ace and Peter were on their Bad Boys tour I was the Pyrotechnician for Black Diamond kiss tribute and went to the bar here in Edmonton to see if his tech could show me that guitar and he did. Brought me in and showed me the set up then had me hold the light up guitar from I was made for Lovin you. Super cool experience.

[@SeanBlumenshine]

That’s so cool!

[@jamesreid5134]

It gets better. We opened for Kiss in Dallas for the 1994 Worldwide Kiss Convention. Got to meet the band members of that time too.

[@SeanBlumenshine]

@@jamesreid5134 That’s amazing! What a cool experience that must’ve been.

[@kengyang1908]

After all these decades Ace full blown laugh is gets me every time

[@watahyahknow]

btw for everyone who wants to try the smoke generator version : the generator uses nafta oil sprayed on or through a hot element to create the smoke , the vapour does hurt the electronics as its verry greasy it makes the volume and tonepots loose conductivity , read an interview with some english drum and bass group back in the 90s i think that used vhs 8 track machines for a lot of there on stage music , the smoke caused them to fail halfway through the show it might be a better idea to use dry ice or bottled co2 for smoke , might have problems harnessing it untill needed but it should be safer for the electronics

[@jhs8496]

Ace Frehley was quite a charitable guy. Not many people know in 2016 Ace sent nearly $24,500 worth of Dollar Store knockoff Big Wheel tricycles and genuine leather lightning bolt guitar straps to the impoverished and deserving children of South Sudan.

[@tvviewer4500]

What?

[@SPOOKSTR]

I stood right in front of him in 1980 at the Sydney Show Ground. I remember rockets firing out and if my memory serves me correctly it set off or was timed to co-inside with the confetti dropping .

[@dwilson2548]

That's great !!!!!! Now you can tell me how a 1957 Plymouth positraction rear end works.....

[@larryoneill7432]

I’m still surprised no other guitarist has ripped off Ace with their guitar

[@Kiss4cooper]

I’ve always wondered why Tommy’s never used it. It looks awesome

[@tombstoneharrystudios584]

@@Kiss4cooperI think that there was some copyright issues regarding Tommy using it

[@Kiss4cooper]

@@tombstoneharrystudios584 ah, makes sense, thanks

[@markmcclellan1316]

Y'know, I saw that episode of Headbanger's Ball! It was hilarious. They couldn't turn the thing off! 😂

[@adamstephenson7518]

Loved this video. Always curious how he decided to do that effect

[@leokimvideo]

Can you do a video about the special Kiss pyro load Ace used. It's small, a company called Luna Tec made it and it's unique to Ace.

[@patrickbachman2184]

Tom Dewilie (sp) from Lunatec/Pyrotec in Huntsville Alabama….spent some time there in 79’

[@Roberta_Esposito]

ACE RULES

[@dimebagdave77]

Many thanks Sean🤘✌️

[@provost5752]

Cool video. I remember as a kid thinking that was the coolest thing ever.

[@willymaykit1482]

It's a band meant for kids with no knowledge of real talent. These guys were a painted gimmick with incredibly crap songs.

[@jeffvaughn3132]

Great video .... 🎸

[@LibertyBleeds]

Very cool

[@JeffMitchell-lv4zx]

I've heard that a guitar shop called Strings & Things here in Memphis made some of Ace's smokers.

[@reallyoldrookie433]

They made his first Les Paul into a double cutaway after he got the cherry sunburst, at the time the luthier they had on hand was THE GUY for custom guitar work. His name escapes me at the moment, but it wouldn't surprise me if he did some smokers.

[@JD_-_]

Oh and I thought it was from amazing playing😂😂😂

[@unclewalt1]

Now explain Charlie Christian's smoking guitar.

[@whosoever9198]

How many times could he use a smoking guitar? I always thought it was a “one and done” guitar but I think that would be too costly.

[@SeanBlumenshine]

I don’t know exactly but they seem to usually last years though I’m sure guitar techs were consistently working on them.

[@JohnLesniewski-np7jg]

Same guitar was used nightly. And used for only the one song. Guitar techs would get it ready between shows.

[@sniper10666]

Did he burb during his explanation?

[@BubbaHubba-zy2kf]

He alway burbs

[@spaghettiman600]

Ace was on so many drugs, his own body caused his guitar to smoke.

[@jackhaugh]

So it’s literally all smoke and mirrors?

[@matthewguzda4075]

Gimmicks

[@amybeam6545]

❤🛸❤❤🛸🚀❤🛸

[@dancingtrout6719]

Another Les Paul Invention ::he keeps coming Up with Stuff.. quote :: yah My Guitars Can Go Through Any Thing just like WW2 Stick A Cherrry Bomb In It nothing will Happen Ya Just Cant Destroy Them ya cant Blow them Apart..!!

[@willymaykit1482]

This band was a gimmick. Zero talent with crappy simple songs.

[@shanemcconnell1736]

Knowing ace, that was probably crack smoking out of a guitar

[@MadDog-dn5st]

Ace's guitar smoke comes from.the fact that he is the world's fastest (and most furious) shredder and used to give yngwie malmsteen guitar lessons (who ,btw, can't hold a candle to shreddin' ace)...and if you believe that then I've got a great deal for you on a bridge that I need to sell...

[@DutchVai]

...is it that orange bridge that spans the Oka Yum Yum river ? I've had my eye on that one.

[@christianboddum8783]

🤣

[@jumbyrocks]

lol. When I was in elementary school that’s exactly what I thought. I thought he played so fast his pick melted #truestory

[@jongilbertson2106]

You would not want to hold a candle to Ace’s shredding, as it might light his guitar on fire.

[@ronbaker8383]

Never believe a word ace says. A pathetic lier