1997 Ace Frehley Gibson Les Paul Custom Shop 300 Made THE UGLY TRUTH

[@mjpugh123]

Technically, you are right about Ace not getting any better, but that doesn't mean he isn't good. Kiss isn't about shredding. Kiss is good old rock'n'roll. While Vinnie Vincent and Bruce Kulick, were WAY better than Ace, they completely changed Kiss' sound. Ace was the heart of Kiss.

[@JokersWild70]

Yet KI$$ hired 3 guitarists known for shredding in Vinnie, Mark, and Bruce.

[@heftosprod]

Ace is far more interesting than anyone’s they’ve had since.... ace is virtually 50% of it for me regardless.... no ace... no interest.

[@buckbreaker5185]

came here 10 years later to let you know Kiss is not good, nor was ever good.

[@triplej8666]

@@buckbreaker5185 objectively wrong. a solid hard rock band underrated by the media due to their stage antics and theatrics. at the core is a bunch of solid musicians (bar peter criss lol) who wrote great rock n roll tunes lol, nothing more nothing less just a solid rock n roll band who made a good chunk of albums and cemented their place in music history.

[@goodrogeringrockandr]

You are good with your facts, however you are mistaken on one thing. Ace has stated in several interviews that when KISS received their advance before recording the first album, he purchased two les pauls and a 100 watt marshall. He also stated that it was the gear he used on the first two KISS albums.

[@ubda1]

Man, Scott u had my attention for a hour. That's hard to do. You pass on your knowledge and opinions and i think we're mostly on the same page. Keep it up Brother!

[@groovydjs]

You actually have a TRUE grasp of what is going on. So many KISS fans are so delusional about the original 4. When you sift through EACH ONE of their bullshit stories, you get to the bottom of what is going on and you are dead on. Paul and Gene run a BUSINESS and it WORKS. They will trample over ANYONE to keep it going. But, as you stated, Peter and Ace are WAY TOO FAR on the opposite end of the spectrum that there is NO WAY that it will EVER work, and they have NOTHING coming to them.

[@jamescampbell7605]

I agree Ace Frehley wasn't the most advanced technical player, but his talent for phrasing melodic recognizable solos was epic and was the reason I wanted to pick up the guitar. I always liked Ace and Peter over Gene and Paul any day.

[@groovydjs]

I hear you. They simply sound HORRIBLE. The Super Distortions.....you know what to expect and they are useful because they simply have "THAT" sound. They were used on EVERYTHING for such a long time. So, you reach for that axe that has them in it when you NEED it, and BAM! Instant 70's! Authentic as hell and no mistaking what you are hearing.

[@leokimvideo]

The ugly truth is this guitar is doubling in price every 5 to 10 years. You can always bank on Ace

[@heathtrantham316]

Ace did actually play the 97 models from 1997 and still to this day. The ONLY difference is he had a cream pickguard on his and he plays the 97 models today without a pickguard.

[@GuitarGuys7299]

It's funny that Gibson and DiMarzio messed up bad with the pickups. But yet the much much cheaper Epiphone versions got them right with the correct pickups. I have an Epiphone version and it has 3 Super Distortions in it.

[@JokersWild70]

Thank you for allowing comments on your channel! Forget the haters. I really enjoy your reviews. And you are totally right about Gibson's (lack of) quality control, the Tune-O-Matic bridge is a archaic POS, and the same with the tail piece. I was a self-admitted Gibson snob, and wouldnt dream of owning an Epiphone, but I decided after reading a bunch of stuff about the Made in Korea Epiphones, I purchased a 2000 Epi Ace Frehley Les Paul. It had the correct pickups, the poly finish is much better than just about all of the Gibson LP's that I have, or had (around 18-20), and the overall detail is better. I know that you ended up selling this, and hopefully you made a nice profit off of it.

[@Joska43]

Right, whenever i need info about pots, jacks whatever i coming at hes chanel. Damn good

[@adambell3809]

As much of a KISS fan as I am, I would never buy one these...im glad you really differenciate a playing guitar vs a collectible guitar. Worries me that people may buy these to play and being the price they are finding out that they are not players. That said, I love my 2 les pauls, but not because they are les pauls, but they feel and sound right to me after going through just about everything within my reach. And they were the last I tried. My pride is a les paul purchased from good friend and Pentagram guitarist Victor Griffin. Never bought a les paul, qc too iffy, til I got that one. Sounds and feels great, came from one of my fave players. And for a fraction of buying new...2001 standard. I love your vids man, keep them coming and all the best.

[@NosferatusLair]

i used to play computer games all my life, i threw my ps3 away for my guitar :)

[@ziggylayneable]

I threw my Atari 2600 away for my guitar

[@comatoo]

@@ziggylayneable Traded my Les Paul for a Pong

[@groovydjs]

Yeah, the boy has some serious demons. There are a lot of folks out there who are close with Ace and a ton of them are right here on You Tube, spilling the sad stories. I have to give him one thing though. The infamous quote of his. "If I'd have known that I was going to influence this many people....I would've practiced more". lol I don't know if that's word for word, but......you get the idea. It's classic.

[@Chrisell]

Amen amen amen, I subscribed solely because you are the first person that I've seen publicly say that the quality control at Gibson is terrible. I actually have found that the quality at Epiphone is at times much better than at Gibson.

[@groovydjs]

Thanks man. Yeah, the QUALITY CONTROL and the FINISHES at Epiphone are MUCH BETTER than at Gibson USA. I find the same true with Fender.....the choices and quality control at ALL the other Fender or Squier locations are often superior to Fender USA. The USA should REALLY give up on trying to MAKE THINGS. lol

[@bettset]

groovydjs i have several of the epi elite/elitists from fujigen. i agree about setups.......these guitars play very well. i wonder how much regulations have hurt qc

[@floridaprepper1302]

Scott, thanks for the video and info I honestly did not know. I have #016 of the Ace original 300 (plus or minus). I do Not disagree with you about anything in the video. I purchased mine in 1997 right out of the vault of the Thoroughbred music store owner. He also had #008 but I got this one. I paid Nowhere near the Suggested list price and do not play it on gigs. It was strictly an investment! Like you, it hangs on the wall and looks great. I was lucky and between what I paid and the value today, my investment has gone up roughly 4X. It'll hang on the wall with regular maintenance till the day I die and my daughter can get from it whatever she may. Thanks again for keeping it real!

[@scottgrove4416]

I'd be happy to check it out. I didn't see it in the listings here, is there an item number or a particular country's version of eBay I should be looking under?

[@groovydjs]

Many thanks my Norwegian friend! I've got a lot of others for you to check out coming out this week. I hope you'll enjoy them. Someone marked your comment as SPAM, I'm not sure why. I'm trying to correct that for you. Thanks again for everything! Scott

[@night_speed]

and as far as upside down pickups, some people including myself reverse their pickups on purpose to give it a different sound.

[@groovydjs]

So? I'm pointing out that this guitar is NOT SET UP FROM GIBSON THE WASY IT WAS ADVERTISED. So, GIBSON FUCKED UP. They were not switching shit around to get YOUR different sound. It was supposed to be one VERY STRICT WAY, and it was released THIS WAY. THAT is the point of this video. They FUCKED IT UP.

[@nicky91guitar]

love the information! btw, if you just google "ace frehley live" there are a lot pictures of ace playing his guitars without pickguard. or do you mean that particular guitar?

[@groovydjs]

Yeah, it's just a little insight into the corners that people cut and who shits on who, and who just doesn't care. It will ALWAYS be worth what I paid for it simply because ANY Ace Frehley fan with deep pockets will pay for it. He's an icon and no matter how Gibson and DiMarzio did.....there are only a limited number of these and the true fans that HAVE to have one, will pay for it just to complete their collection. Same as I'm doing. It's truly sad though.

[@matthewwitmer380]

How about if the pickguard is taped on? Kidding.

[@groovydjs]

Yes he did, he carved it right out the way it should be. I don't know if you've seen that guitar in a while. It's now a Black double cutaway. Ace had it done after he got the original Cherry Sunburst Custom. Someone else owns it now, but it's in a few pictures with Ace and his old guitar collection and pictures with the guy who now has that cool axe. That's the guitar that I will always associate Ace with. It will always be about the PS10 for me as far as Paul goes. It just FIT him.

[@toddmorrissey8372]

Didnt he give it to Bill Baker, that guy that sold all sorts of KISS stuff at the conventions? Bill also played Ace in a KISS tribute band.

[@groovydjs]

Oh yeah, Ace had his moments for sure! The MAJORITY of ALIVE I is not live. I'm sure you know that everything down to the audience noise was overdubbed. All the vocals and guitar parts were re-recorded in the studio to make it nice and smooth. I agree for sure on the lack of quality, I would love to see them close their doors. Their time has come and gone.

[@groovydjs]

Thank you very much! I'm still surprised that anyone can make it through my hour long ramblings.....but very honored that some do! Thanks for hanging out with me!

[@scottsteel4230]

Your ramblings are interesting, and very educational. I know I've learned alot just watching this one. I've been playing a long time, and it's still exciting to learn. Also, being as familiar with Gibsons as I am, I can attest to the fact that your ramblings are also TRUE. It's amazing how Gibson can take a 700.00 guitar, add a .50 Gibson logo, and sell it for 7000.00. Gibson is nothing but a F#&KING joke.There are just too many guitar makers that will sell you a quality instrument, with excellent and consistent quality control, for far less than a Gibson. Gibson and Kiss are very much alike, in that they don't want to just make a fair profit for what they offer, they want to squeeze every cent that they can out of people and offer them crap in return.I love Ace. I admit that I'm not objective when it comes to Ace. I love the guy. I will say, that had he kept evolving as a player after the first two records, he could have been great. From 1976 on, Kiss has truly been a corporate entity, not a band. I completely agree with the vast majority of what you said about Kiss. I do think that the first couple of years, that they were a really great, simple, loud, raw, nasty Rock n Roll band, and I loved them. Once it turned into Barnum and Bailey, and the Kiss CORPORATION, it was done. Money is the language that Stanley and Simmons speak. Truth is not always pretty, or what people want to hear, but it's the truth, none the less. Refreshing to hear someone tell the straight up truth, as brutal as that truth might be. GREAT VIDEO. I have subscribed.✌️

[@groovydjs]

Yes they were. They should be that way anyway. A lot of comfort is totally not taken into consideration when building guitars. The rounder the better. I guess that's why a Strat feels so good. Everything is just so ergonomic and geared for comfort.

[@groovydjs]

My total pleasure Dennis, thanks for checking it out!

[@groovydjs]

There you go! The SOLE reason I have Gibsons around is because I know that the MAJORITY of the world will ALWAYS pay for that name on the headstock. Solid investment as far as a guaranteed return, other than that....WALL ART. And don't let the light hit it......then the art turns into what looks like a 3rd grader's art project from less than 5 feet away.

[@aronkovacs1386]

Honestly the greatest debate between let's say Fender/Gibson is settled when you look at price to quality ratio. Look at a top model from fender, like the New Select series, around $2500, perfect fret setup, eye popping woods, all highest quality electronics etc. Gibson? Pfff, probably a series made Les Paul or something. Mid price range? FSR Strat with perfect setup, woods, neck etc, versus a LP Junior with a rattlecan like paintjob or a studio with a 1/8" gap by the inlays. It's a joke.

[@SickMetalAddict]

I'd pick PRS guitars over Gibson any day, too bad I already ordered my Gibson, and I just recently learned about their sucky quality to price ratio. It probably is the demand thats making the price like that.

[@EricMetalhead]

SickMetalAddict Sell it, get a Custom 24.

[@sccloser]

I love Ace. He inspired me to play as well. But I agree, he has not progressed since the 1st album. In fact, I do not think he plays as well now as he did in the 70's. But he is an icon and even though he is no virtuoso, I enjoy his playing from the 70's albums. As usual, I enjoyed the video.

[@DrBliss23]

I'm enjoying your channel, Scott. I have not been playing for a long time, and I'm not only finding out what has changed since last I was playing professionally, I'm learning things about Guitars that I did not know. I'm amused about the great Tonewood debate. Man; if a guitar sounds good, and is sturdy, WHO CARES??? Grin. It's always good to know when companies are ripping you off by perpetuating mythologies to get more cash out of you than nessesary.My first Les Paul was a 1976 Recording Model, which Gibson claimed needed a special amp from them. It was as heavy as can be, and could do a lot. I got immensely frustrated with it because I could not get much sustain out of it, but I wass most surprised to see Les Paul live at the Irridium in NYC playing the exact same model except his axe had one of the big, chunky tremelo arms. I then realized that the recording model, with the plastic pick and solid, heavy body, was the model that Les himself used! It was therefore obviously a Jazz/Country guitar which could be knocked in and out of phase to produce some interesting, but very clean sounds. I wold have had to compress it to blazes to get sustain or the least amount of feedback - and I was using a 180 watt Fender Twin Reverb!!! Thanks for the valuable information man. (Pardon the spelling; I badly need new glasses.) Question: what do you think of the 2013/2014 recording model series, and what sets them out as different from Gibson's other guitars?

[@Zillustration]

have you picked up one of the mid-seventies B.C.Rich guitars? How about the same era of Hamer guitars? I'm curious how you view those "boutique" brands in their name building years.

[@groovydjs]

/watch?v=TfmNzkMdtZs Go to 1:12 the back pickup is the ONLY one that functions on them. Yeah, I always check out the three sides of the coin. Ace is a total slob and a waste of space these days and for quite a while actually. He has ruined so many of the KISS master tapes by leaving them in the bathroom, under the sink, and the other stuff you mentioned. He is just so very washed up.

[@groovydjs]

LOL, I figured I would get rid of the pew jumpers right off of the get go. LMAO!

[@groovydjs]

I have no doubts. You can't imagine what just happened here at the Las Vegas Speedway for the 3rd year in a row. The "Electric Daisy Carnival". If you don't know what it is, just google it. There will be a 3D movie on it released early next year. It is 100% what music will be. I have zero doubts.

[@MrGavinspoppop]

I'm a 66 yr old weekend warrior that appreciates your knowledge .... had fun listening to you ...keep up the honest reviews and hope your health stays strong .....

[@6672rock]

Speaking of 3-humbucker Les Pauls, have you ever played or owned the Peter Frampton Les Paul? If so, what's your opinion of it?

[@chrisbee8009]

I've owned a couple of LPs in the last few years. The finest one I had for overall build quality was an Epiphone. THat said, I bought a beat-up 2004 Peavey EVH Wolfgang and it leaves every LP I've ever played for DEAD - I literally can't put it down.

[@groovydjs]

Yeah, I hear you on that one! This LP is dead. The headstock broke in shipping.

[@groovydjs]

Yeah, just the original 3 pickups LP custom. Yeah, the guitars without pickguards were the Standard he picked up after he retired his Deluxe and then you'll actually see him with THESE guitars in some pictures since he had to do a lot of posing when signing them or talking about them in interviews. He never brought any of his original 13 guitars for such things and he rarely played on of them on stage either, but he did go ahead and put the pickguard on one of those.

[@groovydjs]

I hear you. I'm a bolt on neck guy too. The old Ibanez Les Paul copies in the 70's were GREAT. I also liked the Goddess series. I didn't think ANYONE remembered those. They are too cool!

[@groovydjs]

Yes, the etching is on there. It's really rare to find one of these where the pickups were right in the 200's as far as the serial numbers go. Have you checked on the bottom of yours to make sure that they are all Super Distortions and no a mixture of them and no "Dual Sound" pickups? The Dual Sounds LOOK like the SD's from the top. (All Allen Screws). No regular screws. Cheers.

[@groovydjs]

Hi there Will! Great to hear from you. I'm glad that you are liking that video! Have you been taking advantage of all the free stuff on my site! I would have for you to miss the free stuff. It's there mate, take it! Cheers, Scott

[@groovydjs]

LOL, Too funny. I have no idea in the world how I could've missed that bit of trivia.

[@AsteriosMatthaides]

I don't really care about Les Pauls, I hardly even know who is Ace Frehley and yet I've seen the entire video and enjoyed every second of it! Great work, man! LOTS to learn from every video of yours! Rock on!

[@groovydjs]

Where did you find that info? I'd love to have it in print so I can keep all of this stuff together. I always put together a little booklet with my guitars now with as much info as I can get. It makes for an interesting read for the next owner.

[@brianyork5510]

Read us a story uncle Groovy...Read us a story. You did, and as usual it was very groovy. Thank you Scot this made my day. Keep telling it like it is my friend.

[@curtisblair9519]

Been playing 52 year's and ur the best to learn guitar and music from appreciate you.

[@megatrends]

I have a Gibson SGS-3 Black Beauty with three pickups and it has a Vol. for each pickup with one tone. In the bridge position the middle and bridge is on but you can fade out the middle with the extra knob. The same for the neck position which has the middle on then too and the same thing with the extra vol. knob. In the middle all three are on of course but you can fade the middle down a bit if it gets too harsh. This guitar here is interesting with how it's wired, thanks for the video.

[@groovydjs]

Ed had a couple of valid points for sure. Most people have one or two in them somewhere. lol The thing that always struck me funny about his is that he was 100% pro USA guitars and HATED imports. So, he would slam Gibson, Fender and PRS. Yet, most things that he built were copies of each of them and then he would fill his store with as many Japanese Ibanez PS10's as he could get his hands on, he loved the import Washburn Stage series axes etc. He did put together nice axes though.

[@Sansatilla]

45:16, glad you explained that. When I bought my gibson, I was disappointed to discover that the case rubbed off on the neck binding. It's so annoying to look at.

[@groovydjs]

I just don't "GET IT". It all just seems like such a waste of time. I'm SOOOOOOOOO glad that you enjoy my videos and even better.......that you are guitar crazy. I simply think that a moment spent on skates, boards, games and other "Toys" is a moment that you could spend on guitar. That's about as deep as it really goes. I'm just an old fart that remembers when there wasn't ANY such things as video games. I don't understand the appeal. lol

[@goldfinger222]

Scott what about the ephipone version, what are your thoughts?

[@groovydjs]

I've never played one personally, but I can't imagine how they could honestly be THAT much different. Plus.....the pickups are correct in every single one of them. So, "THAT" sound is going to be there. The actual clear coats will be a lot smoother than the Gibson versions too. Epiphone doesn't use the same slop on them that Gibson does. So, probably the better VALUE as far as a PLAYER'S guitar for sure.

[@JeffRatliffhome]

Sad story, but it's good to know the truth. My brother had a Les Paul and the head snapped. They refused to fix it under warranty. It was hard to believe at the time, but now I do. Hell, I was on their web site the other day and if you look at the pictures of their new guitars in solid colors you can see how bad the finishes are. They look kind of pebbly. They couldn't even be bothered to clean up the pictures for the web site. I guess they figure the Gibson name will sell the guitars no matter how bad they are. Keep bringing the truth.

[@groovydjs]

I sold the ACE Les Paul a couple of months ago....the headstock fell off. Just sold my mint 1976 Explorer....the headstock fell off. All I can do is laugh at people who think that Gibson have a REAL clue about those FAMOUS designs. lol

[@groovydjs]

I talked about them in this video. I hate those things. I just despise reliced axes.

[@groovydjs]

That one particular axe was a diamond in the rough. It still sucked as far as that HUGE neck joint, but the fact that they FINALLY put coil splitting on them....that really helped a TON. The Satin finish on the back of the neck, the locking tuners and just overhauling the Les Paul.....I actually had hope that they were going to step into the modern day and continue IMPROVING the axes. But, they let me down. That was an amazing guitar. No change of heart on that one, or the Norlin Years.

[@72Z15SS]

I noticed the bridge was set pretty high. I wonder if the neck angle is way off? Any thoughts on this?

[@TiredWingsMusicTV]

This is an amazing video, I do love my white les paul custom and hope nothing wrong will happen to it. What are your top 5 electric guitars ?

[@georgefedorcik8435]

Why would ACE need all these new LP's that don't really float my boat when he owned so many real 50's LP's. I really think 3 pup Customs only look good in black. When ACE played mine he had a sunburst painted black and put a dummy pup in the middle position. Why he just didn't buy a black LP Custom instead. And very few original LP Customs came with 2 Pups as most had 3. Cheers

[@groovydjs]

I hear you. I honestly think that at least a thousand old Les Pauls will be raped and converted by the end of this year alone. There are already hundreds on the market that I've ran across online. So sad.

[@groovydjs]

That is too sweet! You can't get ANYTHING for that price, yet these Marquis amps keep showing up and I love them. Especially with the J-8 controller. It really brings them to life and you can use the built in WAH and so much more with switching each effect on and off, the volume pedal and the built in tuner.....all that you can't get without the J-8. I picked mine up for $123.00 and just love it. You can't buy a pedal, let alone a great amp for that price. It surprises me when people pass.

[@sonofbarnsey]

Knew a guy who happened to have come into a lot of money right before joining the band I was in, and bought a TON of Ace Frehley Epiphones and Gibsons. Had a whole basement full of them, it was ridiculous

[@Yiperman]

Man Scott, I love your videos. Even though I might not agree with everything you say, I appreciate that you are genuine and you speak from the heart.

[@davidstrudwick9533]

When you say 'copies' do at all mean any of the japanese copies? Because at one age Ace was playing a Greco version of his guitar in the late 70s. This came loooong before any Gibson recreation.

[@inventhead]

2nd question scott what is your opion on dean guitars. i wana try 1 n see. but iam happy with my robelli and jackson . do or can you make a video on dean thanks.

[@ruperttyrer8796]

It actually turned out that ace didn’t sell his 13 for drugs or somthing to smoke, they were sold along with a lot of his other stuff from his kiss storage locker to fund his album Anomaly

[@groovydjs]

Yeah, both were great back then. Same went for Dean, Ovation, even Carvin made great axes back then. Kramer and especially Ibanez.

[@j_freed]

55:00 - 'non '59s' are we overstating that a bit - I thought people are hanging on to P-90 fifties Les Pauls that at least have an ABR bridge ('56) and GoldTop PAF LPs ('57s, many 58s, some 58's were bursts). I understand some 'less coveted' early goldtops have taken a hit in their valuation, and some are being 'converted' with a burst finish and neck re-set and paf routing, bridge hardware etc. But some of those aren't even great-playing guitars in wonderful condition to begin with, and they're being made more usable. GREAT early ones in fine condition are probably still collectible and left alone, right? I know an avid collector of fifties LPs who has a pseudo-'59 burst made from an earlier year GT and I was like 'oh yeah right the Gibson logo is lower on the headstock...' - I felt bad mentioning it as he seemed a bit crestfallen about his 'trick' burst.

[@j_freed]

groovydjs Know what you mean. This same collector with the "52/59" (not his doing) has a stock 1958 'Burst which he's afraid to change the strings or even plug in to play, LOL. He has some respect for 'history' as you call it, and obviously it's worth a house. It's funny about 'history' because people used to f-ck with these '50s Gibsons all the time... so you could find original PAF's that somebody had tossed away in a yard sale/pawn shop junk guitar because people with Les Pauls were putting in Super Distortions or whatever. They were once just 'guitars' and, though we kiss the holy grail-ness of them, not all were consistently that great, just cool and rare. The R-series/VOS you mentioned offers decent value (-ish), and there's a whole overly-correct 'vintagey' cult around making them 59-ish as possible (vintage caps and pigtail tailpieces, 'correct' looking switch and jack etc). When in fact the cast ABR bridges are kind of weak and vintage PAFs or replicas don't always sound the best in a given guitar - I mean doncha think these new ones should be "players" not just limited by some weird homage to history. OK I'll shut up now LOL cheers man.

[@groovydjs]

Yeah, it's just sick isn't it? I'm amazed that it SUDDENLY became cool to destroy vintage Les Pauls in order to make that kind of money out of them when they couldn't get 15-20K for them. So, they chop them up, give them the (once taboo) refinish, clean them all up and then call them worth 45K. HOLY CRAP! Just pure stupidity there. They are doing it to hundreds and hundreds of them now. A last ditch effort to make some money during this depression.

[@groovydjs]

So true. Most artists are not involved at all in the process. A LOT of them won't even use their own signature models. I've heard of a few that actually have received the final versions of their guitar and they smashed them, then and there because they were so frustrated with people who simply can't make a good axe.

[@andrewmoseley4029]

I work, outdoors, play 3-5 hours of guitar a day, and sometimes an hour of video games; oh, and I'm an adult. Not every stereotype is 100% accurate. Why would you ever ban a viewer with a legitimate question? I hope you reconsider and that you're well. Where are you from? I've heard you mention a dealer in Georgia; I live in Georgia.

[@groovydjs]

I can and will ban anyone I care to ban. My channel is not here for everyone to comment. It is for everyone to learn from. ANY NEGATIVITY is not allowed. There was no legit question. There was a question in the middle of a bunch of stupid, incorrect and pure trolling shit that I refuse to deal with. So....banned. I don't waste my precious time on people who mean less than zero to me.

[@andrewmoseley4029]

Groovy Music Lessons Sure, it's your prerogative...and channel. I didn't mean that specific incident or whatever.

[@groovydjs]

I can HONESTLY say that I've never looked at a picture of Slash for more than 2 seconds. He has been the "Ace Frehley" of the next generation though. I have to give him that. Right down to not having one new lick since the day he started recording (Like Ace), always being trashed (Like Ace), Gone from the band that made him "him" (Like Ace), and finally, getting a fucked up version of a Gibson Les Paul from Gibson and the fans getting stuck with an inaccurate artist model (Like Ace).

[@Kgio-2112]

This guy looks like ed trunk and meatloafs love child

[@muso4001]

Reckon if you paste the wording in caps that I put there into ebay search should find it. It's for sale in the UK yes, the headstock is thick with nicotine, whether it can be removed without having to re-decal it and re clear coat it is what I'm wondering.

[@groovydjs]

I hear you my friend. I won't be trying the new ones. I have no interest at all in pre beat up guitars. It simply makes no sense to me. lol I actually NEVER get to try a guitar before I buy one. I don't live anywhere near any sort of music stores.

[@Baseballman1998]

Hey Scott, I'm a huge fan of yours, but I have a question. I was watching some of your old reviews and saw you 2009 les Paul traditional pro review and you said you loved les Paulson, but they were a one trick pony. Why the change of heart?

[@groovydjs]

Cool! I almost bought one of them last month. I have to wonder if they have the correct pickups in them. lol I'm waiting on the good folks from Grinning Elk to return from that show to see if they found me any more goodies! I bought this guitar and 2 others from them a couple of weeks ago.

[@curtisblair9519]

Been playing 52 year's and ur the best to learn guitar and music from appreciate you.

[@groovydjs]

Thank you so very much Curtis. That made my month. I hope to keep putting out some stuff here and there that you can use. Stay GROOVY!

[@patriot3636]

First... Great video. Second, I wanted to mention this to you. I've got 2 original 1970 Les Paul Custom's, both a beautiful cream color now, a black 1988 Custom, and a cherry sunburst 1988. I refuse to take these on stage, so I bought 4 Les Paul Custom copies from China, however, instead of "Gibson" on the headstock, they all have my initials. The serial numbers on them are the last four of my SS number -1,-2, -3, -4. I do not pass them off as Gibson. nor will I. They are used to beat around on stage. I use my Gibsons in the studio. I agree with you, if the copies are passed off as real. I don't see an issue with what I've done, as they don't even say "Gibson" on them.

[@groovydjs]

So very true. There is really no quality built USA made guitars in the big 2 companies. The outsourced stuff is much better.

[@theultimaterockr]

What do you think about the recent Ace Frehley models?

[@PedroVasconcelosHQ]

Change the channel? Never Scotty...your videos are awesome....we need more honesty like this...stop people praising sh*t that just doesn't work and is just wrong! Great work Scott

[@ciashill9799]

The report on that Gibson is frightening. Its funny what you say about Ace. I could play 'Sultans of swing', pretty good after 18 months of playing pretty much note for note apart from the vibrato which took more time to get right, but I never got any better! I got stuck at that level apart from some finger picking on my Lag 80 ACE electro acoustic, (which is a great mid range guitar). I can't believe what Kiss is doing to make money, pretty sad and pathetic. Great vids by the way.

[@jaydee3514]

Can anyone link me to where I can get the smoke canisters? I can’t find them on eBay

[@groovydjs]

G&L should be HUGE and Fender should close it's doors. Music Man should be huge as well.

[@groovydjs]

Yeah, Washburn did EXACTLY that for him, just not the Les Paul shape. It was exactly what Ace uses and the whammy on it as well. It was odd watching Ace use a whammy bar for the one tour....but, he jumped right in there and seemed to enjoy it.

[@antropes1375]

hi Scott....im keeping an eye on a Ace 300 on ebay in Australia...they are asking just under $10,000 Australian dollars...it looks the real deal and has Ace 004 as the serial number....im interested in it....whats your opinion on the likely resale later on...im thinking of it as an investment just as you have.....thanks

[@antropes1375]

also...what do you think of the asking price?

[@groovydjs]

There is actually a premium for that serial number. Yes.....that EXACT guitar (ACE 004) is spoke of here www.acefrehleylespaul.com/The300Story.html . You can find out what the current rates are for those guitars by the serial number here: www.acefrehleylespaul.com/CurrentMarketValues.html

[@antropes1375]

groovydjs Thanks Scott...all the best

[@groovydjs]

THAT'S the stupid word that I had a brain fart on "CONVERSION". Good Lore, that should be a crime for sure! It's like melting down priceless coins for scrap metal. It is truly sad!

[@groovydjs]

LMAO, that sounds like Paul for sure. He doesn't want to admit that he's so much like Gene that it's the REAL reason that they really don't hang out with each other that much. It's hard to be around someone who is JUST AS ANNOYING AS YOU, and in the same ways. lol I have yet to find someone as annoying as myself to hang out with. If I did.....I'd run away FAST! LOL

[@groovydjs]

Ed's shop was not too far from here. Ed was just as much of a dick as I am, but he was a crook and a counterfeiter. He built counterfeit guitars on a regular basis. It's still advertised on his site that they continue to build them. They are still very much open for business. I would never be friends with that douche. lol He was every bit as messed up as myself, but in a harmful and self destructive way. My INTENTIONS are always good, his were purely for his own gain.

[@Peart5220]

I bought a regular Epiphone Les Paul Standard + for $469.00 back in 2011...In a word, do you think it's a good buy ?...Not that I'd get rid of it, but I value your opinion...

[@groovydjs]

Oh, Paul did things in the studio that were remarkable. I'm one of the few people who LOVED the stuff that he pulled off on "The Elder". "I Am Just A Boy".....who in the hell can pull off a vocal like that? Not many. Even if it didn't fit the whole KISS mold, it was amazing. My only problem with Paul since day 1 during live shows, is that he can't stay near the mic to finish vocal lines. He just walks away mid sentence to go do a dance or something and you never hear the end of each verse.

[@TWEEZMO]

The “real” Ace Frehley LP had 1 DiMarzio super distortion in the bridge position and 2 PAFs, middle and neck positions. Yes, the middle pickup screws should be facing the bridge. The tuning keys should be Grover with “milk bottle” buttons. Not these kidney beans. The Gibson ABR-1 bridge with pin style posts is historically correct.

[@jvin248]

Regarding crooked HBs ... on practical/working guitars (not collector items), I sand down the trim ring to level the ring plus use needle-nose pliers to bend the backing plate the screws go into. It's a bit fiddly but it straightens them out.

[@groovydjs]

I'm actually looking for one. They go for TONS of money. I've seen them go for as much as $40,000.00 each. So, THEY are the ones to collect, if you can afford them.

[@pocher69]

KISS to you is like Pink Floyd to me. David Gilmour inspired me to get a Strat and learn to play at 35 and now 3 years later, I picked up your lessons to learn more than the basics, would be a better player if I gave it the time. But family and life take time too. I watch all of your videos and learn from you!! Kids now will never know what great music is. I did get the GF's kids onto the classics.

[@Teller3448]

Hey Scott, I just watched a video call 'The "Creem" photos of KISS' and spotted a mystery guitar in the hands of Ace. Its a black double cut with a huge silver lightning bolt over the body, a Floyd Rose and a single bridge humbucker...cant read the name on the headstock. It appears at about 1:46...can you identify it???

[@groovydjs]

That particular guitar is a Greco with a Washburn Wonderbar put on it. Greco and Ibanez were hand in hand the same company. The guitar is an "Artist" model. Ace was messing with things like this right then since he actually ended up with the Washburn AF-40 signature model with the lightning bolt on it and the Wonderbar whammy. So, it was a hunt for his new SOLO ARTIST guitar.

[@Teller3448]

Hey thanks...you're one of the few who would know. The body shape looks like a Greco MR-1000 which Paul Stanley played briefly. Maybe Ace had it custom made for him in Japan. In my pic search, I also spotted an image of Billy Gibbons playing a Tokai Les Paul copy...whaaa???

[@groovydjs]

Yep, he don't even have the original one that these are a tribute to or that the Budokan model is an exact copy of. The guy who owns it had to take that one to Gibson so that they could get all of the specs and dimensions from it. THIS guitar has the '59 neck profile and it's not even the right profile of neck that Ace used. His was the '74 Norlin years, pancake body LP with the really thin neck on it. So, the Budokan is finally right, but when Ace played it while promoting it. Clunk, boing! lol

[@666pinkster]

hey bro, did anyone take dc resistances of the pickups? that would tell right quick what pickups are what... is there any way dimarzio, scrambling to fill orders, may have used the "wrong" bobbins etc, but made the pickups "right" in terms of how hot they are? no doubt it's AFU , but just curious.. a dc resistance would tell a lot as to the level of the f-up... imho, dimarzio super distortions sound like shit, weasily and thin, unless they're driving an already distorted amp..pafs should be ok.

[@lodvelarsen]

Just needed to tell you that I'm really enjoying all of your "lectures". Please keep them coming! You really have so much knowledge for me - and others - to enjoy. Greetings from Norway.

[@groovydjs]

Yeah, I saw that one on eBay too and it was all good with the pickups. The registry for these guitars has that one on it. Number 1 and number 300 are registered as well. Each one shows what pickups were reported to be in each of the guitars that were registered. There's no rhyme or reason as to the serial numbers as to what guitar serial number had what pickups. There are a few near the 300 mark that had all 3 Super Distortions in it and some in the 20's that had the 3 PAF's like this one.