Former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, joined by his latest songwriting partner Steve Brown from Trixter, recently engaged in an interview with Andrew Daly for Guitar World. The conversation revolved around the promotion of Frehley’s upcoming studio album, “10,000 Volts,” scheduled for release in February 2024.
In response to a question from Daly about whether Frehley’s guitar playing was purely instinctual, the guitarist stated, “It is. I’ve never had a guitar lesson. I was born with a certain technique that many people, namely Tommy Thayer, can’t duplicate. And with Tommy, yeah… that’s over now. It’s back to the breadline for him!”
Brown chimed in, praising Frehley’s unique style and versatility with gear: “A lot of shots are fired at Ace, but he’s mostly taken the humble route. He’s one of the greats like Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page, and Joe Perry. Like those guys, magic happens when you put a guitar in his hands and he plays through that rig. But what’s cool is Ace is so open to new gear, technology, and pedals, even if he doesn’t use them that much. No matter what he uses, it always sounds like Ace Frehley.”
Reflecting on his time in KISS and addressing the challenges of staying humble amid criticism from KISS members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, Frehley shared, “I’ve always been the kind of guy to let the music do the talking, you know? The less I say… I think that sometimes, that’s the best route to go. Paul and Gene always like to elaborate and put people down. Not only me – if you listen and read back to old interviews through the years, they’re constantly putting other musicians down too. Maybe it makes them feel better, or perhaps it’s because they’re just insecure. I don’t know the reason.”