Getting Ace Frehley’s Guitar Tone With Neural Amp Models from TONE3000
Ace Frehley’s fiery tone helped define KISS and inspire generations of guitarists. Experience his KISS guitar tones with neural amp models from TONE3000.
Recently, we lost one of the great icons of rocknroll, Ace Frehley. As the lead guitarist for KISS, Ace was more than just a player. He was the Spaceman; a larger-than-life figure who inspired generations of guitarists to plug in and shout it out loud. He was also an absolute master at crafting killer rock guitar tones.
His passing marks the end of an era, but his legacy lives on in the bedrooms and rehearsal spaces of guitarists learning to play his songs. For those of you looking to truly nail the Ace Frehley guitar sound, you’re going to need some specific gear—starting with a Les Paul. While we can’t loan you a guitar (sorry), we can hook you up with free Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) captures and impulse responses of his most essential amps, speaker cabinets, and pedals.
If you’re ready to enlist into the KISS Army, then pick up your guitar and check out these NAM profiles that faithfully reproduce the gear Ace Frehley used to rock and roll all night (and also to party every day.)
Rest in Power, Spaceman. (Image credit: Raeanne Rubenstein)
1. Marshall JMP + Celestion Cab (NAM + IR Combo)
Ace’s early-era KISS tone was built around the raw power of a Marshall JMP head paired with Celestion-loaded cabinets. This NAM + IR full-rig combo nails that era perfectly, replicating the amp’s biting gain structure and thick midrange bark. The matching impulse response (IR) captures the character of the Marshall cab with Celestion speakers that gave his sound its stadium-sized power.
Download Neural Amp Model ➝ Marshall JMP + Celestion Cab (NAM + IR Combo)
2. Marshall Plexi Super Lead
Before “high-gain” became a genre, the Marshall Plexi Super Lead defined what loud rock guitar could sound like. This NAM capture brings out the open, dynamic quality of the Plexi. It’s responsive to your picking and volume knob, just like the real deal. Pair this with a touch of reverb and a Les Paul bridge pickup, and you’re in prime Alive! tour territory.
Download Neural Amp Model ➝ Marshall Plexi Super Lead
Studio secrets behind the greatest live rocknroll album ever made: KISS ALIVE!
3. Marshall 1960 4x12 Celestion Cab
A Marshall 4x12 cabinet loaded with Celestion speakers was an essential part of Ace’s tone. This cab provided the thick, stadium-filling sound that helped his leads soar over the rest of his loud band. Pairing this impulse response with any of these Marshall head captures recreates the resonance and harmonic depth that made Ace’s tone so powerful.
Download Neural Amp Model ➝ Marshall 1960 4x12 Celestion Cab
4. Marshall JCM 2000 DSL100
Ace was practically married to Marshalls for his entire career, but he did update which ones he used in his rig. For his later-era tones, he turned to the Marshall JCM 2000 DSL100. Delivering a tighter, more saturated distortion, this amp maintained the spirit of the classic Marshalls he loved but added more gain, making it a bit more current-sounding in the 1990s and 2000s.
Download Neural Amp Model ➝ Marshall JCM 2000 DSL100
5. Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pedal
Ace got the bulk of his tone by diming those Marshall amps until smoke was coming out. But to dial in his lead tone with just the right blend of fuzz and sustain, he reached for the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff. Famous for its thick, creamy distortion, Ace paired his with a Marshall stack to get those soaring, sustaining lead tones.
Download Neural Amp Model ➝ Electro-Harmonix Big Muff
Dialing It In
The fun part about dialing in a guitar tone is exploring, so try combining these NAMs and IRs in your DAW or hardware NAM player to find your sweet spot. If you’re looking for immediate results to achieve his sound, start with the JMP + Celestion full-rig combo. Or, pair any of these NAM captures with the impulse response for the Marshall/Celestion 4x12 cabinet. Throw the Big Muff in front, pick up your Les Paul Custom (or Standard) with the bridge pickup to full and you’re ready to rock.
But if you really want to sound like Ace, there’s one last thing you must do. You’ve got to play like you're a freak from outer space, aggressively blowing the minds of a stadium full of people who all drove there in Camaros. Ace would have wanted it that way.
The Spacemen Cometh
