December 21, 1973 - Queens, NY

One of the earliest dated pictures of Ace with his Tobacco-burst Deluxe

  There's a lot a great guitar players with favorite guitars. Stevie Ray had his very famous "Number One" Strat ... Eric Clapton had his "Brownie" and "Blackie" Strats ... Jimmy Page had his 'Number 1' Les Paul. Where are they now ? Well, Stevie Ray's guitar is now owned by his brother, Jimmie ... Clapton's guitars were bought by Guitar Center to raise money for his Crossroads rehab clinic and Page still owns his.

  Ace was no different as far as having a "Number 1" guitar; using his Tobacco-burst Deluxe for almost as long as any of his main guitars (late-1973 to late-1976). However, in the fall of 1976, the story of Ace and his Deluxe took a really unusual turn !!!

  The last pictures I've been able to find, of Ace using his Deluxe are from Kiss' show at Freedom Hall, in Louisville, KY, during the Destroyer tour, on September 8, 1976 (the guitar doesn't looked "torched" to me). There were 2 more shows, in the US, before the end of that tour (although I've never found any pictures from any of them) and 5 shows at the beginning of the Rock And Roll Over tour (no pictures, that I'm aware of, either), before Kiss reached Memphis, TN., on December 1, 1976  and the Strings & Things guitar shop.

  During the two-and-a-half month break between the end of the Destroyer tour and the beginning of the Rock And Roll Over tour, Ace acquired his Cherry-burst Custom. This acquisition may have relegated his Deluxe to the role of a back-up guitar and when coupled with the December 1 visit to Strings & Things, in Memphis and a meeting with a young guitar tech named Nik Chatal, these two key events probably spelled the end of Ace's Deluxe, as we knew it.

  So, to finally confirm decades of speculation on this topic, here's the definitive word from AceFrehleyLesPaul.com ...

  Ace willingly and knowingly allowed Nik Chatal to convert his 1973 Tobacco Burst Les Paul Deluxe into a one-of-a-kind, Black Les Paul Double Cut.

  This has been the rumor of what happened to Ace's guitar for a long, long time. However, since Nik Chatal passed away many years ago and Ace had never really discussed it, there was never any confirmation of the story. Apparently, when asked about it in the past, Ace would get somewhat annoyed and/or upset and frustratedly claim "That guitar was stolen ..." , as he did in Chip Rock Dayton's book and simply leave it at that. I can't prove or disprove Ace's claim that it was stolen. However, as you'll read in the following paragraph and see in the pictures; there is no doubt that the guitar left Ace's possession, AFTER it was converted into the Double Cut.

**Note - The following information comes from Ace, indirectly to me. Ace and I have not spoken or communicated, directly with each other, about this.

  When current pictures of "Blackie" were forwarded along with the questions of whether or not this was once his Les Paul Deluxe; Ace's reply was simple and unmistakable ... "Yes, that's it". Ace said he "recalls taking the Tobacco Burst Deluxe to Strings & Things, but doesn't remember taking delivery of the completed Black Double Cut guitar after that". This is interesting, because the very well known and widely publicized "Ace In The Hole" picutres, taken at Ace's home, in the summer of 1978, clearly show the Black Double Cut behind him, in ALL those pictures. So, it was obviously delivered/returned to Ace, whether he recalls it, or not. This is why I'm confident to say it left Ace's possession, AFTER it was converted.

  The big question that remains, is "why". Why would Ace Frehley completely and so drastically alter the look of his Number 1 guitar ? Well, Ace says he had it converted to the double cut because he "really wanted one bad, at the time". So he "took his favorite guitar and best player to be converted; so it would continue to be his Number 1 guitar, but in the new shape of the Double Cut". Ace is "positive that he didnt sell it or trade it" as it was his favorite guitar, again stating "the guitar was stolen from him in the late 70's but wasn't sure exactly when". Ace reiterated that the reason he converted it "was BECAUSE it was his favorite guitar and (at that time) he decided he liked that double cut look and wanted his best player to look like that".

  I don't know whether or not Ace regrets the conversion, in hind sight. But, as an Ace Frehley fan, the webmaster and creator of AceFrehleyLesPaul.com and a Les Paul guitar fanatic; I can honestly say that I regret that the guitar was converted. But, at the same time, I am very glad that we know the truth about what, when, where and even why it happened.

December 31, 1973 - New York, NY

Clearly showing the full-sized humbucker pickups, creme pickguard and the Kluson tuning machine heads

February 19, 1974 - Los Angeles, CA

Full-sized humbuckers, creme pickguard, Kluson tuners, no 'star-shaped' decal & headstock binding

  One of the most common questions I used to be asked was ..."What happend to Ace's Tobacco-burst Les Paul"? "Do you know where it is"? The simple answer to that question is ... Yes, I do now and I also know that it has a very good home. On-and-off, over the lifetime of this website, I've been researching Ace's 1973 Tobacco-burst Deluxe. There's been e-mails, pictures, threads on guitar forums and chasing false leads. The one missing piece of this puzzle is that I haven't yet had the pleasure, or honor, of a one-on-one discussion with Ace to confirm or refute any of the photographic and/or written information I've collected.

  I'll start with a small editorial note found in Ace's interview with Guitar Player Magazine, from January of 1979; "Strings And Things (1492 Union Ave., Memphis, TN. 38104) rebuilt and customized one of Ace's guitars, a Les Paul Deluxe that was later ruled to be a fire hazard. Ace had installed rocket launchers that had accidentally torched the instrument. Strings and Things converted the Les Paul to a double-cutaway and contoured the back". The visit to Strings And Things was in December of 1976 ... Remember this date, as you read on ...

 

  In late 1973, Ace acquired his first Gibson Les Paul. The guitar was a 1973, Gibson Les Paul Deluxe in the Tobacco Sunburst finish. Ace stated in his Guitar World Magazine interview, in 1997 ... "Once we got signed, I bought a Gibson Les Paul and a 100 watt Marshall amp". Further to that, in his "Behind The Player" DVD release of January 2010, Ace stated that he bought the gear with some of the advance money Kiss received for their first record; confirming my original speculation (or maybe he read my website to help jog the memory, before the interview???).  He bought the gear from Manny's Music, on 48th Street, in Manhattan and I am 99% positive that he bought the guitar used and not new because of the non-stock modifications, that a/the previous owner had performed.

  2012 Update - Even after "finishing" this page a few years ago, I have continued researching this guitar and I have a few additional points and/or thoughts to add. I still haven't spoken with Ace, but I have come across some additional pictures that I hadn't seen before. These pictures have hi-lighted 3 key features of the guitar that are obvious, aftermarket modifications that were present from the first time Ace was photographed using the guitar for a live show (Coventry, 21Dec73, Queens, NY)

1.) the installation of standard sized humbucker pickups

2.) the countouring of the heel

3.) the addition of a single-ply creme binding, around the headstock veneer

   This additional binding is clearly visible in some pictures and totally missing in others. It leads me to speculate that it either continually fell out during performances or that Ace would possibly color it, with a black marker, to conceal it.

 

  Given their limited budget, at the time, I highly doubt that Ace was responsible for these modifications. I believe they were performed by a/the previous owner. The contoured heel is a glaringly obvious, aftermarket modification, altough it was/is very tough to spot in many of the pictures from that time frame. The changing of the mini-humbucker pickups to full sized humbuckers was actually a very common practice in the early '70's; prior to the official re-introduction of the Les Paul Standard, with stock, standard sized humbuckers. The key visual clue to the pickup conversion is the positioning of the neck pickup and pickup ring. The pickup ring had been cut out, on the edge closest to the fingerboard and actually sat, screwed to the body of the guitar, on either side of the fingerboard and not butted up against the base of the fingerboard as is normally seen. The original humbuckers had the typical chrome covers with creme colored pickup rings and a creme colored pickguard. Double-bar, double-ring, Kluson tuning machine heads, a chrome stopbar and an ABR-1 bridge. Contradicting the Guitar Player magazine note from 1979 above ... all the photographic evidence I've found, to this point, shows that the heel of the guitar was contoured long before Strings And Things converted it into the double-cut.

  Here's a timeline of the various changes and/or modifications Ace made to the guitar using published photographs ...

1.) Between November 1, 1973 and November 15, 1973 - Ace acquired the Gibson Les Paul Deluxe in Tobacco Sunburst finish. These dates are assumed, in conjunction with Ace's recount of getting the guitar "Once we got signed ...", which happened on November 1, 1973. The earliest dated pictures of Ace with the guitar are from December 21, 1973.

2.) Between January 08, 1974 and January 26, 1974 - The famous 'star-shaped' decal appeared. But, it was gone again by February 19, 1974 most likely at the request of the producers of ABC's In Concert show.

3.) Between July 17, 1974 and September 28, 1974 - The stock pickguard was removed altogether and the stock Gibson pickups were removed in favor of a DiMarzio Super Distortion DP100 pickup in the bridge position and a DiMarzio PAF DP103 in the neck position; both with creme colored bobbins.

4.) Between November 2, 1974 and November 8, 1974 - The strap button was relocated from the factory position above the neck, on the side of the guitar, to the rear of the guitar, just above the neck joint and routed heel.

5.) Between November 23, 1974 and January 9, 1975 - Ace's guitar strap was dressed-up to include small rectangular, metal studs in a circular pattern with a single stud in the middle of each circle.

6.) Between November 27, 1975 and December 31, 1975 - The original Kluson tuners were replaced with Gibson Deluxe metal-button tuners.

7.) Between June 14, 1976 and July 10, 1976 - The Gibson Deluxe metal-button tuners were replaced with Grover tuners that featured the 'banjo-style' pearloid buttons.

June 22, 1974 - Atlanta, GA

Still a 'stock' Les Paul Deluxe with a 'star-shaped' decal & headstock binding

September 28, 1974 - Detroit, MI

No pickguard and now loaded with a DiMarzio Super Distortion (bridge) and a DiMarzio PAF (neck)

November 12, 1975 - Toledo, OH

Star-shaped decal, DiMarzio pickups, Kluson tuners, front strap button now moved to the back of the guitar and a defined 'ring', possibly not binding, around the headstock veneer

October 1, 1974 - East Lansing, MI

Routed heel and strap button still in factory position

December 31, 1975 - Uniondale, NY

An almost final look at Ace's Les Paul Deluxe ...

DiMarzio Super Distortion DP100 (bridge) with allen screw pole pieces

DiMarzio PAF DP103 (neck) with flathead screw pole pieces

Front strap button on the back of the guitar, behind the heel

Gibson Deluxe tuners with metal buttons

Star-shaped decal on the headstock and no clearly visible headstock binding

November 12, 1975 - Toledo, OH

Notice how the back plates are taped up in this picture to prevent the smoke from leaking out the back

November 10, 1974 - University City, MI

Strap button now on the back of the guitar, behind the neck, just above the heel

January 9, 1975 - Vancouver, BC

Circular stud pattern added to the strap & headstock binding

  So ... where is Ace's Les Paul Deluxe/Double Cut now, you ask ? The guitar was purchased privately, from it's previous owner in the U.K., in early 2009, by my good friend, Mr. Jeff Donahoe.

  Prior to the purchase, Jeff and I discussed the lineage of the guitar and whether or not it could really be Ace's original guitar. I also had discussions with the previous owner, Neal Heaton. The truth, at that time, was that I had no idea whether or not this was Ace's guitar and I told both people involved, exactly the same thing. I really didn't know. Prior to Jeff purchasing the guitar, I can recall at least two other times, that the Double Cut had been listed and sold, on e-Bay.

  There was no contact with Ace or any of the people in his "circle" who could confirm anything. It was only after Jeff bought the guitar and sent me a ton of very detailed pictures of "Blackie" (as the guitar is now known) and subsequently got through to Ace's inner circle, that we could compare pictures of the Les Paul Deluxe against those of "Blackie" and verify our findings, with Ace's confirmations, through his people.

  There were several points that we discussed as possible ways of verifying "Blackie's" lineage. Most of the points we came up with didn't give us conclusive proof, as they could exist on any guitar. For example ...

1.) The routed/rounded heel.

2.) The DiMarzio pickups.

3.) The 'burnt' smell and smoke residue, inside the guitar's cavities.

4.) The serial number.

5.) The current color of the guitar.

6.) The indentation and screw-hole on the back of the headstock where the original firework was mounted.

7.) The indentations of the original machine heads.

8.) The "pancake" body.

9.) The relocated strap button.

  Finally, we focused in on the only part of the guitar that was still "original". The fret board. There are three discernable, individual markers on the Les Paul Deluxe fret board that are also on "Blackie's" fret board.

1.) The darkened/discolored, possibly repaired inlay, at the 7th fret.

2.) The darkened/discolored, possibly repaired inlay, at the 15th fret.

3.) The "birthmark", as we call it, between the low 'E' and the 'A' strings, just beside the 8th fret.

  And there you have it ... a written confirmation from Ace Frehley, himself and the photographic evidence from the '70's and today, which clearly show the "birthmark" at the 8th fret, as well as the "imperfections" of the inlays at the 7th and 15th frets. The only remaining piece of the puzzle that would lend additional proof, eliminating any question at all, of "Blackie's" lineage, would be a copy of a Customs clearance document, from an early Kiss tour, that would show the serial number of the Les Paul Deluxe, as it was in the early to mid '70's which could then be compared to the serial number on "Blackie". I'm positive they would be the same, as is Jeff Donahoe. But, until such a document is uncovered, we're going to keep "Blackie's" serial number under our hats.

May 21, 2009 - Blackie & Jeff Donahoe

...

July 13, 1976 - Toledo, OH

The last change, to Ace's Les Paul Deluxe ... in it's original form ...

Grover tuners with the 'banjo-style'

pearloid buttons ...

Headstock binding appears to be 'missing' but a channel or route is still clearly visible

** Notice the positioning of the neck pickup ring, on either side of the fretboard.

March 31, 1974 - St. Louis, MO

The 'star-shaped' decal appears & no headstock binding is visible

September 8, 1976 - Louisville, KY