Or maybe the rather strange decision to use the Axe for a song like Reason to live during the Crazy Nights tour drove home the point that the Axe was a somewhat odd fit for the image at the time. The very obvious absence of an Axe during 1990-95, with the possible exception below, might suggest that Gene was in fact trying out various prototypes in preparation of going into the Axe business for himself. But, during the Convention Tour of 1995 this bass was part of the museum and was labeled as a prototype Gene Simmons Axe (see pic and video below). Apart from those changes it appears identical to the Jackson right down to the black tuning pegs. There's a high-gloss, mirror-like finish on the body and headstock, added rivules on the body near the pickup, and, true to form, a hole where there should be (or had been) a tone knob. In 1987 Gene turns up with what looks like a slightly altered version of the Jackson. This implies that the taped-up part was probably finished silver originally. It's harder to see in other photos (none I've found show it quite as well as this one but the one to the left is also decent) but thankfully there is a horrible closeup of Gene's tounge from the 1984 Tourbook (far right below) that shows a detail of the Jackson Axe and the tape on the body. One curious detail is that the picture from London 83.10.23 appears to show strips of tape making up the black parts of the Axe body. The headstock and the space between the neck and the bridge had tortoise shell overlays and the bridge was once again hidden from view by a bridge cover. The headstock was the standard Jackson "hockey stick" with all four tuners on one side. The Jackson Axe continued the new infatuation with EMG pickups, this one located closer to the neck than it had been on the Kramer. (And once the American tour book is printed there is a shot of the new Axe for good measure.) It's not shown in the tour book photos shot at SIR studios but instead makes its "proper" debut in the video for All Hell's Breaking Loose and can be seen briefly in the footage from Madrid 83.10.14. But the Fernandes plant could have just as easily have made them too back then. And since they are making both the high dollar and affordable ones now, it seemed probable. Cort has 'ghost' made basses for several major brands such as Ibanez and G&L. The shift to the Jackson comes about just before the European leg of the Lick it up tour. I had thought that Cort probably made the Axe as well as the Punishers that Gene sold on his own.
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