One of Late KISS Guitarist Ace Frehley’s Legendary ‘Smoker’ Guitars Is Available For a Song in Auction

One of late KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s signature “smoker” guitars is going under the gavel in a rock and roll auction. The signed Sunburst Gibson Les Paul that Frehley played on the band’s 1999 Psycho Circus tour as well as their 2000 farewell tour is up for sale now via Gotta Have Rock and Roll, with a minimum opening bid of $100,000.

“This custom-made Sunburst Gibson Les Paul ‘Smoker’ guitar was owned and signed by Ace Frehley, featuring modifications for his signature ‘Smoking’ effects,” reads a description on the auction house’s site. “It was heavily played and used during the 1999 and 2000 ‘Psycho Circus’ and ‘Farewell Tour’ concerts. The guitar is part of Ace Frehley’s personal collection and represents a unique piece of rock history from an influential period of his career.” The instrument comes with a letter of authenticity, with the auction slated to end on Dec. 5.

Frehley, who joined KISS in 1973, was beloved for his funky Spaceman (aka Space Ace) character in the greasepaint-wearing band, which he originally left in 1982 before rejoining in 1996; the 2000 tour was his final outing with the band fronted by singer/guitarist Paul Stanley and bassist/singer Gene Simmons. He legendarily rigged his guitars with a number of fan-favorite effects, including ones that shot fireballs from their headstock, others that lit up and the one on the auction block now that emitted plumes of smoke from its neck.

In 2023, Ultimate Guitar described how Frehley rigged the guitar to smolder after he first tried to embed smoke bombs inside the cavity of the instrument, only to have it mess up the volume and tone controls. The magazine said he worked with an engineer to remove the pickup from the guitar’s neck and slip a fog machine into the cavity for the effect that became one of his signature on-stage tricks.

The guitarist died last month at age 74, with his family announcing his passing in a statement that read, “We are completely devastated and heartbroken. In his last moments, we were fortunate enough to have been able to surround him with loving, caring, peaceful words, thoughts, prayers and intentions as he left this earth. We cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter, and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others. The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions, and beyond comprehension. Reflecting on all of his incredible life achievements, Ace’s memory will continue to live on forever!”

An autopsy report revealed that Frehley’s death was caused by blunt trauma injuries to his head after suffering a fall, with the manner of death listed as accidental.