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Kiss - Top 5 Ace Frehley Riffs - Guitar Tab

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Kiss - Top 5 Ace Frehley Riffs guitar tab video
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Classic Rock

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Kiss Hard Rock

About Top 5 Ace Frehley Riffs

Few guitarists in Kiss defined a band's sound as completely as Ace Frehley did, and working through his five most recognizable riffs gives you a practical cross-section of what makes his style tick. His playing leans heavily on pentatonic phrases delivered with a loose, behind-the-beat swagger, so the first thing to get right is feel rather than pure speed. Several of his signature parts combine a chunky rhythm chug with a melodic lead hook in the same passage, which means your picking-hand discipline really gets tested. The wide variety across these five riffs also means you will be shifting gears between Hard Rock power-chord drive and more lyrical single-note runs. When a transition or a bend-heavy phrase is giving you trouble, set the Practice Toolbar to loop that section at a reduced tempo so you can lock in the pitch of each bend before bringing it back up to speed. Work each riff as a self-contained unit before chaining them together.

  • Frehley favored a Les Paul through Marshall stacks, giving his riffs that thick, slightly compressed mid-range tone that is key to matching the original feel.
  • Several of his signature riffs use the minor pentatonic scale with added chromatic passing notes, so knowing that scale across the whole neck is essential preparation.
  • Pay close attention to his vibrato on sustained notes as it is wide and slow, and nailing that detail separates a convincing Ace tone from a generic hard-rock run.

How to Play Top 5 Ace Frehley Riffs

The song moves through: Shock Me, Cold Gin, Parasite, Rocket Ride, Into The Void.

Difficulty: Medium

It is built from a handful of distinct sections, so learn each one in blocks before stringing them together.

Use the section loop to isolate a passage and drop the speed to build each section up to tempo.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Ace Frehley's 1959 Les Paul Standard with stock PAF humbuckers delivers the warm, singing sustain that defines Kiss's lead tone when cranked through Marshall amplifiers. The moderate output and responsiveness of PAFs let his solos cut through without compression, creating that vocal-quality sustain signature to the classic era.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

The Les Paul Custom's thick mahogany body and humbucker configuration provide the foundational warmth and sustain essential to Kiss's rhythm and lead work throughout their career. Its slightly hotter output compared to standard models contributes to the band's characteristically thick, aggressive tone.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

Ace Frehley switched to the JCM800 in his later Kiss years, using its tighter, more defined gain structure to achieve singing leads and aggressive rhythm tones. The 100-watt model's preamp-driven breakup, pushed hard with master volume around 6-7, anchors Kiss's powerful, sustain-heavy sound.

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)
Amp

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)

The Marshall 1959 Super Lead Plexi was Ace Frehley's primary amplifier during Kiss's classic era, delivering natural tube breakup and responsive dynamics when cranked loud. This head's warm, organic gain is fundamental to the singing quality and sustain heard on iconic Kiss solos and rhythm work.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Ace Frehley uses the Cry Baby wah expressively throughout Kiss solos, most famously parked in a half-open position on 'Detroit Rock City' for a vocal-like tonal boost. The pedal's dynamic responsiveness pairs perfectly with his PAF-equipped Les Paul and cranked Marshall for expressive, singing lead work.

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