Born November 7, 1960: Tommy Thayer and the Working Spaceman Les Paul

Tommy Thayer turns 66 today. Born in Portland, Oregon, on November 7, 1960, the KISS guitarist grew up in nearby Beaverton and picked up the electric guitar at 13. Before the Spaceman years, his band Black ’N Blue opened for KISS in 1985.

His 2013 Guitar World interview about the Epiphone “Spaceman” Les Paul makes useful birthday reading, especially for players weighing up an artist-branded guitar.

A signature built around a working guitar

Speaking to Guitar World ahead of Winter NAMM in 2013, Thayer explained that the Epiphone followed a Gibson Custom Shop Standard he had already been using on stage. He described a silver-sparkle top, black back, sides and neck, and cream binding, with Gibson 498 pickups and Grover Deluxe tuners.

More revealing than the finish was his account of taking the Epiphone out on the road. Thayer said he had played it for part of the set during the final six or eight shows of a South American tour. The signature was getting stage time in his own hands, according to his account.

He also explained that he wanted enough flash to suggest KISS without making the design so specific that another guitarist would feel uncomfortable using it. That is an interesting balance for a signature instrument: an artist’s visual stamp, with room for somebody else to make it their own.

For today’s birthday listening, move between Black ’N Blue and KISS. Which Thayer performance would you choose?

For another perspective on KISS signature guitars, read our Paul Stanley Ibanez PS10 guide.

Editorial illustration of Tommy Thayer inspired by his 2010 appearance, not a documentary photograph or a depiction of the 2013 Spaceman signature discussed here. Reference: Tommy Thayer .jpg by Tilly antoine, June 20, 2010, CC BY-SA 4.0. New pose, composition, environment and lighting. Illustration licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; no endorsement implied.