Its not about playing skills..its about influence.. Ace Frehley is the most important guitarist coming out of the mid 1970s....then Eddie (who was influenced by Ace).... Ace inspired a whole generation of kids to pick up the guitar...no amount of trivializing KISS is going to change that reality... From heavy metal, to pop metal to grunge to whatever... Ace was the cat's miau
Slash, Dimebag Darrell, Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, Dave Sabo, Scott Ian, Kim Thayil, Mick Mars, Jake E. Lee, Paul Gilbert, Mike Mccready, Eddie Van Halen himself,
The list is endless...
Saying he is not a guitar god would be akin to saying Chuck Berry wasn't... which would be ridiculous since the guitar as rock's primary musical instrument is unimaginable without him. Does that mean Berry is a "great guitarist"? No of course not..but he is a guitar god...
of course you have to be a bit older and open minded to accept reality.... I'm pretty sure Ace did not influence Foster the People or any of the modern musicians who wouldn't know a guitar if it bit them in the ass.. the guitar "solo" is out..its uncool.... etc etc