<![CDATA[ Latest from Guitar World in Billy-corgan ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/tag/billy-corgan Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:43:25 +0000 en <![CDATA[ “Billy said, ‘I've never played a high-gain amp that I like.’ It was a tall order”: How a Smashing Pumpkins superfan made the only amp Billy Corgan has ever truly loved ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/amps/brian-carstens-billy-corgan-interview kvuzm66oekXHejyjEct9in Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:43:25 +0000 Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:46:14 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I wanted a bicycle for Christmas, and they gave me a guitar. It pissed me off”: Jeff “Skunk” Baxter has played with everyone from Steely Dan to Dolly Parton – but he didn’t even want to be a guitar player ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/jeff-baxter-first-guitar mF3HBFvy7EjmHz79C9RxYH Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:25:20 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I would get up in the middle of the night, play it in the middle of the night, in the dark, no light”: Billy Corgan trained himself to play in pitch black ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/why-billy-corgan-trained-himself-to-play-in-pitch-black CH9BCpkLYmkLkNhyuRWeQo Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:56:34 +0000 Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:56:44 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The two things I remember are the cool guitar stuff… and this never-ending scream”: Billy Corgan on the first time he met Courtney Love and witnessed Hole live ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/billy-corgan-on-the-first-time-he-met-courtney-love-and-witnessed-hole-live t9TbAKtPZhmYxRsmN2Raf4 Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:57:15 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Living in the shadow of my grunge parents, Courtney and Billy… it was a complex and exhausting shadow to come out from under”: Melissa Auf der Maur on joining Hole amidst tragedy and her “Master’s in Music” with the Smashing Pumpkins ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/melissa-auf-der-maur-even-the-good-girls-will-cry-memoir-interview ainiM36fv5C4VSPUY3oDrk Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:29:32 +0000 Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:32:06 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I threw my guitar off mid strum, dove into the crowd and began strangling him to the ground”: Billy Corgan on the first time he met future Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf der Maur ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/billy-corgan-the-first-time-he-met-melissa-auf-der-maur 6wYrMkE9Ft2KXKCuQG2t6i Thu, 12 Mar 2026 17:17:07 +0000 Fri, 13 Mar 2026 13:19:55 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I was a good bass player, and I am proud of my Celebrity Skin work, but oh my God, it changed my level of musicianship forever”: Melissa Auf der Maur on what she learned from playing with Billy Corgan and The Smashing Pumpkins ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/melissa-auf-der-maur-what-she-learned-from-the-smashing-pumpkins Vt6KSw3mJsiepEu6A5S6tK Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:10:15 +0000 Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:00:56 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Ed was under the same pressure we all were. You can play your old gear, but it sounds old”: Billy Corgan on what drives guitar heroes to change their tone – and how it led him to package his sound in a pedal ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/billy-corgan-smashing-pumpkins-laney-supergrace-guitar-tone-journey sin4xAcceGSS9gyQaxYkZT Thu, 05 Mar 2026 12:20:00 +0000 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:28:03 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Tony said, ‘Hey, you’re singing flat.’ My dad got really pissed off”: Jack Osbourne says a heated moment during soundcheck before Black Sabbath’s farewell show revealed everything about Tony Iommi and Ozzy’s relationship ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/jack-osbourne-on-tony-iommi-and-ozzy-osbourne-relationship-black-sabbath rNm9Z58RcVaHNVhRq9a2sm Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:42:54 +0000 Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:47:33 +0000 <![CDATA[ "There’s clarity where you want it, and a glorious wall of noise when you need it": Laney Black Country Customs Billy Corgan Supergrace Loudpedal review ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/effects-pedals/laney-black-country-customs-supergrace-loudpedal-review 5PEi3kSGCqWKdTmEjS2Q3Z Wed, 18 Feb 2026 18:21:42 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I would sneak off with her guitar. She’d get really p***ed off at me”: Nancy Wilson’s first guitar was unplayable – so she kept stealing her sister’s ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/nancy-wilsons-first-guitar ZKg2RFf5s6rY5ZUumha4HK Mon, 16 Feb 2026 15:47:50 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It was an extremely agile move. It was so smooth, it was like we had choreographed it”: Michael Angelo Batio on the time Billy Corgan spared his blushes during a Smashing Pumpkins guest spot ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/michael-angelo-batio-playing-with-billy-corgan-smashing-pumpkins TosXyweiDfVv5i3GXisvdX Mon, 16 Feb 2026 10:28:29 +0000 <![CDATA[ “There’s nothing that impressive about being able to play the guitar at a decently high level anymore”: Why Billy Corgan changed the way he plays guitar solos ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/why-billy-corgan-changed-the-way-he-plays-guitar-solos 6Ms758NRzfU5gCZoVPiVVP Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:53:05 +0000 Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:55:20 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I walked into a Guitar Center one day and took it off the wall. It launched 1,000 ships of people chasing that sound”: The guitar that changed Billy Corgan’s life ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/the-guitar-that-changed-billy-corgans-life vCcCaqg7kRgrWtAFAy43TF Mon, 02 Feb 2026 17:24:13 +0000 Mon, 09 Feb 2026 17:23:34 +0000 <![CDATA[ “A brand-new guitar shape from one of the world’s oldest guitar companies. Will wonders never cease?” 10 things we learned at NAMM 2026 ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/10-things-we-learned-at-namm-2026 LuFW4qBDuCdaed7SapjRyZ Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:30:32 +0000 Thu, 29 Jan 2026 19:28:36 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Give the average guitar player the chance to own my live rig. The tone worth $100,000s”: Billy Corgan has shrunk his Smashing Pumpkins rig into a Laney pedal amp – and he tested it in front of 60,000 My Chemical Romance fans ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/amps/laney-billy-corgan-supergrace 6aLto2mbqDTC7ryRKAKjkH Thu, 22 Jan 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Fri, 23 Jan 2026 06:21:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s one thing to be a visionary, but it’s another thing to have the gift to pull off the vision”: Why Billy Corgan and Smashing Pumpkins collaborated with Yungblud ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/why-billy-corgan-collaborated-with-yungblud JmNDSF9V4PTRCP9z7FNLSb Mon, 05 Jan 2026 16:49:17 +0000 Mon, 05 Jan 2026 16:49:43 +0000 <![CDATA[ “People talk a lot of poo about my tone. But it’s what I love and have loved since I was a kid”: Kiki Wong’s go-to amp at home is a budget combo everyone loves to hate ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/kiki-wongs-go-to-home-amp-is-a-line-6-spider aDZeezT2PecTgDTKDhnbe Fri, 14 Nov 2025 13:55:02 +0000 Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:12:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I had no idea that show would be my last. The whole thing felt like a divorce”: How Paz Lenchantin’s departure from the Pixies led to her first-ever solo album ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/paz-lenchantin-triste 5UCe8erHrSu9Jhissb5zSU Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:12:53 +0000 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 13:33:27 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Turned each band member’s concept into reality”: The Smashing Pumpkins designed some wild Yamaha guitars to celebrate their first gigs in Japan in 12 years – and they were played live ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/yamaha-one-off-guitar-designs-for-the-smashing-pumpkins oxseohxkoMHBpmd4xCL4xf Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:11:43 +0000 Thu, 30 Oct 2025 15:24:47 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s totally his fault. I just couldn’t take my eyes off his guitar”: John 5 on the unlikely player who started his life-long love affair with the Telecaster ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/john-5-telecaster-inspiration tcnZUj2EjL72F7wTELANma Mon, 13 Oct 2025 12:17:31 +0000 Tue, 28 Oct 2025 15:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Whether or not my fingers bled, I don't remember”: Billy Corgan on the making of Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness – and how one of its biggest hits nearly didn’t make the record ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/billy-corgan-on-the-making-of-smashing-pumpkins-mellon-collie-and-the-infinite-sadness KbW6TqwVW5nW4stLTNokN4 Mon, 15 Sep 2025 15:39:47 +0000 Wed, 24 Sep 2025 14:32:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Isaw Kiki’s name, I stopped and thought, ‘Wait… I think I follow her on Instagram.’ …I was like, ‘Oh, that’s that person I really like’”: Billy Corgan and Kiki Wong on the guitar chemistry behind Smashing Pumpkins’ new era ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/smashing-pumpkins-billy-corgan-kiki-wong-interview Agcnkz3HPEMwWUvBduE8cV Tue, 02 Sep 2025 09:31:14 +0000 Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:39:32 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Learning to play with a pick was like dancing with two left feet. I had to entirely relearn the bass”: Having played in the Pixies, Zwan, and A Perfect Circle, Paz Lenchantin knows a thing or two about the bass guitar and its role in rock ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/paz-lenchantin-learning-to-play-bass-with-a-pick TJJD5t5MXtzUcB4kgcbSsK Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:32:00 +0000 Wed, 03 Sep 2025 11:14:21 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I can tell you how to become a virtuoso very easily”: Steve Vai on how anybody can become an elite guitar player ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/steve-vai-how-to-become-a-virtuoso w5fCVPoYHu3PPQMWZ5MBDX Fri, 22 Aug 2025 15:46:51 +0000 Thu, 28 Aug 2025 09:48:01 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It was probably the greatest 10 seconds of guitar playing I’ve ever seen in my life”: Billy Corgan quizzes Steve Vai on his epic guitar battle with Yngwie Malmsteen – and the guitar lick that left them both in disbelief ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/steve-vai-guitar-battles-with-yngwie-malmsteen fP4WJzZ7GjUm4QSmD6Woo7 Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:18:50 +0000 Wed, 27 Aug 2025 15:57:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ “As soon as I heard the news, I turned to my roommate and said, ‘That's my gig.’ The next day, Dave rings”: Steve Vai on how he joined David Lee Roth’s band – and Roth’s desire to “beat Van Halen” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/steve-vai-joining-david-lee-roth-beating-van-halen QnesrBETWsQqsz5WUykfME Thu, 14 Aug 2025 14:34:36 +0000 Tue, 19 Aug 2025 15:40:20 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I was throwing the guitar at the amp over and over”: Billy Corgan wanted to make a statement on this Smashing Pumpkins song – so he trashed his guitar rig ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/billy-corgan-trashing-his-guitar-rig-in-the-studio kHU4zQTpqbGEHNuVb95MfZ Tue, 12 Aug 2025 11:17:51 +0000 Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:52:48 +0000 <![CDATA[ “She's got that thing that I could never do – I have to cheat”: Billy Corgan reveals the technique Kiki Wong can do on guitar that’s beyond him ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/billy-corgan-reveals-the-technique-kiki-wong-can-do-on-guitar-thats-beyond-him 6wY4Q4E9x7pj8GWy2kavnn Wed, 06 Aug 2025 11:13:26 +0000 Wed, 13 Aug 2025 15:02:53 +0000 <![CDATA[ The all-new October 2025 Guitar World – where Smashing Pumpkins and Sex Pistols mingle openly with Carlos Santana and Khruangbin ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/music-industry/magazines/guitar-world-october-2025 ixAp6QwR5gN7VDXYRbCuAX Tue, 05 Aug 2025 16:11:16 +0000 Fri, 08 Aug 2025 11:58:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I actually prefer people who play bass with their fingers. A pick has to be used just right to not blunt the guitar attack”:Billy Corgan takes us inside the zeitgeist of his low-end studio work with the Smashing Pumpkins ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/billy-corgan-on-the-smashing-pumpkins-low-end-sound 5beCiB32s6YUF45Y8uD5CF Thu, 24 Jul 2025 09:47:07 +0000 Mon, 28 Jul 2025 14:43:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ The ‘metal Yardbirds’ assemble at Back to the Beginning – as Billy Corgan, Adam Jones and Tom Morello put on a supergroup set that’s been years in the making ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/tom-morellos-all-stars-back-to-the-beginning xTk56pLuUXTjb7tuGr2xCR Mon, 07 Jul 2025 11:53:15 +0000 Tue, 15 Jul 2025 14:50:15 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The record company threw the CD and said, ‘Not only are there no singles on this record, there’s no album tracks’”: Gavin Rossdale recalls record labels not believing in what was to become Bush’s most well-known album ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/gavin-rossdale-labels-not-believing-in-sixteen-stone AtFQDgAXUDSqZWeqBUyV3E Fri, 27 Jun 2025 15:14:53 +0000 Tue, 01 Jul 2025 13:52:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I apologize for the broken beer bottle that was thrown at him”: Melissa Auf der Maur surprises fans as she reunites with Billy Corgan to perform a Smashing Pumpkins classic ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/concerts-gigs-tours/melissa-auf-der-maur-rejoins-billy-corgan-onstage 3Hd5GZhxvrKZvXC7ih5vdk Mon, 16 Jun 2025 12:36:27 +0000 Mon, 23 Jun 2025 09:59:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I went, ‘I’m sorry we all couldn’t do it.’ Tom Morello goes, ‘Well, Dan and Maynard are playing with these people.’ I went, ‘I didn’t know that…’” Adam Jones on why Tool weren’t originally going to take part in Ozzy Osbourne’s last-ever show ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/why-adam-jones-wasnt-originally-going-to-take-part-in-ozzy-osbournes-last-ever-show RLMpxfhrQLZW5RJUBKrR2g Sat, 14 Jun 2025 11:30:00 +0000 Mon, 23 Jun 2025 09:53:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Gilby had left the band. Axl called me up and said, ‘Do you want to get together and jam?’” Zakk Wylde on the time he almost joined Slash and co in Guns N’ Roses ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/zakk-wylde-on-jamming-with-guns-n-roses Wjt86AJww8ujVUngQj9j4T Thu, 29 May 2025 16:38:44 +0000 Tue, 10 Jun 2025 11:31:50 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Smashing Pumpkins taught me that music doesn’t have to fit neatly into a box… it’s not as easy as pie. It’s pie with a side of metal!” Billy Corgan asked Jenna Fournier to go back to bass, and she says the timing is perfect ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/jenna-fournier-kid-tigrrr-billy-corgan A53XxvYEkybtCutCwVhBnU Mon, 05 May 2025 17:09:06 +0000 Tue, 13 May 2025 14:04:49 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I still use the Strat and Big Muff sound here and there for overdubs, but when I watched Eddie Van Halen play 3 feet in front of me, I learned that it’s about the hands”: Billy Corgan on critics, tone secrets, and how he keeps Smashing Pumpkins fresh ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/billy-corgan-smashing-pumpkins-aghori-mhori-mei XWnzAEgkPyQkuaQUndtPRX Thu, 01 May 2025 18:36:43 +0000 Wed, 07 May 2025 10:45:41 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s really quite genius, but also hard to learn – it sounds insane, but sometimes the easiest songs still get me nervous”: Kiki Wong reveals the Smashing Pumpkins song she had the most trouble with ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/kiki-wong-on-the-hardest-smashing-pumpkins-song-to-learn rrJo4MgdxsMpMZWXv8BBUo Mon, 21 Apr 2025 16:28:30 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Not everybody has a high standard. A lot of indie people think playing too good is a bad thing”: Billy Corgan on the difference between rock and “indie” guitar players ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/billy-corgan-and-richie-sambora-magnificent-others-podcast epphpF7nrtq72qXqoUQj2h Sat, 05 Apr 2025 00:30:00 +0000 Mon, 07 Apr 2025 16:06:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ “That’s the same guitar I’m playing on stage with the band and on tour with Green Day in front of 50,000 people”: Billy Corgan on why he plays off-the-shelf Reverends – and isn’t fussed about playing expensive guitars ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/why-billy-corgan-plays-off-the-shelf-signatures 2GrExEpnLSFHCPWFiphkAX Fri, 04 Apr 2025 10:14:40 +0000 Mon, 07 Apr 2025 15:57:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ Billy Corgan announces new solo project featuring Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Kiki Wong, and U.S. tour celebrating classic Pumpkins eras ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/billy-corgan-announces-new-solo-project-featuring-kiki-wong xQ8FKknpdU6LRcQS6StZEG Mon, 31 Mar 2025 20:22:22 +0000 Mon, 07 Apr 2025 15:21:28 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He fell in love with my SGs, so now I have to buy him one. I told him that one day it would show up at his door”: Looking to take his post-Cars career in a more guitar-heavy direction, Ric Ocasek formed an unlikely partnership with an alt-rock icon ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/ric-ocasek-on-working-with-billy-corgan 6HyxiJ3yXja97GNi5nWTFY Sun, 23 Mar 2025 10:19:00 +0000 Thu, 27 Mar 2025 17:09:35 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He's smoking and making jokes, and he goes, ‘You play, right? Let me see what you got.’ What am I gonna play him? I'm not gonna play Van Halen…” Billy Corgan on the time Eddie Van Halen asked him to showcase his chops – during a Guitar World interview ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/billy-corgan-on-the-time-eddie-van-halen-asked-him-to-play-guitar oypWM6kF2K6xW9VcWz5d5F Thu, 27 Feb 2025 14:58:16 +0000 Wed, 05 Mar 2025 14:18:30 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Somebody will get mad at me, but it’s the closest thing to Beck, Clapton and Page. What was in the water we were all drinking?” Billy Corgan names himself and two other ’90s guitar gods as the ‘metal Yardbirds’ ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/billy-corgan-tom-morello-adam-jones-yardbirds-link TJm76kfE9Cz2hMxsmpSTPA Fri, 14 Feb 2025 14:58:44 +0000 Tue, 25 Feb 2025 15:14:32 +0000 <![CDATA[ “You wouldn't have thought that you would see those three guys together”: Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath's final show will play host to a Tool, Rage Against the Machine and Smashing Pumpkins supergroup ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/concerts-gigs-tours/ozzy-osbourne-and-black-sabbath-final-show-tool-rage-against-the-machine-smashing-pumpkins-supergroup pKAkAmvT5eF2vweGumSKG6 Fri, 07 Feb 2025 16:55:29 +0000 Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:53:04 +0000 <![CDATA[ “This guy comes in, plugs in, and starts playing while we’re talking to another guy. I said, ‘Buddy, you better sit down before I knock you out’”: Ace Frehley interrupted the band when he auditioned for Kiss – and Gene Simmons was ready to throw fists ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/gene-simmons-on-ace-frehleys-kiss-audition 224PUoZCcyEhCaSGRhS25G Fri, 07 Feb 2025 15:26:00 +0000 Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:07:59 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The loss overall is awful and unspeakable”: Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith and Primus guitarist Larry ‘Ler’ LaLonde among thousands who have lost homes in L.A. wildfires ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/adrian-smith-and-larry-ler-lalonde-among-thousands-who-have-lost-homes-in-la-wildfires jgXtw6ZbCWK7Kcr8TYQxji Mon, 13 Jan 2025 17:20:40 +0000 Mon, 17 Feb 2025 17:17:33 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I don’t think James would rip anything off from me, but the first time I heard that song, I was like, ‘That’s awfully close’”: Billy Corgan reckons this Metallica track sounds suspiciously similar to a Smashing Pumpkins deep cut ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/billy-corgan-on-james-hetfield-metallica-smashing-pumpkins Q5DGvLGFkp2hDBP3Zy5oJZ Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:42:20 +0000 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 14:25:04 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He turned it up, and it was uncontrollable”: Eddie Van Halen on the time Billy Corgan played through his rig – and why his setup shocked the Smashing Pumpkins frontman ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/the-time-billy-corgan-played-through-eddie-van-halens-rig NwCKVQp8WzV4zB9DwXvqc3 Fri, 13 Dec 2024 16:53:26 +0000 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 16:49:14 +0000