Billy Corgan: “Paint color actually changes the sound of a guitar”

Billy Corgan, busy promoting the (mostly) reunited Smashing Pumpkins' new album, Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun, recently stopped by Guitar Center HQ for a gear-centric interview.

While discussing the specs of one of his Reverend signature guitars, Corgan opined on the effects of paint color on a guitar. 

“People think I’m a bit goofy, but I do think paint color actually changes the sound of a guitar,” Corgan said.

“I’ve found through the years that certain paints sound different, so the white Reverend, I think, sounds better. I have a couple of other ones, but this one seems to sound the best,” he continued.

You can check out the full interview, in which Corgan shows off the guitars in his live Smashing Pumpkins rig, below. The comments in question begin at :54.

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Jackson Maxwell

Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.