Billy Corgan used a $25 Klon Centaur clone for his tones on the new Smashing Pumpkins album

Singer Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins during the 101 WKQX The Nights We Stole Christmas show at the Aragon Ballroom on November 30, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois.
(Image credit: Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images)

Billy Corgan has one of the most-revered tones in rock – so much so that he collaborated with Electro-Harmonix on a reissue of the iconic Siamese Dream-featured Op Amp Big Muff. But it seems that, these days, his pedal tastes lean on the more affordable end of the spectrum.

In a new interview with Australian Guitar, Corgan revealed that although he doesn’t buy too many pedals at this stage in his career, one of the main stompboxes on the Smashing Pumpkins’ new synth-pop effort, Cyr, ended up being a budget Klon clone from eBay.

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Michael Astley-Brown
Editor-in-Chief, GuitarWorld.com

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and over a decade's experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.