Billy Corgan | Guitar World

Railhammer aims to bring heavy Smashing Pumpkins tones to all with the launch of Billy Corgan Z-One pickups

By Michael Astley-Brown published 2 December 22

Promising fat midrange with a smooth top-end, Corgan’s pickups are the same as those found in his Reverend signature guitar and featured custom etched artwork

Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan, Rock Torhout Festival, Torhout, Belgium, 04/07/1992.

Billy Corgan claims Butch Vig stole his guitar sound for Nirvana’s Nevermind

By Matt Parker published 2 November 22

The Smashing Pumpkins frontman says he made the comment directly to the producer on first hearing the record in 1991

The Late Late Show with James Corden airing Thursday, May 12, 2022, with guests Niecy Nash, Paul W. Downs, and The Smashing Pumpkins.

Smashing Pumpkins harness metal chugs and Whammy squeals in first track from upcoming sequel to Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

By Michael Astley-Brown published 20 September 22

Beguiled is taken from ATUM, the band’s forthcoming 33-track, three-act rock opera album

Porno For Pyros recruit Billy Corgan for a performance of Led Zeppelin’s When the Levee Breaks at Lollapalooza

By Sam Roche published 2 August 22

The Perry Farrell-led alt-rock outfit brought out the Smashing Pumpkins leader towards the climax of their July 31 set

Billy Corgan performing live at the Together And Together Again benefit on July 27

Watch Billy Corgan perform new song Photograph – a tribute to the victims of the Highland Park shooting

By Matt Parker published 29 July 22

The Smashing Pumpkins song received its debut as part of the Corgan-led online fundraiser

Billy Corgan announces virtual concert to support victims of the July 4 Highland Park shooting

By Sam Roche published 19 July 22

The event will be hosted at Corgan’s Highland Park tea shop Madame Zuzu’s on July 27, and will feature performances from Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlain, jazz saxophonist Frank Catalano and others

Reverend Billy Corgan Z-One signature guitar

Reverend launches heavy-focused new Billy Corgan signature model, the Z-One

By Matt Parker last updated 27 April 22

The latest guitar is designed to do the heavy lifting in the Smashing Pumpkins catalog

Billy Corgan (left) and James Iha perform with Smashing Pumpkins at the Tibetan Freedom Concert in 1996

"All we ever wanted to do in this band is kick people's ass": The Smashing Pumpkins on '80s Marshalls, epic guitar arrangements and their essential pedals

By Alan di Perna published 17 March 22

In this 1995 GW interview, Billy Corgan and James Iha discuss the gear that powered their sprawling, double-disc masterpiece, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Watch Billy Corgan pay tribute to his father with a set of Christmas songs at his Chicago tea shop

By Sam Roche published 21 December 21

The Smashing Pumpkins leader delivers a rendition of Do You Hear What I Hear?, as well as two originals, Evergreen and The Magi and the Shiny Bright

Billy Corgan set to sell over 100 pieces of gear used throughout his Smashing Pumpkins career in new Reverb Shop

By Matt Owen published 22 September 21

Guitars, amps, preamps, synthesizers and more used on The Smashing Pumpkins and Zwan albums and tours will be included in the online mega emporium

Jeff Schroeder offers update on new Smashing Pumpkins record: “It's a big, sprawling thing”

By Sam Roche published 30 July 21

The album is reported to be a 33-track sequel to Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness and Machina/The Machines Of God

Eddie Van Halen talks honing his technique, his imitators, and the origins of Eruption in this classic 1996 interview with Billy Corgan

By Billy Corgan published 28 July 21

In this gem from the GW archives, the alt-rock titan talks guitar, the music industry and more with one of his heroes

Jade Puget from A Fire Inside (also initialized as AFI) performing at a sold out show in Toronto.

AFI’s Jade Puget: "I do a lot of effects in-the-box, because there are infinite things you can do – you can create unique tones that have never been done before"

By Gregory Adams published 5 July 21

The goth-punks' mercurial guitarist on shaping his guitar sound with plugins, writing with Billy Corgan, and how Peter Hook influenced the band's new album, Bodies

[L-R] Eric “Shade” Balderose, Billy Corgan, Jami Morgan and Reba Meyers

Code Orange tease collaboration with The Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan

By Sam Roche published 14 June 21

Social media clues point to a partnership between the Pittsburgh metal heavyweights and Chicago alt-rock icon

The Smashing Pumpkins to host 30th anniversary Gish livestream event

By Sam Roche published 28 May 21

The Chicago alt-rockers are celebrating their rifftacular debut with a live vinyl listening party, fan Q&A and an “exclusive preview of unreleased music”

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.

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

By Michael Astley-Brown last updated 17 March 21

The alt-rock icon shares his thoughts on boutique pedals, clones and plugins in new interview

The Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan: "I’m a firm believer that the distortion signatures of a guitar need to be organic"

By Matt Doria published 21 January 21

To leap forward into a bold and brave new chapter of their musical narrative, The Smashing Pumpkins go all the way back to square one.

Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan teams up with Carstens Amplification for “game-changer” signature amp

By Richard Bienstock published 27 November 20

Hand-wired, 100-watt Grace boasts “unheard of amount of gain, high headroom and distinct tone”

Billy Corgan and Eddie Van Halen on the cover of Guitar World magazine

Billy Corgan recalls his “religious experience” interviewing Eddie Van Halen for Guitar World

By Michael Astley-Brown published 2 November 20

The Smashing Pumpkins frontman looks back on his quest to “introduce EVH to a generation of alternative guitar players”

Tom Morello’s wrong: young people are practicing guitar - but they’re trying to forge careers, too

By Michael Astley-Brown last updated 7 May 20

Quit raging against young guitar players: the music industry has changed, and so has the route to success