Billy Corgan

In this June 2012 Guitar World article, Corgan states:

PICKUPS

[BC]: "It's very hard to determine which pickups are best for you, because it's unlikely that you can afford to go out and buy five different sets and try them all in your guitar. A good alternative is to bring a guitar you like to a music store, then compare its sound with similar guitars that are fitted with different pickups. I did this with my Strat, which is how I determined that I liked the sound of Lace Sensor pickups. In essence, I'd found the right blend between the best of both worlds; the cut of a Strat and the bottom end of an SG. They're right at home producing hugely overdriven sounds without generating a shrill top-end. After I tried a few guitars with Lace Sensor pickups, I decided to try them in my guitar, and they worked out well."

When we started working with Billy Corgan on the pickups for his signature Strat®, we sent him several models to try out. He liked the Air Norton S™ in the neck, The Chopper™ in the middle and The Tone Zone® S in the bridge. After playing them on several gigs, he asked for some changes in the neck and bridge pickups. He wanted a deeper sound from the low strings without losing any punch, and he didn't want the sound to get muddy with high-gain amps. To do this, we lowered the frequency response of one of the the coils in each pickup just enough to boost the bass while opening up the mids. The end results are the pickups that are now in Billy's signature Strat®. They do exactly what he wants in humbucking mode, and he's found they work really well in split mode as well.

When we started working with Billy Corgan on the pickups for his signature Strat®, we sent him several models to try out. He liked the Air Norton S™ in the neck, The Chopper™ in the middle and The Tone Zone® S in the bridge. After playing them on several gigs, he asked for some changes in the neck and bridge pickups. He wanted a deeper sound from the low strings without losing any punch, and he didn't want the sound to get muddy with high-gain amps. To do this, we lowered the frequency response of one of the the coils in each pickup just enough to boost the bass while opening up the mids. The end results are the pickups that are now in Billy's signature Strat®. They do exactly what he wants in humbucking mode and he's found they work really well in split mode as well.

His signature Fender hardtail model has three humbuckers, including The Chopper.

"Developed with Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins for his signature Reverend guitar. This unique design brings the clarity and articulation of a P90—but beefed up—and boasts some of the thick tone of a humbucker. A mild midrange bump imparts a slight “cocked wha effect” adding punch and weight with heavy distortion or fuzz. A versatile pickup that sounds great clean or dirty."

"Developed with Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins for his signature Reverend guitar. This unique design starts with the classic vintage P90 output and tone, then we add a dash of extra treble chime to the recipe, creating a tasty tone with extra articulation. For the player who appreciates open, sparkling cleans and throaty overdriven tones."

They are Billy Corgan’s signature set… it’s got his name on it!